Κατεύθυνση Βυζαντινή Ιστορία
Library of the School of Philosophy

2019-10-23

2019

Kostourakis Nikolaos

Κατερίνα Νικολάου, Αναπληρώτρια καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ
Αντωνία Κιουσοπούλου, Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ
Σοφία Μεργιαλή-Σαχά, Αναπληρώτρια καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ

Οικογενειακές στρατηγικές και πολιτική στο Βυζάντιο τον Θ' αιώνα (802-913)

Greek

Family strategies and politics in Byzantium during the ninth century (802-913)

In the Roman world family constituted the core of political factions. This reality was not altered during the early Byzantine period (330-610), as the hereditary members of the Senate comprised the empire’s ruling class. The decay of the so-called “Senatorial aristocracy” in the seventh century made possible the emergence of low-born men, who made up the new bureaucratic elite. This new class was distinguished by the adoption of family names, a practice that was crystallised in the ninth century. For the Byzantines family (συγγένεια, γενεά, γένος) included blood as well as in-law relatives. While blood relations are self-existent and biological, in-law ones are contracted after the common decision of two sides and are social.
The increased importance of family in Byzantine society in the ninth century calls for an attempt to investigate the impact of family strategies on politics during that time. In Byzantium there were four ways to forge an in-law bond and thus develop family strategies: marriage, sponsorship, adoption and brother-making. Marriages are the most common and well-recorded practice and sponsorships follow with a significant presence, while adoptions and brother-making appear rarely in the sources.
Family strategies were frequently employed in order to strengthen a conspiracy that aspired to the throne, as was the case in the two revolts that mark the boundaries of the present study. In 802-803 the general Bardanes Tourkos became father-in-law of two officers, aiming to their support, while in 913 Constantine Doukas, a representative of the nascent Asia minor military elite, rebelled with the support of his father-in-law. Nonetheless, emperors utilized this weapon as well in order to consolidate their power. Nicephoros I (802-811) and Michael II (820-829) legitimized their usurpation through marriages with members of the Syrian dynasty. Two other emperors, Theophilos (829-842) and Leo VI (886-912) opted to ensure the faith of the most influential courtiers by contracting in-law bonds with them. Yet, kinship did not guarantee the political cooperation of the two sides. A telling case is that of Symbatios, son-in-law of Caesar Bardas, who did not hesitate to take part in Bardas’ murder in order to serve his interests.
The end of Iconoclasm divides the ninth century to two distinct periods. During the first one (802-843), sources are focused on relatives of the imperial family, yet, during the second (843-913) their interest is drawn to families away from the imperial milieu, particularly to the Asia Minor elite, bringing the new sociopolitical reality to the surface.

History

politics, networks, families, strategies, prosopography

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https://pergamos.lib.uoa.gr/uoa/dl/object/2883417