Dissertation committee:
Τριανταφυλλίτσα Μανιάτη-Κοκκίνη, τ. επίκ. καθηγήτρια Τμήματος Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ
Σοφία Μεργιαλή-Σαχά, αναπλ. καθηγήτρια Τμήματος Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ
Αλκμήνη Σταυρίδου-Ζαφράκα, ομότ. καθηγήτρια Τμήματος Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, ΑΠΘ
Αντωνία Κιουσοπούλου, καθηγήτρια Τμήματος Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ
Ελισάβετ Χατζηαντωνίου, επίκ. καθηγήτρια Τμήματος Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, ΑΠΘ
Ευστρατία Συγκέλλου, επίκ. καθηγήτρια Τμήματος Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, Παν/μιο Ιωαννίνων
Κωνσταντίνος Μουστάκας, επίκ. καθηγητής Τμήματος Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, Παν/μιο Κρήτης
Summary:
The dissertation focuses on a historical era of intense processes in most areas, during which population movements took place due to political change. During this critical period, the emperors of Nicaea acted prudently and skilfully handled the difficult situation the empire was in. Among their first actions was to invite to their territory reputable individuals from the areas conquered by the Latins, as they were convinced that attracting a large percentage of the Byzantine population and, in fact, prominent personalities would give to the new state the glamour of the Byzantine empire. These migrations to Nicaea helped to confirm its status as the only successor state of Byzantium and, at the same time, weakened the efforts made by the state of Epirus to present itself as the legitimate successor of the Byzantine empire.
The research is divided into three parts which, in turn, are divided into sub-chapters. The first part focuses on population movements and relocations, and includes some explanations regarding the terminology used. It is indicated that during the period between the Fall of the Byzantine capital and its return to Byzantine jurisdiction (1204-1261), population and individual mobility was in some cases directly related to the political situation that prevailed following the Crusades in the East, especially the Fourth Crusade and the Fall of Constantinople. The first part is divided into three extensive chapters, which are similar in structure. Each of these chapters examines the moving groups or individuals based on their origin, i.e. whether they were foreign or of Greek/ Byzantine origin, as well as the reason for their relocation. A number of smaller chapters follow, which refer to financially motivated relocations, the establishment of monasteries and the settlement or expulsion of monks, travel and travel routes, where these can be recorded, as well as the problems faced by those who moved. The second and third parts of the dissertation complement the first and main part of the research. In the second part, an attempt is made to quantify and classify the movements based on the categorizations found in modern bibliography. The third part presents and analyses, to the extent possible, the ethnological composition, the Byzantine/ Greek identity, and the image of the "other" in the empire of Nicaea based on Byzantine sources. In the final part, the general conclusions drawn from the previous three parts of the study are discussed, together with the reasons that caused the voluntary or involuntary relocation of individuals and population groups.
