Unit:
Κατεύθυνση Βυζαντινή ΙστορίαLibrary of the School of Philosophy
Author:
Karellas Stylianos
Supervisors info:
Αντωνία Κιουσοπούλου, Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας
Σοφία Μεργιαλή-Σαχά, Αναπληρώτρια Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας
Γεώργιος Πάλλης, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας
Original Title:
Αυτοκρατορική ιδεολογία και προπαγάνδα της δυναστείας των Κομνηνών
Translated title:
Imperial ideology and propaganda of the Komnenian dynasty
Summary:
Abstract
The accession to the throne of the Komnenian dynasty (1081-1185) ushered in a period of change for the Byzantine Empire, changes which had a radical impact on the state at the administrative, political, social and ideological levels. The rise of the dynasty had been preceded by a multifaceted crisis that had shaken the empire. This crisis was the result of the escalating conflict for power between the political elite of Constantinople and the military aristocracy, as the latter had crystallised in the years following the death of Basil II. The seizure of power by Alexios I Komnenos (1081-1118) ended the crisis and marked the predominance of the military aristocracy. The Komnenoi belonged to the military families of noble birth that had emerged in the preceding period. As representatives of this group, they brought all the ideological elements that characterized it, and fully integrated them into the ideological apparatus of imperial power. Subsequently, the imperial ideology and propaganda that promoted the official image of the dynasty differed significantly from the traditional image of the Byzantine ruler. The importance of these elements is demonstrated by their preservation in the imperial image and propaganda of the Angelid dynasty and their partial revival by the Palaiologan dynasty.
The present thesis attempts to examine this ideology, the particular elements that determined the image of each Komnenos emperor. In order to better examine this topic, the research utilizes the eulogistic and historical works of the period, as well as archaeological evidence. Initially, a general review of the development of the Byzantine military aristocracy of Asia Minor is carried out, until the conquest of power by the Komnenoi. In the same chapter, an attempt is made to present the concept of nobility and what was defined as 'aristocracy' in the 11th and 12th centuries by writers of the period. Next, an overview of the theoretical framework of the imperial ideal is provided through an examination of the rhetorical praise tradition as a means of depicting the imperial image. In chapter three, a presentation of the imperial image of Alexios I, John II and Manuel I is made, tracing the virtues and particular characteristics attributed to each of the three emperors under consideration, as well as the changes that occurred in the perception of the ideal Byzantine ruler. Finally, the enhancement of the image of the warrior emperor under the Komnenoi is explored through an examination of the surviving archaeological data and the descriptions of the now lost. The aim of the present research is to present a more comprehensive picture of the imperial ideology of the Komnenoi as it was formed during the reigns of the first three emperors of the dynasty.
Main subject category:
History
Keywords:
byzantine empire, Komnenos, ideology, propaganda, Byzantium, aristocracy, eulogy, emperor, Komnenos dynasty, imperial ideal, Roman Empire, coins, emperor-warrior, military aristocracy, nobility, Constantinople, campaign, Prodromos, Alexiad, Alexius, John, Manuel, Basil, ecumene, orthodoxy, Anna Komnene
Number of references:
364
