Comparative History of Byzantium

Draft for the Workshop “Comparative Studies in Imperial History (Part I) All under Heaven? The Empire’s Spatial Dimensions”, Eisenach, June 30th-July 2nd 2015, organised by Prof. Michal Biran (The Hebrew University) and Prof. Eva Cancik-Kirschbaum (Freie Universität Berlin), cf. http://mongol.huji.ac.il/projects/comparative-studies-imperial-history 

The aim of this paper is (of course) not a comprehensive analysis of the Medieval Roman Empire of the East, commonly called the “Byzantine Empire”  as spatial phenomenon; especially in the “Vienna School of Byzantine Studies”, entire books (Johannes Koder´s “Lebensraum”) have been written about this and a fundamental long-term project (Tabula imperii Byzantini) is devoted to the historical geography of Byzantium.  I will discuss some general principles of spatial organisation and perception as can be reconstructed from Byzantine sources, furthermore the definition and dynamics of frontiers and finally the significance of the centre (Constantinople) and its demands for the spatial framework of imperial politics. The chronological focus will be on the centuries from the inauguration of Constantinople as new capital (330 CE) up to Fourth Crusade in 1204 CE (and within this period, even more on the 6th-11th centuries); after that time, the permanent political fragmentation of the former core sphere of the Byzantine Empire provided a very different spatial framework (with which I have also dealt in an earlier study ). Furthermore, I will deal more with the frontiers and relations of Byzantium to the East, where also Byzantine authors identified (competing) polities of a similar imperial quality, than with the connections to and conflicts with medieval Western Europe. I hope to be able to demonstrate how specific aspects of Byzantium´s spatial dynamics can be integrated in a more general comparative discussion of empires as spatial phenomena; in the conclusion I will try to raise some questions which may be of relevance in this regard.

Draft for the Workshop “Comparative Studies in Imperial History (Part I) All under Heaven? The Empire’s Spatial Dimensions”, Eisenach, June 30th-July 2nd 2015, organised by Prof. Michal Biran (The Hebrew University) and Prof. Eva Cancik-Kirschbaum (Freie Universität Berlin), cf. http://mongol.huji.ac.il/projects/comparative-studies-imperial-history 

The aim of this paper is (of course) not a comprehensive analysis of the Medieval Roman Empire of the East, commonly called the “Byzantine Empire”  as spatial phenomenon; especially in the “Vienna School of Byzantine Studies”, entire books (Johannes Koder´s “Lebensraum”) have been written about this and a fundamental long-term project (Tabula imperii Byzantini) is devoted to the historical geography of Byzantium.  I will discuss some general principles of spatial organisation and perception as can be reconstructed from Byzantine sources, furthermore the definition and dynamics of frontiers and finally the significance of the centre (Constantinople) and its demands for the spatial framework of imperial politics. The chronological focus will be on the centuries from the inauguration of Constantinople as new capital (330 CE) up to Fourth Crusade in 1204 CE (and within this period, even more on the 6th-11th centuries); after that time, the permanent political fragmentation of the former core sphere of the Byzantine Empire provided a very different spatial framework (with which I have also dealt in an earlier study ). Furthermore, I will deal more with the frontiers and relations of Byzantium to the East, where also Byzantine authors identified (competing) polities of a similar imperial quality, than with the connections to and conflicts with medieval Western Europe. I hope to be able to demonstrate how specific aspects of Byzantium´s spatial dynamics can be integrated in a more general comparative discussion of empires as spatial phenomena; in the conclusion I will try to raise some questions which may be of relevance in this regard.

Draft for the Workshop “Comparative Studies in Imperial History (Part I) All under Heaven? The Empire’s Spatial Dimensions”, Eisenach, June 30th-July 2nd 2015, organised by Prof. Michal Biran (The Hebrew University) and Prof. Eva Cancik-Kirschbaum (Freie Universität Berlin), cf. http://mongol.huji.ac.il/projects/comparative-studies-imperial-history 

The aim of this paper is (of course) not a comprehensive analysis of the Medieval Roman Empire of the East, commonly called the “Byzantine Empire”  as spatial phenomenon; especially in the “Vienna School of Byzantine Studies”, entire books (Johannes Koder´s “Lebensraum”) have been written about this and a fundamental long-term project (Tabula imperii Byzantini) is devoted to the historical geography of Byzantium.  I will discuss some general principles of spatial organisation and perception as can be reconstructed from Byzantine sources, furthermore the definition and dynamics of frontiers and finally the significance of the centre (Constantinople) and its demands for the spatial framework of imperial politics. The chronological focus will be on the centuries from the inauguration of Constantinople as new capital (330 CE) up to Fourth Crusade in 1204 CE (and within this period, even more on the 6th-11th centuries); after that time, the permanent political fragmentation of the former core sphere of the Byzantine Empire provided a very different spatial framework (with which I have also dealt in an earlier study ). Furthermore, I will deal more with the frontiers and relations of Byzantium to the East, where also Byzantine authors identified (competing) polities of a similar imperial quality, than with the connections to and conflicts with medieval Western Europe. I hope to be able to demonstrate how specific aspects of Byzantium´s spatial dynamics can be integrated in a more general comparative discussion of empires as spatial phenomena; in the conclusion I will try to raise some questions which may be of relevance in this regard.

Draft for the Workshop “Comparative Studies in Imperial History (Part I) All under Heaven? The Empire’s Spatial Dimensions”, Eisenach, June 30th-July 2nd 2015, organised by Prof. Michal Biran (The Hebrew University) and Prof. Eva Cancik-Kirschbaum (Freie Universität Berlin), cf. http://mongol.huji.ac.il/projects/comparative-studies-imperial-history 

The aim of this paper is (of course) not a comprehensive analysis of the Medieval Roman Empire of the East, commonly called the “Byzantine Empire”  as spatial phenomenon; especially in the “Vienna School of Byzantine Studies”, entire books (Johannes Koder´s “Lebensraum”) have been written about this and a fundamental long-term project (Tabula imperii Byzantini) is devoted to the historical geography of Byzantium.  I will discuss some general principles of spatial organisation and perception as can be reconstructed from Byzantine sources, furthermore the definition and dynamics of frontiers and finally the significance of the centre (Constantinople) and its demands for the spatial framework of imperial politics. The chronological focus will be on the centuries from the inauguration of Constantinople as new capital (330 CE) up to Fourth Crusade in 1204 CE (and within this period, even more on the 6th-11th centuries); after that time, the permanent political fragmentation of the former core sphere of the Byzantine Empire provided a very different spatial framework (with which I have also dealt in an earlier study ). Furthermore, I will deal more with the frontiers and relations of Byzantium to the East, where also Byzantine authors identified (competing) polities of a similar imperial quality, than with the connections to and conflicts with medieval Western Europe. I hope to be able to demonstrate how specific aspects of Byzantium´s spatial dynamics can be integrated in a more general comparative discussion of empires as spatial phenomena; in the conclusion I will try to raise some questions which may be of relevance in this regard.