Byzantine Civilization PDF
Preview Byzantine Civilization
9s 6d net UNIVERSITY PAPERBACKS Byzantine Civilization STEVEN RUNCIMAN L _____ ^ MrpBi 3 9$3 & # m I • B lH IK<V*T >4 ; //Vs.. BYZANTINE CIVILISATION by Steven Runciman FELLOW OF TRINITY COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE 00K !,r) 0» 0 o rf>‘ -Q a © <r i 3‘ * * /%> Russ^ U N IVERSITY PAPERBACKS METHUEN : LONDON First published in 1933 by Edward Arnold (Publishers) Ltd. Reprinted four times First published in this series ig6i Made and printed by offset in Great Britain by William Clowes and Sons Ltd, London and Beccles Catalogue No. 2I6J85I2J University Paperbacks are published by METHUEN & CO LTD 36 Essex Street, Strandy London WC2 TO MY GRANDFATHER Contents I THE FOUNDATION O F CONSTANTINOPLE page II Site of Constantinople — The Decay of the Roman World — Christianity — Diocletian and the New Monarchy — Constantine — The Victory of the Church — The New Capital — The New Synthesis. II HISTORICAL OUTLINE 30 Historical Outline from 330 to 1453. III THE IMPERIAL CONSTITUTION AND THE REIGN OF LAW 6l The Imperial Power — Its Popular Basis — Its Religious Basis — The Empress — Regencies — The Demes — The Senate — Law — The Law under Justinian: under the Isaurians: under the Macedonians — Canon Law. IV THE ADMINISTRATION 8l The Emperor — The Imperial Family — Titles — Early Organisation — Justinianys Reforms — The Theme System — The Administration in the Tenth Century — The Government of the Palceologi — Revenues — Taxa tion — Expenditure — Paternalism — The Land Question — Justice. V RELIGION AND THE CHURCH 108 The Patriarchate of Constantinople — Organisation — Imperial Control — The Great Heresies — Schisms — The Roman Question — Missions — Daughter-Churches — Tolerance — Superstition — Personnel. VI THE arm y: the n a vy: the diplo matic SERVICE 136 The Army — Fourth Century Reforms — The Faederati — Tiberius and Maurice — The Themes — The Tagmata — Arms — Strategy — Military Science — Pay — Auxiliary Corps — Foreign Mercenaries — Decline. The Navy under the Heraclians — Decline — Revival in the Ninth Century — Second Decline — Palaologan Navy — Ships — Greek Fire. Diplomatic Organisation — Formality — Subtlety — The Balance of Power — Diplomatic Marriages — Foreign Pretenders — Expense. VII COMMERCE 163 The Eastern Trade — Cosmas Indicopleustes — The Arab Conquests — Ninth and Tenth Centuries — The Crusades 8 CONTENTS — Concessions to the Italians — Decline — Manu factures — Imports — Regulations — State Control — Guilds — The Currency. vni TOWN AND COUNTRY LIFE I 79 Ethnography — Slavs — Armenians — Constantinople — Its Appearance — The Court — The Hippodrome — The Nobility — Wealth — Self made Men — The Poor — Slavery — The Middle Classes — Eunuchs — Trade — Provincial Towns — Country Life — Agrarian Problems — Byzantine Characteristics: Piety — Influence of Saints — Superstition — Cruelty and Corruption — Love of Beauty — Pessimism. IX EDUCATION AND LEARNING 223 The Education of Boys — Constantine7s University — Church Schools — Bardas7s University — Constantine IX’s Law-schools — Education under the Nicaans and the PaUologi — Female Education — Foreign Languages — History — Philosophy — Mathematics and Science —- Geography — Medicine — The Hospitals. X BYZANTINE LITERATURE 240 Language — Prose — Religious Works — Historians — Hagiography — Memoirs — Handbooks — Fiction — Letters — Poetry — Hymns — Music — Epigrams — Longer Poems — Chansons de Geste. XI BYZANTINE ART 254 Origins, Aramaan, Iranian, Hellenistic — Architecture — The Dome — The Greek Cross — Secular Buildings — Materials — Sculpture — Small Carvings, Metal and Ivory — Capitals — Painting — Mosaics — Miniatures — Iconoclasm — Painting under the Macedonians — under the Palaologi — Silk — Enamels — Pottery. XII BYZANTIUM AND THE NEIGHBOURING WORLD 1277 Influence on the Slavs — The Bulgars — The Moravian Mission — The Bulgarian Empire — Russia — Serbia — Armenia — Georgia — Islam and Byzantium —*The Turks — Byzantium and Western Europe before the Crusades — Byzantium and the Renaissance — Last Remains in the Christian East. LIST OF ROMAN EMPERORS FROM CONSTANTINE I TO CONSTANTINE XI 30I BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE 306 INDEX 307 Preface This book is intended to give a general picture of the civilisation of the Roman Empire during the period when its capital was Constantinople—that Orientalised Graeco- Roman civilisation that is best called Byzantine. It is a lengthy period ; and during its eleven centuries many changes and modifications took place. I have tried, how ever, to concentrate rather on the qualities that characterised Byzantine history throughout its length. In an attempt to keep the size of the book within reasonable limits, I have passed by various aspects of the subject with undue brevity. In particular Byzantine Law and Byzantine Art have been given treatment quite disproportionate to their importance. But the former, once generalities are left behind, is a forest of intricate detail, and the latter an ocean of controversy and divergent taste, on which even generalities are very perilous. In both cases a fuller presentation would have required more pages than this book could afford. Indeed, where I have seemed too summary, I must beg my critics to be indulgent and to remember that greater generosity would have meant economies elsewhere. The footnotes are intended to give the sources of the illustrative detail and to provide a short bibliography at the appropriate place. I have dispensed with them in Chapter II where I am dealing generally and uncon- troversially with the history of the period. At the end I give the names of the more useful general bibliographies and a list of the few abbreviations that I use in the footnotes. I wish to express my thanks to Miss R. F. Forbes for help with the proofs. S. R. Trinity College, Cambridge. December, 1932. 9
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