Imperial Ideology and Collective Identities
in Byzantine Society (4th– 15th c.)
Postgraduate Programme — Level 7
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon completion, students will be able to:
1)
Analyze the foundations and evolution of Christian imperial ideology from the 4th to the 15th century
2)
Evaluate the role of Orthodoxy and Christological disputes in the formation of collective identities
3)
Assess the impact of political and military crises, such as the Gothic Wars and the Crusades, on imperial ideology
4)
Examine the influence of the Byzantine capital and its relationship with the provinces on identity formation
5)
Critique how the perception of the past—including Roman, Greek, and Biblical history—was utilized to construct collective identities
6)
Investigate the significance of language and soteriology within the context of imperial legitimacy and state identity
7)
Conduct research on the development of ideological challenges and the shift in perceptions of “Romanness” throughout Byzantine history
8)
Present coherent, research-based arguments regarding the transformation of Byzantine identity and ideology
COURSE SYLLABUS
13 Modules
Week 01 | The foundations of Christian imperial ideology and Byzantine identity: The legacy of Constantine the Great (306-337)
The importance of the reign of Constantine in the development of Christian imperial ideology and the formation of collective identities around the Mediterranean – the Christianization of the Roman Empire – the foundation of Constantinople as imperial capital in the Roman East.
Week 02 | The role of Orthodoxy in imperial ideology and the formation of collective identities: The example of the Synod of Chalcedon (451)
The Council of Chalcedon and its legacy – the formation of collective identities around the Mediterranean as a result of the council – the development of imperial ideology in response to the council of Chalcedon.
Week 03 | Imperial ideology and collective identities at the time of Justinian (527-565): The example of the Gothic Wars (535-554)
The evolution of imperial ideology under Justinian – the usage of the Roman past by Justinian- imperial propaganda during the Gothic wars – expressions of collective identities in Justinian’s Italy.
Week 04 | Crisis of empire and imperial ideology in the seventh century: Christological disputes and the evolution of collective identities
Analysis of the ideological impact of the Sassanian and Arab victories against the Romans in the seventh century – the Christological disputes of the seventh century and their connection to the imperial military failures – the formation of collective identities under the pressure of dogmatic disputes and the rise of the Caliphate.
Week 05 | Imperial ideology and collective identities during iconoclasm
The evolution of imperial ideology under the Isaurians – the growing ideological distance between Rome and Constantinople in the eighth century – iconoclasm and perceptions of Romanness in the eighth century.
Week 06 | The empire of the ‘Greeks’ or the ‘Romans’? Questioning the Romanness of the Byzantine Empire (8th – 9th c.)
The ideological importance of the coronation of Charlemagne as emperor in 800 by Pope Leo III – the correlation between orthodoxy and Romanness – brokers of Romanness and imperial legitimacy in the eighth and ninth centuries.
Week 07 | The empire under the Macedonian dynasty (867-1057) and the emergence of new ideological challenges for the emperor
The rise of the Ottonians (919-1024) and the ideological challenge to the Byzantine imperial ideology – the emergence of the ‘Byzantine Commonwealth’ and the equilibrium of power between the emperor and the patriarch of Constantinople.
Week 08 | The Crusades and the fragmentation of the empire: The collapse of imperial ideology and the development of new collective identities
The ideological pressure of the first three crusades (1096-1192) on the empire – the fall of Constantinople to the crusaders in 1204 and its implications for imperial ideology – the capture of Constantinople by the crusaders and the evolution of East Roman identity.
Week 09 | The Legacy of fragmentation: Imperial ideology and collective identities in the successor states of the Byzantine empire (13th – 14th c.)
The evolution of imperial ideology in the successor states – the formation of new collective identities in the successor states – new perceptions of the Hellenic past.
Week 10 | Imperial ideology and collective identities at the dawn of the modern age (15th c.)
The evolution of imperial ideology in the last century of Byzantium – Renaissance Humanism and its impact on the formation of collective identities in late Byzantium.
Week 11 | Ideology and collective identities: The perception of the past
The perception of the past in imperial ideology and its usage for the construction of collective identities – Pre-Constantinian Roman past – Ancient Greek past – The Old Testament – Christian/New Roman past.
Week 12 | Ideology and collective identities: Soteriology, Constantinople and provinces, languages
The empire as vehicle for the salvation of the soul – the quest for orthodoxy as imperial responsibility – perceived orthodoxy and identity formation. The ideological importance of the capital – the relation between capital and provinces and its effect on identity formation – languages of the empire and identity formation.
Week 13 | Presentation of student essays
Essays presentation
ASSESSMENT
Student Evaluation
20%
Seminar Participation
20%
Primary Source Analysis
20%
Public presentation
40%
Research Essay
Workload — ECTS Distribution
250 Hours Total
Lectures
26
Seminar discussions
13
Primary source workshops
20
Study and analysis of bibliography
40
Student presentations
11
Independent study
70
Essay writing
70
Course Total
250
Recommended Bibliography
Suggested bibliography:
– Angelov, D. (2007) Imperial Ideology and Political Thought in Byzantium, 1204- 1330.
– Brubaker, R. and Cooper, F. (2000) ‘Beyond “Identity,”’ in Theory and Society, 29, No. 1 February, 1-47.
– Cameron A. (1985) Procopius and the Sixth Century.
– Chrysos, E. (2018) ‘New perceptions of Imperium and Sacerdotium in the letters of Pope Nicholas I to Emperor Michael III’ in Constantinople réelle et imaginaire autour de l’oeuvre de gilbert Dagron, 313-340.
– Dagron, G. (1996) Emperor and Priest: The imperial office in Byzantium, trans. in English, Birrell, J. (2003).
– Jonathan, H. (2006) Byzantium and the Crusades.
– Jeffreys, E. (2006) ‘Old Testament “History” and the Byzantine Chronicle’ in ed.
Magdalino, P. and Nelson, R. The Old Testament in Byzantium, 153-174.
– Kaldellis, A. (2008) Hellenism in Byzantium: The Transformations of Greek Identity and the Reception of the Classical Tradition.
– Kaldellis, A. (2012) ‘From Rome to New Rome, from Empire to Nation-State: Reopening the Question of Byzantium’s Roman Identity’ in ed. Grig, L. and Kelly, G. Two Romes: Rome and Constantinople in Late Antiquity, 387-404.
– Maas, Μ. (1986) ‘Roman history and Christian ideology in Justinianic reform Legislation’, in Dumbarton Oaks Papers, 40, 17–31.
– Magdalino, P. (2010) ‘Orthodoxy and Byzantine Cultural Identity’ in ed. Rigo, A.
and Ermilov, P. Orthodoxy and Heresy in Byzantium: The Definition and the Notion of Orthodoxy and some other Studies on the Heresies and the non-Christian Religions, 21-40.
– Page, G. (2008) Being Byzantine: Greek Identity Before the Ottomans, 1200-1420.
– Pohl, W. et al (2018) The Transformations of Romanness: Early Medieval Regions and Identities.
– Rapp, C. (2008) ‘Hellenic Identity, Romanitas, and Christianity in Byzantium’ in ed. Zacharia, Κ. Hellenisms: Culture, Identity, and Ethnicity from Antiquity to Modernity, 127–47.
– Romeny, H. (2009) Religious Origins of Nations? The Christian Communities of the Middle East.
-Steward, M. et al (2022) The Routledge Handbook on Identity in Byzantium.
– Stouraitis, I. (2014) ‘Roman identity in Byzantium: a critical approach’ Byzantinische Zeitschrift, 107 (1), 175–220.
– Stouraitis, I. (2017) ‘Reinventing Roman ethnicity in High and Late Medieval Byzantium’ in Medieval Worlds, 5, 70-94.
– Stouraitis, I. et al (2022) Identities and Ideologies in the Medieval East Roman World.
– Theodoropoulos, P. (2021) ‘Did the Byzantines call themselves Byzantines? Elements of Eastern Roman identity in the imperial discourse of the seventh century’ in Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, 45, 25-41