Patriarch Athanasios I’s Interference in Secular Affairs

The Byzantine imperial and ecclesiastic spheres frequently experienced tension due to the absence of a clearly defined constitutional separation of powers, which could lead to overlapping authorities and disputes. Despite the ideal of symphonia (concord) between imperium and sacerdotium, this ambiguity, particularly concerning the extent of each authority’s influence, shaped their interactions across numerous domains of Byzantine life. During the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries there was a rise in the church’s prestige, with patriarchs increasingly asserting their role as protectors of Byzantine Orthodoxy and challenging imperial power. Patriarch Athanasios I stands out as a key figure in this evolving dynamic. This paper attempts to investigate the complexities of this relationship under the reign of Andronikos II Palaiologos. Specifically, it investigates Athanasios’ interventions (in both his first and especially his second patriarchate) in secular matters during this period. Focusing on the latter’s extant correspondence, it aims to illuminate the contested and negotiated boundaries of imperial and patriarchal influence. Athanasios’ letters reveal his active engagement in a range of secular issues, including the empire’s policy towards the Latins, the hiring and conduct of mercenaries, the handling of refugee crises and famine in Constantinople, and the issue of corruption among state officials, as well as his assumption of quasi-judicial functions and his pronouncements on the conduct of secular and ecclesiastical personnel. Through pinpointing specific instances of Athanasios’ involvement in areas traditionally considered within the secular realm, an understanding of the evolving power dynamics between the church and the state can be provided, particularly considering the patriarch’s capacity to actively engage with and significantly impact the empire’s secular affairs. By examining his correspondence and his relation with the emperor, this study seeks to delineate the patriarch’s interference and its influence on shaping the boundaries between the spiritual and temporal authorities during this period.