Feeling of Nostalgia in Byzantine Historiography: Terms and Topics

Byzantine historiographical texts constitute true repositories of diverse themes and data, while simultaneously concealing an empire of emotions—nostalgia among them. But what, precisely, did the Rhomaioi lament? Some mourned the homeland they had abandoned or that had fallen under enemy rule; others longed for a better and happier time. In a single word, they mourned the past, which, when viewed from a distance, appeared far brighter than it truly was. All of these motifs likewise surface in other Byzantine genres—rhetoric, epistolography, or indeed in the prooimia of charters. In the present study, however, the focus shall rest upon historiographical texts, for it is through them that the sentiments and reflections are conveyed in the most comprehensive manner—whether those of the author himself, of a particular social group, or, at times, even of a broader populace.
Accordingly, special attention will be directed to historiographical works that, it would seem, aspired to an encyclopedic character: the Σύνοψις ἱστοριῶν of John Skylitzes and the Ῥωμαϊκὴ ἱστορία of Nikephoros Gregoras. Both works commenced with epochs already treated on multiple occasions by earlier historians—not only because their predecessors had “inadequately handled” certain events, but also because particular occurrences demanded to be recalled and preserved. In striving to rescue their testimonies from forgetfulness—thereby immortalizing both the epochs and the protagonists of their narratives, as well as themselves—Byzantine authors wrote for eternity, for remembrance of what had been. In this respect, special emphasis will be placed on terms recurrently encountered in historiographical texts: λήθη (oblivion) and μνήμη (memory). While the precise concept of “nostalgia” was unknown to Byzantine historiography, these terms—along with several others to be discussed—came closest to articulating that sentiment.