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…
The aim of this paper is to show that networking is an essential strategy for survival and influence within the globalised world system during the Late Medieval period. We will use an interdisciplinary approach to explore the legacy of the Palaiologan dynasty (1261-1453) in strategic networking and examine its implications for subsequent historical developments. By…
Although the institution of the katholikoi kritai (ton Rhomaion) is well known, we still lack a complete table of the judges who served as provincial katholikoi kritai or as katholikoi kritai ton Rhomaion in Constantinople. The paper attempts to shed light on the personality and identity of those who served as katholikoi kritai.
During the last historical period of the Eastern Roman Empire, when its socio-political situation was increasingly deteriorating, the clergymen, as members of a distinct social group, continued to carry out a multifaceted work which was not limited to the obvious ecclesiastical duties but extended to various fields depending, of course, on the place and the…
One of the main political, religious and social debates of the Late Byzantine era is the attempt of the Palaeologan emperors for the Church Union, realized twice in Lyon (1272) and Florence (1439). While the emperors hoped for major diplomatic advantages through the Union, a vast anti-Unionist party expresses its unequivocal objection to the project,…