This Thematic Session brings together a series of contributions that explore different aspects of the diplomatic and theological encounter between the Latin West and Byzantium from the tenth to the thirteenth centuries. The presentations address the transmission of Thomistic liturgical texts within the Byzantine milieu, the presence of Latin linguistic elements in Constantinopolitan manuscripts, and the subtle interplay of Latin theology “en filigrane” within Byzantine polemical writings of the twelfth century. Further contributions examine the diplomatic documentation that attests to ecclesiastical and imperial relations between the two Churches, particularly in the aftermath of 1204 and in the lead-up to the Second Council of Lyons, as well as the textual and manuscript traditions surrounding the unionist initiatives of Patriarch Germanus II and Pope Gregory IX. Together, these discussions aim to shed light on the multifaceted channels of cultural, theological, and political exchange that shaped the dialogue between Greek and Latin Christianity.
In some illustrious manuscripts produced at the Constantinopolitan Court in the tenth century, we occasionally find some Latin words written in Latin majuscule script. This paper will give a few examples of this phenomenon and seeks to trace the motivation behind this unusual recycling of the combined Graphic and linguistic component of Roman identity in…
The only confirmed authentic liturgical text of Thomas Aquinas still remains the Office of Corpus Christi, a composition that has likewise found resonance within the Byzantine liturgical tradition. This study considers two manifestations of that influence: first, the hymn Pange Lingua, preserved in a codex unicus in Greek translation (Allacci 143, fasc. 23); and second,…
In the twelfth century, theological exchange between Byzantium and the Latin West produced a dense network of polemical and dialogical writings that offers a privileged vantage point from which to observe the encounter between the two traditions. Significant examples of this production include the texts related to the meetings with Peter Grossolano, bishop of Milan,…
The paper focuses on several texts concerning the attempts at union between the Latin and Greek Churches during the time of Patriarch Germanus II and Pope Gregory IX, with particular attention to the manuscript tradition.