The Emperor Theophilos and the East, 829-842: Court and Frontier in Byzantium During the Last Phase of Iconoclasm

ISBN-13: 9780367600273 / Angielski / Miękka / 2020 / 536 str.

Juan Signes Codoñer

Opis

This book focuses on the impact of political relations with the East, especially the Muslim caliphate, on the reign of the last iconoclast emperor of Byzantium, Theophilos (829-842), reinterpreting the major events of the period and their chronology. Separate sections are devoted to the influence of Armenians at the court, the enrolment of Persian

Spis treści

Contents: Preface; Introduction. Section I Prolegomena to a Reign: Internal Conflict in the Empire under Leo V and Michael II: Back to iconoclasm!; Unrest at the eastern border. Section II The Armenian Court: Family ties: Leo the Armenian and Michael of Amorion; Parties at the court: the Armenian marriage of Theophilos; The elusive Manuel the Armenian; The daughter of Constantine VI and her stepson; The Armenian family network; Opposition to the emperor. Section III Supporting the Persian Uprising Against the Abbasids: Some remarks on the Khurramite movement; Naá¹£r the Khurramite; Theophobos and his father; A Persian Basileus? Section IV Warfare Against the Arabs: Invasion or civil war? Thomas the Slav and the Arabs; Campaigning in Cilicia and Cappadocia in 830-833; Byzantine expeditions in Western Armenia between 834 and 836; The second triumph of Theophilos in 837; Theophilos’ defeat at Anzes and the capture of Amorion in 838; After Amorion: Theophilos’ last years. Section V The Khazar Flank: The embassy to the Khazars and the building of Sarkel; Rus, Slavs and Bulgars in the steppes. Section VI The Melkites: The letter of the three Melkite patriarchs to Theophilos; Apocalyptics and expectations of political change in the realm of the Abbasids. Section VII Cultural Exchange with the Arabs: Some preliminary matters; A bidirectional exchange? Epilogue: the image of Theophilos as a ruler; A chronology of Theophilos’ reign; Abbreviations; Sources, Bibliography; Index.

O autorze

Juan Signes Codoñer is Professor of Greek Philology at the University of Valladolid, Spain. He has a particular interest in Byzantine history of the 9th century and in the historical literature of Byzantium. With Michael Featherstone he is publishing a new edition of Theophanes Continuatus (in the Corpus fontium historiae Byzantinae, series Berolinensis), and amongst his many articles is one related to the present volume, ’Melkites and Icon worship during the iconoclastic period’, appearing in Dumbarton Oaks Papers.