109 research outputs found
The Political Opposition to Alexios I Komnenos (1081–1118)
No full textThe goal of my thesis is to survey the political environment and the power struggles during the reign of Alexios I Komnenos (1081-1118). For a while, the interpretation put forward by George Orstrogorsky strongly influenced how scholarship perceived the reign of Alexios I. This author states that the political scenario in Byzantium in the 11th century was marked by the struggle between the bureaucracy and the military landed aristocracy. The seizure of power by Alexios I was, therefore, the final victory of the latter. Another important view is that, once in power, Alexios I established a family rule in which his relatives by blood and by marriage had a powerful role, for they held the highest offices both in the military and administration and had an informal influence on the emperor. This gave Alexios political strength to remain in power and crush the civil aristocracy that opposed him. Both interpretations have been partially questioned. Although the approaches that perceive a binary division between bureaucrats and the military have been clearly disproven, their echo can yet be heard in recent work. Some recent scholarship on power or intellectual struggles during his reign still resorts to arguments that have a smack of the binary interpretation. Other scholars such as Jean-Claude Cheynet dismiss this binary division, but still see relatively fixed groups within the Byzantine ruling elite. The role of Alexios’ family as a source of political support has also been questioned by scholars, mainly Peter Frankopan, who made extensive research about the power struggles during his reign. Although this recent scholarship has put forward relevant arguments, it was not sufficient to provide a convincing overview of this key-period for Byzantine History. A close look on the political alliances that formed the groups supporting an emperor or making opposition to him demonstrates that the opposition to Alexios I was not formed by clearly delineated blocks with clear goals. It was rather characterized by a wide range of interests depending on the existing political situation. His supposed lack of interest in reconquering Anatolia, which, according to current scholarship, is the greatest source of the opposition to Alexios, can be nuanced as being an important motivation only to a particular oppositional movement observed in one single episode. A similar subtle approach is also important to understand the relations between the emperor and his family. Although the contemporary or near-contemporary reports seem to confirm the important role played by the imperial family, his relatives did not support the emperor automatically, which demands a more nuanced analysis of the sources. They present the emperor in constant negotiation with his relatives, sometimes granting and sometimes curtailing power, at times being autocratic, at other times almost submissive. Besides the ad-hoc strategies adopted by the emperor to create a group of supporters marked by open contradictions, Alexios I adopted and adapted different discourses to project himself publically in order to strengthen the support to his regime and discourage opposition, which dismisses completely the traditional image of Alexios as a crude and brutal soldier-emperor. In spite of his political and discursive strategies to energize his supporters, co-opt adversaries and repress opposition were at times unsuccessful, they were often successful, which allowed a long reign and the establishment of a dynasty: clear signs of political triumph in Byzantium.266 Seite
Anna Komnene’s description of the battle of dyrrachium. Similarities with the descriptions of the battle of hastings taken from anglo-norman chroniclers [La descripción de Anna Comneno de la batalla de dirraquio. Similitudes con las descripciones de la batalla de hasting tomadas de los cronistas anglo-normandos]
No full textThe objective of this article is to highlight the striking similarities between the narratives of Anglo-Norman sources concerning the battle of Hastings (14 October of 1066), fought between the Normans of duke William of Normandy and the Anglo-Saxons of king Harold Godwinson and the narrative, respectively, of Anna Komnene for the battle of Dyrrachium (18 October of 1081), fought between the Normans of Robert Guiscard and the Byzantines of emperor Alexios I Komnenos. The author tries to support the theory that Anna Komnene made a deliberate attempt to incorporate in her narrative the central events and details of the battle of Hastings. © 2020 Universidad de Chile. All rights reserved
Encomium to the Monastic Life: An Unedited Poem of Alexios Makrembolites
No full textThis article presents the first critical edition of a metrical Encomium to the monastic life written by the fourteenth-century Byzantine author Alexios Makrembolites. The text is preserved in only one manuscript (Hierosolymitanus Sabbaiticus gr. 417). Makrembolites, after referring to the constant rejuvenation of the nature, wonders why people are drawn towards material goods and not to spiritual ones, distancing themselves from the immortality offered by a life close to God. After apologizing for his sinful life, he praises monastic life which he believes he should follow in order to bring an end to all his pains.
A cidadania da criança: escola e sociedade como palcos de participação
No full textO descobrimento da infância, dos seus direitos, das suas reais necessidades, é uma
temática que ganhou significado nos últimos tempos e que continua a apaixonar
inúmeros investigadores que se preocupam com o lugar da criança no seio da
sociedade.
Surge assim o termo participação que nas crianças pode assumir diversos sentidos
e contornos e difere das formas de participação do adulto. A criação de
verdadeiros espaços de participação infantil possibilita, em simultâneo. uma
inserção social das crianças, e o acesso aos seus direitos de cidadania e de
participação activa. Oestes espaços de socialização fazem parte a família, a escola
ou a comunidade e são um importante lugar para o desenvolvimento das
competências de participação das crianças (Hart, 1992).
A participação da criança pode fazer-se em sociedade, com os seus pares c com os
adultos e são vastos os espaços e tempos onde a participação se pode desenvolver
de forma deliberada, organizada e ponderada. E pode fazer-se também, na escola
se esta se converter num espaço singular e capaz de garantir a verdadeira
participação da criança pela adopção de estratégias que assegurem a sua efectiva
valorização como actor social e como cidadão.
Partindo do enunciado que "toda a criança nasce cidadã mas [que] a cidadania
Constrói-se mediante a acção" (Le Gal, 2006:72) esta comunicação pretende discutir
e promover a cidadania da criança. Procura comprovar que as crianças são cidadãs
titulares de direitos, e que, cm função da sua idade e maturidade, podem e devem
ser chamadas a participar
When universal history reaches the present: narrative time and authorial presence in Zonaras' account of Alexios Komnenos' reign
No full textThe paper addresses the issues of Zonaras Epitome’s place within the tradition of Byzantine chronicle, using it as a test-case for the validity and meaning of genre distinction in Byzantine historiography. The discussion focuses on the last section of Zonaras’ work, which recounts the reign of Alexios I Komnenos. The author shows that Zonaras’ choices with respect to the selection of narrative contents, their chronological arrangement, and the handling of narrative time push the boundaries of the chronicle genre in order to provide an ideological interpretation of the recent past
The Letters of Maximos Planudes to Alexios Philanthropenos and Melchisedek Akropolites: the Problems of Source Studies in the Context of the Politico-Military Situation in Byzantium in the Late 13th C.
No full textThis research work is dedicated to the problem of dating of the Byzantine scholar and monk Maximos Planudes’ letters to the general, pinkernes Alexios Philanthropenos and his companion, monk Melchisedek Akropolites. Our goal is to date these letters on the basis of their content and data from other sources and to reconstruct chronological sequence of their writing.
The period of time when Alexios Philanthropenos was in office of dux of Thrakision (1293–1295) during which he conducted some military operations against the Turks of beyliks Germiyan and Menteєe has a special place in the history of the Byzantine-Turkish wars in the early Palaiologan era. At this time the Byzantine state made some of its last successful military efforts in this struggle. By studying this theme the present article makes a contribution to research the Byzantine wars against the Turks and the military art and military organization of the empire in the late 13th century.
Following the explicit consideration of some disputed items in dating of Maximos Planudes’ letters to the persons mentioned above (42 letters) the author specifies the chronological sequence of their writing and clarifies the stages of the Alexios Philanthropenos’ military activity in Asia Minor. This article also makes a contribution to using of epistolographic data in historical study
La descripción de Anna Comneno de la batalla de Dirraquio. Similitudes con las descripciones de la batalla de Hasting tomadas de los cronistas anglo-normandos
No full textThe objective of this article is to highlight the striking similarities between the narratives of Anglo-Norman sources concerning the battle of Hastings (14 October of 1066), fought between the Normans of duke William of Normandy and the Anglo-Saxons of king Harold Godwinson and the narrative, respectively, of Anna Komnene for the battle of Dyrrachium (18 October of 1081), fought between the Normans of Robert Guiscard and the Byzantines of emperor Alexios I Komnenos. The author tries to support the theory that Anna Komnene made a deliberate attempt to incorporate in her narrative the central events and details of the battle of Hastings.El objetivo de este artículo es destacar las sorprendentes similitudes entre las narraciones de las fuentes anglo-normandas sobre la batalla de Hastings (14 de octubre de 1066), entre los normandos del duque Guillermo de Normandía y los anglosajones del rey Harold Godwinson, y la narración de Ana Comnena de la batalla de Durrachio (18 de octubre de 1081) entre los normandos de Robert Guiscard y los bizantinos del emperador Alexis I Comneno. El autor trata apoyar la teoría de que Ana Comnena hizo un intento deliberado de incorporar en su
narrativa los eventos centrales y los detalles de la batalla de Hasting
Cutaneous manifestations of cystic fibrosis patients and their correlation with the genotype
No full textAquagenic wrinkling of the palms (AWP) is an excessive and early palmar wrinkling occurring after Brief Immersion to Water (BIW), and has been reported as a frequent cutaneous finding among cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. The aim of our study is to evaluate and assess the diagnostic performance of BIW test as an initial screening tool for CF diagnosis.A strong association between AWP and CF was detected. AWP after BIW could be elicited easily and possibly can be used as an initial screening tool to assess if an individual with symptoms and signs that raise the likelihood of CF is a CF patientΗ υδατογενής ρυτίδωση των παλαμών (ΥΡΠ) είναι η υπερβολική και πρόωρη ρυτίδωση των παλαμών που συμβαίνει μετά από σύντομη εμβάπτιση σε νερό (ΣΕΝ) και έχει αναφερθεί ως συχνό δερματικό εύρημα μεταξύ ασθενών με κυστική ίνωση (ΚΙ). Στόχος της διατριβής είναι ο έλεγχος και η αξιολόγηση της διαγνωστικής απόδοσης του τεστ ΣΕΝ ως αρχικού εργαλείου διαλογής για τη διάγνωση της ΚΙ. Διαπιστώθηκε ισχυρή συσχέτιση μεταξύ ΥΡΠ και ΚΙ. Η ΥΡΠ που εκλύεται με τη δοκιμασία ΣΕΝ θα μπορούσε να προκληθεί εύκολα και πιθανώς να χρησιμοποιηθεί ως αρχικό εργαλείο διαλογής, προκειμένου να εκτιμηθεί εάν ένα άτομο με συμπτώματα και σημεία που αυξάνουν την πιθανότητα ΚΙ είναι τελικά ασθενής με Κ
Social criticism in late Byzantium voiced under the veil of biblical teachings: The example of Alexios Makrembolites
No full textThe paper strives to highlight the interpretation of text 'A Dialogue Between the Rich and the Poor' written by Alexios Makrembolites, and hence the contribution of source texts to the understanding of Byzantine reality and literature in the fourteenth century. Although he is vaguely defined by his life epopee, his modest biography and inspiring words enabled Makrembolites to point out that the hardships of late Byzantium - civil war and social injustice - had been inflicted upon him, with the corollary of his own literary consciousness being shaped by the noxious effects of these predicaments. Even though the 14th-century Byzantine literature abounds in social themes, the distinctiveness of a Dialogue Between the Rich and the Poor is to be found in its bitter tone against social inequality and biased sympathy for the poorer fellow citizens to whom the author himself belonged. The dynamic historical course and segregation of Romaioi were viewed, in his case, through the lens of wise teachings derived from the Bible, wherewith the latent criticism of the state system became veiled in votive messages. Given the period and conditions under which he wrote, such a 'historical drama' can only be understood as a historiosophical interpretation of events. As such, it could only stem from the Holy Scripture. In this way Makrembolites emphasises a handful of didactic biblical moments and 'canons of conduct' the rich should adhere to, so that the kingdom could survive on the foundations of charity and philanthropy
Contructing a wall for the defence of Methoni in the years of Alexios I Komnenos. The testimony of a metrical inscription
No full textΠαρουσιάζεται μία έμμετρη επιγραφή από την περιοχή της Μεθώνης, που αναφέρεται στην επισκευή των τειχών της πόλης. Βάσει των χρονολογικών στοιχείων που παρέχει η επιγραφή, προτείνεται η χρονολόγησή της στο έτος 1084/85, λίγα μόλις χρόνια μετά την ανάρρηση του Αλεξίου Α΄ Κομνηνού στον θρόνο της Κωνσταντινουπόλεως. Tο φιλόδοξο αυτό οχυρωματικό έργο, από κοινού με την ίδρυση της μητροπόλεως Χριστιανουπόλεως και την οικοδόμηση του εμβληματικού επισκοπικού της ναού, φαίνεται να συνιστούν δράσεις ενός ενιαίου σχεδίου οργανωμένου από την κεντρική εξουσία, προκειμένου να ενισχυθεί το ηθικό των υπηκόων του βυζαντινού κράτους στο πλέον ευάλωτο στις νορμανδικές επιθέσεις δυτικό όριο της αυτοκρατορίας.The author presents a metrical inscription found near Methoni, referring to the reconstructions of the fortification of the city. Based on the chronological information provided by the inscription, it is suggested that it dates from the year 1084/1085, just a few years after the ascent of Alexios I Komnenos to the throne of Constantinople. This ambitious defensive project, together with the establishment of the metropolis of Christianoupolis and the construction of its emblematic episcopal church, appear to have been actions within a coherent plan organized by the central administration, in order to boost the morale of the subjects of the Byzantine state at the particularly vulnerable to the Norman attacks western frontier of the Empire
- …
