We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
REWRITING ROME'S PAST GLORIES? THE HEROES OF THE RECONQUEST IN THE MIDDLE BYZANTINE PERIOD AND THEIR FORERUNNERS ACCORDING TO HISTORICAL SOURCES AND POPULAR NARRATIVE S.
- Authors
SIGNES CODOSER, JUAN
- Abstract
The idea of the reconquest of former Roman lands is only part of the complex of ideas related to the Byzantine understanding of war, and can hardly be dealt with separately from concepts such as oecumene, religion or legitimacy. Present paper will try to explore an aspect still neglected in the studies produced thus far, such as the popular backing or understanding of the idea of reconquest in Byzantium. I will address here some examples under two different headings, both referring to events in the 1 0th century in Byzantium. The first will involve two short speeches dealing with the Byzantine reconquest of Crete, and the second will deal with the typology of the heroes who appear in the sources as inspiring models for Byzantine frontier warriors in their fight against Islam. A detailed philological analysis of the texts will allow us to see that arguments legitimating the war were constantly reused and rewritten in the historical sources and that, accordiIlgly, they are to be approached with some caution, tacking into account the literary debts. On the other hand, a series of topical references to the old mythical and historical heroes found in some 108-century sources suggest that the idea of reconquest was perhaps more prevalent among common soldiers than is usually believed and may have even buoyed the Byzantines' campaigns at the eastern border.
- Subjects
CRETE (Greece); HISTORICAL source material; RELIGIOUS wars; HEROES; JIHAD
- Publication
Imago Temporis. Medium Aevum, 2024, Vol 18, p183
- ISSN
1888-3931
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.21001/itma.2024.18.08