CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2023
| Author | Bokody, Julia |
|---|---|
| Title | Itinerant Rulership in Byzantium: a topographical analysis of the Laskarid realm (1204-1261) |
| Summary | In 1204, with the temporary sack the capital of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople, the highly centralized empire as it had been known collapsed. Three Byzantine successor realms came into existence on the periphery of the former empire, which rivaled in establishing themselves as legitimate successor states. One of these, the so-called Empire of Nicaea, emerged in western Asia Minor under the rule of Theodore I Laskaris (1204-21). This dissertation focuses on the topography of western Asia Minor during the years of Byzantine exile. During the previous centuries Byzantine Asia Minor had been dramatically transformed. Over time significant territorial losses turned Asia Minor from the core of the Byzantine Empire to a shaken and fragmented periphery, yet also a zone of rich cultural exchange and trade. During the first half of the thirteenth century, for the first time after a long period of neglect and for the last time in Byzantine history, western Asia Minor was in the direct focus of Byzantine rule. This became visible in repaired fortifications and prospering towns. Compared to the highly centralized Byzantine Empire, that fell with Constantinople, this project is asking how the topography of western Asia Minor looked like in between the sack of Constantinople in 1204 and the reconquest in 1261. How did the Byzantine rulers in exile set up their newly created territory in space? Its modern and artificial name Empire of Nicaea, focusing on one single city, suggests a concentration of power in the place, where Theodore I Laskaris had first gathered forces against the Crusaders. However, building activity spread over the whole Laskarid territory leads to a different conclusion. A palace that was used by most of the emperors in exile and that even had a significance for imperial politics after the reconquest of Constantinople was situated at Nymphaion (Nif, resp. Kemalpasa) near Smyrna (İzmir), which is roughly 400km away from Nicaea (İznik). A monastery that was used as imperial burial site was founded near Magnesia (Manisa), where the imperial treasury and mint had been transferred to. Fortifications attributed to the Laskarid period can be found in the river valleys of Lydia and at the Hellespont. At the Latmos (Bafa Gölü) several monasteries give testimony to imperial building activity as well. Further sites seemed to occupy strategically important positions within the territory, as, e.g., Pegai (Karabiga) and Lampsakos (Lapseki) along the coast of the Sea of Marmara, as they are mentioned frequently in contemporary accounts. This dissertation argues that the Laskarid rulers created various focal points within their realm that took over functions of the former capital. No single city was chosen to reflect the former meaning and core position Constantinople once had. Instead, several places were set up visited regularly by the emperors – the one period where a Byzantine dynasty performed itinerant rulership. This can be considered a defense strategy: the Laskarid rulers distributed power in space to prevent the taking of the heart of their territory, as a result of the experience in 1204. |
| Supervisor | Niels Gaul, Niels; Laszlovszky, József |
| Department | Medieval Studies PhD |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2023/jedamski_julia.pdf |
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