Byzantine Style, Religion and Civilization
In Honour of Sir Steven Runciman

A volume of cutting-edge essays written in honour of renowned Byzantinist Sir Steven Runciman.

Elizabeth Jeffreys (Edited by)

9780521834452, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 12 October 2006

494 pages
25.3 x 18 x 3.6 cm, 0.98 kg

Sir Steven Runciman's History of the Crusades (1951–4) remains widely read and influential but represents only a part of his wide-ranging, erudite and immensely readable literary activity. His early work focused on Byzantium in the tenth century (The Emperor Romanus Lecapenus) and the history of the first Bulgarian empire. Later he wrote with authority on ecclesiastical relations between the eastern and western Churches (The Eastern Schism), more generally on Byzantine culture (Byzantine Style and Civilization), with forays into medieval diplomacy (The Sicilian Vespers) and British colonial society (The White Rajahs). With a diplomatic past which informed his studies, he was the doyen of Byzantine studies in Britain. This volume of essays explores topics relevant to Sir Steven's interests, long planned in his honour by British Byzantinists of all generations, and includes a memoir of his life and a full bibliography of his work.

James Cochran Stevenson Runciman Anthony Bryer
Part I. Style: 1. The Christian Topography (Vat. gr. 699) revisited: image, text, and conflict on ninth-century Byzantium Leslie Brubaker
2. Byzantine enamels in the twentieth century David Buckton
3. The rise and fall of towns, loci of maritime traffic, and silk production: the problem of Thisvi-Kastorion Archibald Dunn
4. Women in Serbian politics, diplomacy and art at the beginning of Ottoman rule Zaga Gavrilovic
5. Byzantium-Venice-Manchester: an early thirteenth-century carved marble basin and British Byzantinism at the turn of the twentieth century Lucy-Anne Hunt
6. Manners maketh Romans? Young barbarians at the emperor's court Jonathan Shepard
7. Byzantine and crusader art: Sir Steven was right D. C. Winfield
Part II. Religion: 8. The discovery of the relics of St Grigor and the development of Armenian tradition in ninth-century Byzantium Timothy Greenwood
9. The image of Edessa: some notes on its later fortunes Paul Hetherington
10. Photios as theologian Andrew Louth
11. Magic at the cross-roads in the sixth century J. Nimmo-Smith
12. 'The Angelic Life': monasteries for eunuchs Shaun Tougher
13. Armed pilgrimage and the reign of the anti-Christ: Steven Runciman and the origins of the First Crusade F. R. Trombley
Part III. Civilization: 14. Wine for immortality and immortality for wine: reflections on the Dionysiaca of Nonnos of Panopolis David Frendo
15. 'Greek Fire' revisited: recent and current research John Haldon
16. Constantinople in the reign of Basil II Catherine Holmes
17. A short piece of narrative history: war and diplomacy in the Balkans, winter 921/2-spring 924 J. D. Howard-Johnston
18. Restoration of Orthodoxy, the pardon of Theophilos and the Acta Davidis, Symeonis et Georgii Patricia Karlin-Hayter
19. Freestanding towers in the countryside of Rhodes P. W. Lock
20. The Campanopetra re-considered: the pilgrimage church of the Apostle Barnabas? A. Megaw
21. The travels of Paul Lucas Lynn Rodley
22. Aristocrats and aliens in early Byzantine Constantinople Peter Sarris.

Subject Areas: Early history: c 500 to c 1450/1500 [HBLC], European history [HBJD], History of art: Byzantine & Medieval art c 500 CE to c 1400 [ACK]