Byzantine library series. Free electronic library. Download books for free! History of the Trebizond Empire

Description:
The Byzantine Library is a series of the Aletheia publishing house, which published books on the history of Byzantium. It published modern popular science and scientific books by contemporary Russian and foreign scholars dealing with the history of Byzantium, as well as translations of traditional Byzantine works.
Here are 44 volumes of the series.

Alfeyev I. Life and Teachings of St. Gregory the Theologian. (fb2)
P. Bezobrazov, Y. Lyubarsky. Two books about Mikhail Pselle - 2001. (djvu)
Bibikov M. Byzantine sources on the history of ancient Russia and the Caucasus - 2001. (djvu)
Bibikov M. Historical literature Byzantium - 1998. (djvu)
Budanova V. Gorskiy A. Ermolova I. The Great Migration of Peoples. (fb2)
V. Budanova Gotha in the era of the Great Nations Migration - 2001. (djvu)
Vasiliev A. History of the Byzantine Empire in 2 volumes. T. 1. (rtf)
Vasiliev A. History of the Byzantine Empire in 2 volumes. T. 2. (rtf)
Byzantine historians on the fall of Constantinople in 1453. - 2006. (djvu)
Byzantine essays. Works of Russian scientists for the XXI International Congress of Byzantinists - 2006. (djvu)
Dionysius the Areopagite. Maxim the Confessor. Compositions. Interpretations - 2002. (djvu)
Zanemonets A. John Eugenicus and the Orthodox Resistance of the Union of Florence - 2008. (pdf)
Hegumen Hilarion (Alfeev). Saint Simeon the New Theologian and Orthodox Tradition - 2001. (doc)
Kazhdan A. Byzantine culture X-XII centuries - 2006. (djvu)
Kazhdan A. Two days from the life of Constantinople. (fb2)
Kazhdan A. History of Byzantine Literature (850-1000) - 2012. (djvu)
Karpov S. History of the Trebizond Empire - 2007. (djvu)
Karpov S. Latin Romance - 200. (djvu)
Kekaumen - Tips and stories. 2nd ed. - 2003. (djvu)
Klimanov L. Byzantine Reflections in Sphragistics. (pdf)
Komnina A. Alexiada - 1996. (djvu)
Krivushin I. Early Byzantine Church Historiography - 1998. (djvu)
Kulakovsky Y. History of Byzantium, v. 1. - 2003. (djvu)
Kulakovsky Y. History of Byzantium, v. 2. - 1996. (djvu)
Kulakovsky Y. History of Byzantium, v. 3 - 1996. (djvu)
Kuchma V. Military Organization of the Byzantine Empire - 2001. (pdf)
Lebedev A. Historical sketches of the state of the Byzantine-Eastern Church - 1998. (djvu)
Lebedev A. History of the Constantinople Cathedrals of the IX century. (fb2)
Medvedev I. Byzantine Humanism XIV-XV centuries - 1997. (djvu)
Medvedev I. Petersburg Byzantine Studies - 2006. (djvu)
Medvedev I. Legal Culture of the Byzantine Empire - 2001. (djvu)
About the strategy. Byzantine military treatise VI - 2007. (djvu)
Orosius P. History against the pagans. (rtf)
Easter Chronicle - 2004. (djvu)
Przhegorlinsky A. Byzantine church at the turn of the XIII-XIV centuries. - 2011. (pdf)
Successor of Theophanes. Biographies of the Byzantine kings - 2009. (djvu)
Prokhorov G. Russia and Byzantium in the era of the Kulikovo battle. Articles - 2000. (djvu)
Rudakov A. Essays on Byzantine culture according to hagiography - 1997. (djvu)
Skrzhinskaya E.Ch. Russia, Italy and Byzantium in the Middle Ages. - 2000. (djvu)
Strategicon of Mauritius - 2004. (djvu)
Taft R. Byzantine Church Rite - 2000. (djvu)
Khvostova K. Byzantine civilization as a historical paradigm - 2009. (djvu)
Chichurov I.S. (ed.) Avtibwpov. To the 75th anniversary of the academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Gennady Grigorievich Litavrin - 2003. (djvu)
Shukurov R. Great Comnenes and the East (1204-1461) - 2001. (pdf)

IN THE ERA OF THE MIDDLE AGES

1. Libraries of Byzantium

A less abrupt transition from the ancient world to the Middle Ages was in Byzantium - a state with a thousand-year history (IV-XV centuries), formed during the collapse of the Roman Empire in its eastern part (Balkan Peninsula, Asia Minor, southeastern Mediterranean). The culture of Byzantium was a synthesis of ancient, eastern and early Christian cultures. Christian rulers of Byzantium were tolerant of pagan culture and did not completely abandon the heritage of antiquity. The Greek language was the state and most widespread language of the empire, therefore, the works of the great Greeks of antiquity were publicly available, enjoyed honor and were the basis of education. All this contributed to the creation of favorable conditions for the development of culture.

Literacy was widespread throughout the empire. There were numerous elementary and secondary schools. Already from the IV century, universities were opened, not only in the capital, but also in the provinces.

Libraries played an important role in the intellectual life of Byzantium. One of the most famous was the Imperial Library, created in the 4th century by Emperor Constantine I the Great. His descendants continued to take care of the library and by the end of the 5th century it was a significant collection of about 120 thousand books. Among the book's rarities were lists of Homer's poems, written in gold letters on snakeskin. Scientists were invited to rewrite books and generally maintain the library holdings at a high level. This state of affairs corresponded to the ancient tradition.

In the middle of the 4th century, the son of Constantine the Great, Constantine II, founded a state scriptorium in the capital. " Scriptor " in Latin means “ scribe", And the word" scriptorium”Means a workshop for making handwritten books. The emperor appointed the head of the scriptorium - a special official - the archon, under whose command many calligraphers were.

Constantin II was the creator of the Constantinople Public Library, the first public library of the Middle Ages. It was famous for its rich funds and existed, according to some sources, after the fall of the Byzantine Empire.

Along with the imperial and public libraries, there were libraries of religious institutions, educational institutions and private individuals.

There were book collections in all churches and monasteries. We have received information about the library of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the libraries of the Studite and Athos monasteries. The Patriarch's Library has existed since at least the 7th century. Its fund was predominantly of a religious nature, but apart from the books consecrated by the church, there were also works of “heretical” content. They were kept in special boxes, separate from the works of orthodox authors. It is known that in some monasteries in the capital, books were given out to the laity.

Unlike Western Europe in Byzantium, where the monarchy was strong, the church did not have a monopoly on education. Numerous secular educational institutions had their own libraries, since teaching was inextricably linked with the book. But of all these libraries, the library of the University of Constantinople stands out, created at the beginning of the 5th century. It was supervised by a special minister, who was called “ bibliophile"  .

Byzantium was also famous for its private book collections. Personal libraries were owned not only by the emperors, nobles and hierarchs of the church, but also by scientists, professors, and teachers. The richest book lovers often, when ordering a book from a scribe, especially stipulated the elements of its design. The main attention was paid to ornamentation and binding, for the manufacture of which ivory, gold, enamel and precious stones were used.

Among the Byzantine book collectors, the first attempt of a bibliographic description of the collection was made in the Middle Ages. One of the most educated Byzantines of the 9th century, Patriarch Photius, wrote the essay “ Miriobiblion", Which means" Thousandbooks”. It was a description of more than 300 books - ancient and Christian. The writer summarized the content of the book and provided information about the author. Sometimes Photius did not limit himself to a simple retelling and included his own reflections and critical notes in the annotation.

Little is known about the structure of Byzantine libraries. In the early Middle Ages, following the ancient tradition, the library was placed in open porticoes, and even the owners of private collections, following the fashion, willingly displayed their book riches. Gradually, this tradition of open storage of books began to be replaced by the practice of hidden "savings" from readers. These changes were caused by circumstances of a different nature. First, in the Middle Ages, the cost of books increased significantly. Secondly, the influence of Christianity, which was originally a persecuted and persecuted religion, had an effect, and therefore religious books were kept in hidden, hidden places - chests and chests. In large libraries, books were coded and arranged according to it. On some of the manuscripts that have come down to us, labels have been preserved indicating the cabinet (or shelf) and the place of the book on the shelf.

The fate of Byzantine libraries is unenviable. Irreplaceable damage was inflicted on them by the invading Crusaders. At the beginning of the 13th century, they took Constantinople by storm and plundered the city. There is evidence that the crusaders mercilessly destroyed books and carried writing utensils across the city with spears. Whole transports laden with Crusader war trophies — richly decorated Byzantine manuscripts — were sent to Western Europe.

In the second half of the XIV century, Constantinople was restored and again became the capital of the empire. Together with the destroyed city, libraries were also restored, but this calm was short-lived. In the middle of the XVY century, the Byzantine Empire fell under the onslaught of the Ottoman Turks, and again this was accompanied by destruction, burning and plundering of book depositories. Historians wrote about ships that carried books away, about carts laden with manuscripts, about the fact that the gold and silver that adorned the bindings were mercilessly stripped off and sold.

The importance of Constantinople to Western civilization is great. The activities of Byzantine bibliophiles, the work of scriptorians, the very fact of the existence of many libraries helped to preserve a significant part of the heritage of Hellas, which was lost at that time to the West.

2. Libraries of the Arab Caliphate

During the Middle Ages, Constantinople was not the only cultural center of the Eastern Mediterranean. At the beginning of the 7th century, the era of Islam began. Islam encompassed most of the Arab world - from Persia to Morocco, and over 800 years of its existence, the Arab Caliphate became a powerful power.

The formation of the Arabic literary language, the improvement of written culture, great reverence and respect for knowledge in general and for books in particular were characteristic of this region.

The Arab culture reached its highest flowering in the 7th-9th centuries. Arab scientists have achieved exceptional success in mathematics, astronomy, medicine, geography, history. In mathematics, many terms of Arabic origin are still preserved - for example, the words "Algebra", "algorithm", "digit" other. The Arabs introduced numerical designations that were so convenient that they spread throughout the world, and we still use them today. Fiction flourished. It is not without reason that today we read poems by Saadi, Omar Khayyam, Rudaki and Hafiz.

Arab science and culture relied heavily on the ancient heritage. While the works of ancient scholars perished in medieval Europe due to religious wars, the great Greeks - Plato, Aristotle, Hippocrates, Archimedes, Ptolemy - were translated in the Arab Caliphate. Many of these works have come down to us precisely due to the fact that they were translated into Arabic during the Middle Ages.

In the VIII-IX centuries, the Caliphate became the world center for paper production. Paper was very convenient and cheap compared to parchment. The development of the paper industry in Samarkand, Cairo, Damascus and other Arab cities created conditions for an unprecedented flourishing of book publishing. Only in one Spanish city of Cordoba, 16-18 thousand books were produced annually. In the city of Tripoli, where about 20 thousand inhabitants lived, almost half of the population was employed in paper mills or scriptoriums. Some scriptoria in Tripoli had up to 180 scribes. At the end of the 10th century, there were 100 booksellers in Baghdad alone.

Naturally, with such an abundance of scriptoriums and bookstores, the country also had an extensive network of libraries.

The libraries of the rulers-caliphs and their dignitaries were especially distinguished for their wealth. All the most significant rulers of Baghdad, Cairo, Cordoba, Damascus were book lovers.

The founder of the dynasty and the first caliph of the Omeyads, Muawiy I (? -680), laid the foundations of one of the first Arab palace libraries. In Damascus he founded “ House of wisdom”(“ Bayt al-hikma ”) is an institution that is both a library and a state repository of archival documents. Since 689, the archive and the library began to exist separately. The library of Mu'awiyah I (like most of the Arab libraries) was based on Koranic literature, but there was also a rich collection of books on medicine, philosophy, astrology, mathematics, history. After the transfer of the capital from Damascus to Baghdad, the library was also transferred to the new capital.

Arab historians write that the grandson of Mu'awiyah I, Khalid ibn-Yazid ibn-Mu'awiyah, allowed educated Muslims to use the library and copy the necessary books from its fund. Thus, the library from the palace gradually turned into a public one.

The founder of the famous Baghdad palace library was the no less famous Caliph Harun al-Rashid (766-809), whose image is captured in fairy tales “ Thousand and One Nights"... He replenished it throughout his life. Many manuscripts were received from Byzantium and other countries as tributes or gifts. Harun's son, Caliph Al-Mamun, significantly expanded this book collection. The library fund consisted of hundreds of books. It was headed by three Persian scholars. Al-Mamun turned the closed palace library into a public one, allowing access not only to well-known scientists, but also to any educated reader.

Caliph Al-Hakim II (961-977), who ruled in Cordoba, united the three palace libraries that existed before him. The fund of the united library consisted of 400 thousand volumes. The volume of the catalog of this book collection, which contained the titles of books and the names of authors, was 44 notebooks of 90 sheets each.

Al-Hakim II had agents who conducted bibliographic searches of books around the world, informing the Caliph about all the news and rarities. The replenishment of the library fund in Cordoba itself was carried out by a large staff of scribes, binders, illustrators. The library had departments divided into sections. The library staff included a librarian-cataloguer.

In imitation of the rulers, the Arab aristocrats compiled rich private libraries. The library of the vizier Ibn Abbad, who was obsessed with the love of books, is known. He gathered around him the best representatives of the art of words, corresponded with famous writers and scientists. His library consisted of 117 thousand books. The library catalog consisted of 10 volumes. As a statesman and warrior, Ibn Abbad traveled a lot and was accompanied by a library everywhere on his campaigns. The camels in the book caravan carried the books in alphabetical order, so that the caravan librarians could always quickly and easily find the desired manuscript.

Bibliophilia in the Arab Caliphate was considered a manifestation of good manners not only among aristocrats. There were book collectors among the people of the simple class and small means. For example, the teacher Ibn Hazi possessed an excellent, carefully selected collection that was widely known. The testament of the Arabic translator Ibn Tibbon to his son has survived: “I have put together a large library. Keep her in order. Prepare lists of books in each cabinet and put each book in the proper cabinet. Cover the books with beautiful curtains, protect them from water from the ceiling, from mice, from all harm, for they– your best treasure. "

In the 9th century, “ Houses of wisdom", In which library functions were combined with archive functions, began to come" Houses of Science”(“ Dar al-ilm ”), within the walls of which reading was closely related to teaching. During this period in large cities Higher educational institutions - madrasahs - are being opened in the Arab Caliphate. Some of them eventually became universities, where, along with theology, exact and natural sciences, philosophy, and medicine were taught. The first institution of this type was the Baghdad University Library (993), a major scientific and religious center. But, perhaps, the most famous is the library “ Houses of Science”In Tripoli. The literature contains a truly astronomical figure that characterizes the size of the book fund of this library - 3 million volumes! Moreover, the Koran alone had 50 thousand copies and 80 thousand copies of commentaries to it. The library staff consisted of 180 employees. It is surprising that such a large library lasted only 30 years and was destroyed by fire during the invasion of the Crusaders.

A distinctive feature of this type of libraries was educational and pedagogical work. For the first time in the history of librarianship, they became centers for the dissemination of various ideas and teachings. Such libraries appeared in Europe much later.

In the Arab Caliphate, there were also the so-called “ linked libraries”: They were created at any institutions - mosques, mausoleums, hospitals. The library at the An-Nuri mosque and the Mustansiriyya library are well known. The funds of the linked libraries were usually profiled. The profile depended on the specialization of the institution to which it was attached.

The linked libraries are the prototype for special libraries. Some of them, developing and expanding, gradually acquired independence. Some of the affiliated libraries located in the capitals of the emirates, over time, turned into national special libraries.

In addition to the libraries typical of all medieval states (palaces, personal, educational institutions and scientific institutions), a specific type of library, the waqf library, became widespread in the Arab Caliphate. Waqf is a special form of feudal property, in which the library was not the private property of the sovereign or feudal lord, but was located in “ eternal use”The Islamic community. The main feature of waqf libraries was their general availability. The social and charitable nature of waqf libraries demanded the maximum circulation of books among the readers, therefore, not only eminent citizens and scientists, but everyone who wished, used the library funds. Moreover, in many libraries, regular readers, especially newcomers and the poor, not only had books at their service, but were also provided with writing materials and paper, and even found accommodation and material support with the assistance of the library attendants.

Interior of a medieval arabic library

There were no fundamental restrictions on the transfer to the library and storage of certain books for ideological, religious, censorship reasons, therefore the funds contained a wide variety of literature in all areas of knowledge. While librarians were inspired by their religious fervor, it did not limit their love of learning. Therefore, the funds of waqf libraries contained, in addition to the Koran and Koranic literature, fiction, poetry, books on medicine, law, astronomy, philosophy, mathematics, magic, alchemy. In their liberalism, Arab librarians were much more tolerant of heretical opinions than their Christian colleagues and contemporaries. Although some reactionary theologians and zealous officials sometimes withdrew works that were odious from their point of view, such “purges” were in the nature of local outbreaks.

Literature was transferred to waqf libraries according to a special legal procedure, which provided for the compulsory compilation of a list of transferred books. This list served as both a legal document and a catalog.

Collections were obviously organized according to subject matter, and in the largest libraries they were arranged according to branches of knowledge.

The working hours of the waqf library were different: some libraries worked daily, others 1 - 2 days a week. But for all libraries, a permanent mode of operation was established: mandatory days and hours of service for readers.

Library books were used not only locally, but also at home. There is an interesting testimony from the Arab scholar and encyclopedist Yakut al-Hamawi that the rules for issuing books were so liberal that in one Madrid library he was allowed to borrow 200 volumes at a time.

The staff of libraries, even the largest ones, was small - 3-6 people. Usually a trustee (often the founder of the waqf), a curator (librarian), an assistant librarian, and several servants were appointed. In large libraries of the 9th-12th centuries, managers were, as a rule, well-educated writers, scientists, since the 13th century, libraries are managed almost exclusively by scholars-theologians. The duties of the library keeper, his assistant and his servants were to keep the books in order and give them to the readers. Financing the library, purchasing and ordering new books, registering new acquisitions and maintaining a catalog, hiring and firing employees - all this was the prerogative of the waqf manager.

The study of the history of Arab libraries provides rich material testifying to the development of library science thought. There are numerous references to library directories. In some cases, catalogs were replaced with lists of books placed directly in the collection. The bibliography was known in such forms as lists of works of individual authors in works of a historical and biographical nature, thematic lists in dictionaries. Literature in the collection and descriptions of books in catalogs and book lists were usually arranged according to thematic principle. This is confirmed, for example, by the words of Avicenna, who wrote about one of the libraries of Samarkand: “I entered a house with many rooms, in each room there were chests of books, stacked on top of one another. In one room there were books on Arabic and poetry, in the other on jurisprudence. Each room has one of the sciences. I read the list of ancient authors and asked what I need ... "

Thus, the level of library practice in the Arab Caliphate was very high for the Middle Ages. The availability of Arab libraries, especially those belonging to waqfs, is noteworthy. Arab librarians have accumulated a rich professional tradition.

Unfortunately, Islamic libraries have suffered the same fate as libraries in the Mediterranean. They died not only as a result of numerous wars, frequent fires, but also due to the fact that from the XII century the interest in knowledge began to decline. But the greatest damage to Arab libraries was caused by the campaigns of Christian crusaders in the 11th-13th centuries. However, the Muslim world, like Byzantium, was the forerunner of the Renaissance and revived the culture of Europe in the late Middle Ages.

3. European libraries in the Middle Ages

We have even more scanty information about medieval libraries in Europe than about antique book collections.

Europe in the Middle Ages did not have a high level of librarianship. Even what was accumulated in the previous era was lost. Two or three centuries after the fall of Rome, in most provincial cities, where there used to be many books, bookstores and libraries, not a single manuscript of secular content remained.

It is known from various sources that for several centuries medieval libraries were a very miserable phenomenon, inferior to their Greco-Roman predecessors. They were very modest collections of jealously guarded manuscripts. However, if these islands of knowledge and writing had not survived, the history of Western civilization could have been completely different.

3.1 Monastic libraries of medieval Europe

Monasteries were the centers of book culture in the early Middle Ages. In different states, the spread of Christianity and the creation of monasteries took place at different times, but in general throughout Europe in the 5th-6th centuries, monasteries, churches, monastery schools and libraries with them appeared, and in the 9th-10th centuries. At this time, even a saying appeared: “ A monastery without a library is the same as a camp without weapons". The famous philosopher and theologian Thomas Aquinas wrote: “ The real treasury of the monastery– library, without it he is like a kitchen without a cauldron, a table without food, a well without water, a river without fish, a cloak without other clothes, a garden without flowers, a purse without money, a vine without grapes, a court without sentries ... "

One of the first monasteries in Europe was the Vivarium. It owes its creation to the greatest cultural figure of the medieval West - Cassiodorus Senator (487-578). Coming from a noble Roman family, writer, philosopher, he was secretary and adviser to the king of Italy, then became minister of the court, consul, governor. Cassiodorus dreamed of the creation of a mighty Italo-Gothic state, nurtured the idea of \u200b\u200borganizing the first Christian university in Rome. These plans were impossible to implement and, apparently, realizing this, Cassiodorus left the government service and founded in 550 in the south of Italy Vivarium, which means in Latin “ Haven of thought”.

It was a genuine, although not typical for Europe in the mid-6th century, cultural center. It was in Vivaria that Cassiodorus wanted to preserve for posterity those literary and scientific values \u200b\u200bof the ancient world that had not yet died. He organized a school for young men in the monastery with a traditionally antique set of subjects: grammar, rhetoric, logic, music, mathematics, cosmography. A library and script was created. The vivarium was a place not only for storing and copying texts, but also for fruitful literary work on editing, correcting, translating texts and even creating original works.

Cassiodorus cared about the high quality of copying books, clear order in the scriptorium and library. For this, he created a special “ Guide to the Study of Divine and Secular Literature " (in some translations the title of the book sounds like "An Introduction to Spiritual and Secular Reading"). The two-volume work of Cassiodorus is considered one of the first major manuals for the formation of library funds; it formulates some rules for managing the library and scriptorium. This book, among other things, also contained extensive information about the literature, that is, it was a kind of bibliographic guide. Later, researchers using this "Guides... ”were able to establish the repertoire of the Vivarium books. These were theological and legal treatises, works of Christian writers, antique books on cosmography, medicine, philosophy.

Cassiodorus lived 100 years, of which he dedicated 50 to Vivarius. The vivarium, together with the library and scriptorium, did not outlive its organizer for long - it ceased to exist at the end of the 6th - beginning of the 7th century.

The activities of Cassiodorus and the rich library of the Vivarium were unique to Europe in the early Middle Ages. Typically, monastery libraries were so small that their entire collection could fit in one chest. The few books that were contained in them were purely religious in nature: they were copies of biblical texts, the writings of the church fathers, and missives required for church rituals.

Monastic scriptorium.

Portrait of a scribe. France.XY in.

The monastic scriptoriums, which were an integral part of the library, diligently copied books. Excellent calligraphers, experienced painters, skilful bookbinders have created many magnificent monuments of book art. The rewriting of church books was equated with an apostolic feat, and the names of some scribes after their death were surrounded by a legendary halo. Not every monk was allowed to take on such a godly deed. The rewriting of books was carried out not only by young literate monks, but also by venerable members of monastic orders, often even the abbots themselves.

The manuscripts coming from the scriptorium made up the bulk of the new acquisitions of the monastery book depositories. Sometimes, however, there were other sources of recruitment. Thus, English and Irish monks specially traveled to the continent to get books for the monastery libraries. The funds were also replenished with donations. Noble parishioners brought books as a gift on condition that they be commemorated in prayer services for the peace of the soul. Children from noble and wealthy families, who were sent to study in monastic schools, brought books with them. Donated books and feudal lords, who decided to take monastic vows, in the hope of finding "Heavenly rest".

The main part of the funds was usually made up of holy scriptures, the lives of the saints, the works of the church fathers, and liturgical literature. Books by ancient authors were less common in monastic libraries. Ancient texts, as a rule, were inaccessible even to most monks. Umberto Eco in the novel “ Rose's name”Not only recreates a remarkable vivid picture of the life and structure of the medieval monastery library, he also tells that the storage of Aristotle's works in the library fund was surrounded by a dark secret, carefully guarded by the librarian.

The hierarchs of the Catholic Church, who assumed the right of harsh regulation and harsh censorship, carefully watched that pagan and heretical writings did not penetrate the walls of monasteries. Back in 325, the infamous “ Index ... "("Index librorum prohibitorum Document

« Librariana business" The main content of the course Topic 1. History books and libraries. (2 hours) Writing and book a business in Russia ....) Distribution of book printing in Russia. Topic 2. Historylibraryaffairs abroad. (2 hours) The birth of libraries ...

This work is devoted to a complex, little-studied and underestimated era: the reign of Emperor Theodosius II (401-450), the longest in the history of Byzantium. At this time, the empire was going through contradictory processes: decline and instability in the West correspond to the rise and prosperity in the East, in which historians, paradoxically, for a long time did not see any merit of the reigning emperor. The work attempts to look at the results of his reign in a new way, taking into account modern research. The spouse of Theodosius II, Empress Athenais-Eudokia (c. 405-460) - the daughter of an Athenian professor, a pagan who became a Christian, a ruler, one of the symbolic figures of this era. Her name is surrounded by legends, not all of which are reliable, but their occurrence is significant in itself and has its own reasons, which the author seeks to understand. The author of the book is a candidate of philological sciences, assistant professor of the Department of Ancient Languages \u200b\u200band Ancient Christian Writing at PSTGU. The book is intended both for specialists in the history and literature of this period, and for a wide range of those interested in the history of late antiquity and Byzantium.

Senina Tatiana Anatolievna 2018

Hellenism in 9th century Byzantium

Culturology , History

The book is dedicated to Byzantine Hellenism of the 9th century. In Byzantium, interest in ancient culture increased sharply. At the origins of this revival was the famous iconoclast John the Grammaticus, and his nephew Leo the Philosopher raised a circle of disciples and followers, thanks to whom a collection of manuscripts of Plato and the Neoplatonists was created. The Hellenistic humanism of this era, approaching Platonism and secularism, is most vividly reflected in the work of Leo the Philosopher and his disciple Leo Hirosfact. The Byzantine Hellenists were carried away by ancient culture, balancing on the edge beyond which, from the point of view of a pious Christian, "wickedness" began. The secular poetry of the nun Cassia, in whose gnomic epigrams Hellenistic motives are heard, is an example of a more moderate Hellenism. Patriarch Photius of Constantinople, despite a keen interest in ancient culture, looked at it from a strictly Orthodox standpoint and played a negative role in spreading the ideal of enlightened Hellenism. Especially interesting is the worldview of Leo Hirosfact, in whose works not only neo-Platonic, but also iconoclastic motives are heard. The work of Hirosfact is a kind of synthesis of 9th century Hellenism. and testifies to the spread of Platonism and the survival of iconoclastic ideas among the educated Byzantines of that era.

Kyzlasova Irina 2018

Academician Nikodim Pavlovich Kondakov. Searches and accomplishments

Biographies and memoirs

This collection is dedicated to the scientific work of the great scientist, one of the main creators of the new discipline "Byzantine and Old Russian art", NP Kondakov (1844-1925), as well as to a number of his colleagues. It includes both newly written essays and materials previously published in various publications, but specially revised again. The texts are based on documents stored in archives of different cities: these are epistolary complexes important for the history of science and especially valuable fragments from the diary of N.P. Kondakov (including pages full of deep tragedy about his forced emigration from Odessa in early 1920, which in many respects supplement the famous book "Ustami Bunins"). The main milestones in the life of N.P. Kondakov and a complete bibliography of his works are presented. The book is intended both for specialists and for everyone interested in the history of Russian Byzantine studies.

Krivov Mikhail Vasilievich 2018

History

The book of the famous Russian researcher gives a detailed description of the Byzantine and Arab societies in the era of the emergence of Islam, shows the history of military-political relations between Byzantium and the Arab Caliphate in the 7th-8th centuries. and mutual cultural influences up to the XI century. The book is written on the basis of medieval Greek (Theophanes, Nikifor, etc.), Arabic (Balazuri, Tabari, etc.), Armenian (Sebeos, Ghevond, etc.), Latin and Syrian sources, used partly in the originals, partly in translations.

Kuchma Vladimir 2017

Military organization of the Byzantine Empire

Military affairs, weapons, special services , History

The book is the first thematic collection of articles on the problems of the military organization of the Byzantine Empire in Russian historiography. The main sources of research are the monuments of Byzantine military-scientific literature, based on the centuries-old ancient tradition. The principles of military theory are considered inextricably linked with combat practice, against the general background of the socio-economic, political and state-legal development of the Empire. For historians and a wide range of readers interested in the history of wars and military art.

Litavrin G.G. 2017

Byzantium, Bulgaria, Ancient Russia (IX - early XII century)

History

The book of the outstanding Russian Byzantine scholar G.G. Litavrin tells about the formation of Ancient Russia as a powerful cultural power and the influence of Byzantium and Bulgaria on this process. As the author himself writes, “the main purpose of this book is not to trace the very process and circumstances of the baptism of Rus, but to show how, despite all the vicissitudes and difficulties in relations with Byzantine Empire, the adoption of Christianity by Russia from her became inevitable ... The entire course of the formation and development of the Old Russian state and its very geopolitical position determined the historical regularity that made Byzantium the "godmother" of Ancient Russia ... "

Litavrin G.G. 2017

Byzantium and Slavs

History , Ethnography

The collection of the outstanding Byzantine scientist, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences G.G. Litavrin contains four sections. The first contains articles on the most controversial problems of the socio-economic history of Byzantium (about small and large property in land and its inheritance rights, about the tax system of the empire, conditions of craft and trade activities in the Byzantine city and about the fateful role in the history of Byzantium, its relations with Latins and Ottomans). The second section is devoted to the history of the First and Second Bulgarian Kingdoms. Social problems here also prevail, but special attention is paid to the issues of relations between the Slavs and the Proto-Bulgarians and Byzantium. The third section includes articles on Russian-Byzantine relations in the 9th – 12th centuries. and, finally, the fourth reveals a number of controversial or little-known episodes from the history of relations between the ancient Slavs and the Avars and the Byzantine Empire in the 7th – 9th centuries. The book will be of interest not only to specialists, but also to the widest circle of readers.

Budanova Vera , Gorsky Anton Anatolievich , Ermolova Irina Evgenievna 2017

Great migration of peoples. Ethnopolitical and social aspects

Ethnography , History

The book is dedicated to a unique stage in world history - the Great Migration of Peoples, when in the conditions of the extinction of the Ancient civilization and the emergence of the civilization of the Middle Ages, the interaction of the barbarian world and the Roman Empire reached the most intense phase. The authors focus on the three leaders of the Great Migration - the Germans, Huns and Slavs, their role in the European civilization processes of the 2nd-7th centuries, their transformation during migrations from tribal unions to the first state formations, the evolution of military, trade, diplomatic, cultural contacts, constituting the essence of the interaction and mutual influence of two polar worlds - Barbaricum and Empire. The book is addressed not only to specialists-historians, archaeologists, ethnologists, linguists, but also to all readers interested in the history of Europe at the turn of Antiquity and the Middle Ages.

Vasilik Vladimir Vladimirovich 2017

Church and Empire in Byzantine Church Poetic Monuments

History , Christianity

The book is devoted to the reflection of the life of the Ecumenical Church and the Byzantine (Romeian) Empire in Byzantine church-poetic, or hymnographic, monuments. For the first time, the monograph poses the problem of historicism in Byzantine hymnography. The book examines church-poetic texts from the end of the 1st to the end of the 10th century. - hymns of the Apocalypse, the Great Doxology, the hymn to the Trinity, the troparia of Auxentius, the kontakion of St. Roman the Sweet Songwriter, canons of St. Andrew of Crete, John of Damascus, Cosmas of Mayium, Joseph the Hymnographer. Various aspects of the life of the Church and the Empire are investigated, including martyrdom, dogmatic disputes, wars, revolts, earthquakes, legal conflicts. On the basis of hymnographic monuments in a new way, the book illuminates the rebellion of Nick, the life of St. Roman the Sweet Songwriter, wars with the Persians and Avars, ideas about society and culture, etc. A number of unpublished and not translated into Russian monuments are published in the appendix.

Krivov Mikhail Vasilievich 2017

Byzantium and the Arabs in the early Middle Ages

History

2017

History

2017

Byzantine essays. Works of Russian scientists for the XXIII International Congress of Byzantinists

History

Since 1961, Byzantine essays have traditionally been published by Russian scholars for the International Congresses of Byzantinists. This issue has been prepared for the XXIII International Congress in Belgrade. It includes articles reflecting the results of the latest research by Russian scientists on the problems of the social, political, ethnic and cultural history of Byzantium, as well as the problems of source study and historiography. In accordance with the principle adopted in this series, most of articles are profiled taking into account the main topics of the upcoming congress and is devoted to the history of Byzantine civilization as a living organism, which appears to be one in its development.

Krivov Mikhail Vasilievich 2017

Byzantine culture

History

This publication is devoted to a subject that is relatively little covered in educational and popular science literature - Byzantine culture of the IV-XV centuries. At the same time, the study of this subject is very relevant for our country, since the domestic culture after the baptism of Russia developed primarily under the influence of the culture of Byzantium. The book shows the features of Byzantine philosophy and theology, legal and historical thought, hagiographic, fiction and other literature, scientific knowledge and the education system, architecture and art, as well as the life and customs of the population. Much attention is paid to the links of Byzantine culture with the cultures of other peoples, especially Russian. The book is intended not only for students of higher educational institutions, but also for a wide range of readers.

I.P. Medvedev 2017

Legal culture of the Byzantine Empire

History , Jurisprudence

The Byzantine Empire is a state that created a brilliant, advanced culture throughout the Middle Ages, the most important component of which was legal culture. In the book of I.P. Medvedev, the concept of Byzantinism as a cultural system based on the principles of law is developed, and the law is civilized, written, presupposing a high level of legal thinking and general education. The controversial issues of the legal foundations of Byzantine statehood, individual stages in the development of Byzantine legislation and jurisprudence, the system of legal education, the history of Byzantine legal proceedings, notaries, etc. are considered. The basis of the book is the materials previously published by the author in various publications, appropriately supplemented, revised and combined into a single system. The publication is designed for a wide range of readers interested in the history of law.

Karpov Sergey 2017

History of the Trebizond Empire

History

The monograph of the prominent Russian Byzantinist and medievalist, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences S.P. Karpov for the first time in world historiography examines in a complex all aspects of the political, economic and cultural history of the Trebizond Empire (1204-1461). The Trebizond Empire was the cradle of Pontic Hellenism, the last Byzantine stronghold, for many years it was a connecting link between West and East, a crossroads of world civilizations. The very survival of this state in the era of the Crusades, the Tatar-Mongol conquests, the rise of the powerful powers of the East (the Seljukids of Rum, Ilkhanov, Emir Timur, Ak-Kuyunlu, the Ottoman Sultanate, etc.) needs an explanation, which the author of the book offers. A prominent and ancient metropolis of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Trebizond Empire left a noticeable mark in the history of the Orthodox East, maintaining versatile ties with Palaeologus Byzantium, the principalities of Ancient Rus, Crimea and Transcaucasia. From the end of the XIII century. Genoese and Venetian trading posts appeared on its territory, which played important role in the economy of the Middle Ages. To research the topic, the author drew on a wide range of archival, handwritten and published sources in many European and Eastern languages. The book is intended for Byzantinists, Orientalists, Slavists, for students and graduate students of humanitarian universities, as well as for a wide range of readers interested in history.

Vasiliev Alexander Alexandrovich 2017

History of the Byzantine Empire. From the beginning of the Crusades to the fall of Constantinople

History

IN scientific heritage the outstanding Russian Byzantine and Arabist A.A. Vasiliev, a special place is occupied by works of a general plan, covering the entire history of Byzantium until the fall of Constantinople in 1453. In the Russian language in the first quarter of the XX century in Petrograd - Petersburg - Leningrad the following works were published: 1) Lectures on the history of Byzantium. Time before the Crusades (before 1081); 2) History of Byzantium and the Crusaders. The era of the Komnenos (1081-1184) and the Angels (1185-1204); 3) History of Byzantium. Latin dominion in the East. The era of the Nicene and Latin empires (1204-1261); 4) History of Byzantium. Fall of Byzantium. The era of the Paleologues (1261-1453) .After the emigration of A.A. Vasiliev, these works were repeatedly republished by him on foreign languages, with additions and modifications, found in the second American edition - History of the Byzantine Empire, 324-1453. Madison, 1952 - Quality Comprehensive monographic research, one of the most important in world Byzantinism. This determines the relevance of the publication of the work in full in Russian at the present time. The "History of the Byzantine Empire" by A.A. Vasiliev is characterized by two main qualities - brightness, picturesqueness, imagery of presentation, which allows each reader to be a living witness of the events described, to be fully and completely present in that infinitely distant and at the same time inconceivably close era, as well as scrupulous scientific accuracy , almost pedantry (but without scientific boringness) in the characterization historical facts, events and processes. The increase in the number of comments and notes from publication to publication speaks of the extremely serious attitude of the author to his work, of A.A. Vasiliev's striving for an ever higher scientific ideal, of taking into account the latest achievements of Byzantine studies. ... All footnotes missing in the Russian text, bibliography and indexes are also taken from the second American edition. An introductory article about the life and scientific path of A.A. Vasiliev is prefaced to the new Russian edition. The text of the book has been re-edited for the widest circle of readers.

In 2017, the publishing house "Aletheia" (St. Petersburg), which specializes in publishing books on the main sections of humanitarian knowledge, continues to publish a series of books "New Byzantine Library. Research ".

Since the beginning of the year, several new products have been published in this series.

History of the Byzantine Empire
Vasiliev Alexander Alexandrovich

"History of the Byzantine Empire" A.A. Vasilyeva is one of the unique phenomena in the history of historical thought. There are very few general histories of Byzantium written by one researcher. The History of the Byzantine Empire is an excellent example of a general work, which briefly, clearly, with a large number of references to the main sources and research, describes all periods of the history of Byzantium. Foreign policy history is presented by A.A. Vasiliev completely. The problems of the inner history are considered unevenly, although the main problems of the inner life of each period are touched upon or mentioned.
The first volume examines the history of the Byzantine Empire from the time of Constantine the Great to the beginning of the era of the Crusades.
The second volume examines the history of the Byzantine Empire from the beginning of the Crusades to the fall of Constantinople.

Christian antiquities
Leonid Andreevich Belyaev

The book consists of essays on the history of research into the antiquities of the Christian civilization from its inception in the era of late antiquity to the late medieval period in Europe, Asia and North Africa. At the same time, special excursions are introduced that consider in detail the most controversial issues, as well as monuments, types of structures or artifacts. The study is structured as informative; foreign research literature (up to 1998) and related historiographic works were widely attracted. There is no complete analogy to the book either in Russia or abroad.
Help apparatus includes pointers, including terminology. It is intended for those studying a wide range of humanitarian disciplines: history of culture, art history (especially architecture, applied art, iconography), history of religion, archeology, as well as world and domestic history (late antiquity and Byzantium, Western European Middle Ages, Ancient Russia).

Legal culture of the Byzantine Empire
Medvedev Igor Pavlovich

The book was published to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Byzantine Library series, within which the Aletheia Publishing House is republishing the rarest books in the series with a memorial edition.
The Byzantine Empire is a state that created a brilliant, advanced culture throughout the Middle Ages, the most important component of which was legal culture. In the book of I.P. Medvedev, the concept of Byzantinism as a cultural system based on the principles of law is developed, and the law is civilized, written, presupposing a high level of legal thinking and general education. The controversial issues of the legal foundations of Byzantine statehood, individual stages in the development of Byzantine legislation and jurisprudence, the system of legal education, the history of Byzantine legal proceedings, notaries, etc. are considered. The basis of the book is the materials previously published by the author in various editions, appropriately supplemented, revised and combined into a single system.
The publication is intended for a wide range of readers interested in the history of law.

Essays on the history of Byzantium and the South Slavs
Litavrin Gennady Grigorievich, Kazhdan Alexander Petrovich

"Essays on the history of Byzantium and the South Slavs" were written by order of the State Educational and Pedagogical Publishing House of the Ministry of Education of the RSFSR in 1958 as a textbook on the medieval history of the Balkan Peninsula and Asia Minor. Up to the departure of A.P. Kazhdan to the United States in 1978, the book was listed in the list of educational literature of the Faculty of History of Moscow State University.
"Essays" do not contain a systematic and comprehensive presentation of historical material. The authors strove to give lively and fascinating information: it is for this purpose that the book provides a characteristic of the geographical environment, a description of the life of the village and city, a detailed story about such significant events as the popular uprising in Thessaloniki and the fall of Constantinople.

Byzantium, Bulgaria, Ancient Rus. IX-early XII century

In the book of the outstanding Russian Byzantinist G.G. Litavrina tells about the formation of Ancient Russia as a powerful cultural power and about the influence of Byzantium and Bulgaria on this process.
As the author himself writes, “the main purpose of this book is not to trace the very process and circumstances of the baptism of Rus, but to show how, despite all the vicissitudes and difficulties in relations with the Byzantine Empire, the adoption of Christianity by Rus became inevitable ... The entire course of the formation and development of the Old Russian state and its very geopolitical position determined the historical regularity that made Byzantium the "godmother" of Ancient Russia ... "
The monograph includes, in revised and supplemented form, articles by G.G. Litavrina, published in 1970-90. for the widest range of readers.

Military organization of the Byzantine Empire
Kuchma Vladimir Vasilievich

The book is the first thematic collection of articles on the problems of the military organization of the Byzantine Empire in Russian historiography. The main sources of research are the monuments of Byzantine military-scientific literature, based on the centuries-old ancient tradition.
The principles of military theory are considered inextricably linked with combat practice, against the general background of the socio-economic, political and state-legal development of the Empire.
For historians and a wide range of readers interested in the history of wars and military art.

Byzantium and Slavs
Litavrin Gennady Grigorievich

In the collection of the outstanding Byzantine scientist, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences G.G. Litavrina four departments. The first contains articles on the most controversial problems of the socio-economic history of Byzantium (about small and large property in land and its inheritance rights, about the tax system of the empire, conditions of craft and trade activities in the Byzantine city and about the fateful role in the history of Byzantium, its relations with Latins and Ottomans). The second section is devoted to the history of the First and Second Bulgarian Kingdoms. Social problems also prevail here, but special attention is paid to the relations of the Slavs with the Proto-Bulgarians and Byzantium. The third section includes articles on Russian-Byzantine relations in the 9th – 12th centuries. and, finally, the fourth reveals a number of controversial or little-known episodes from the history of relations between the ancient Slavs and the Avars and the Byzantine Empire in the 7th – 9th centuries.
The book will be of interest not only to specialists, but also to the widest circle of readers.

Byzantine essays

Since 1961, Byzantine essays have traditionally been published by Russian scholars for the International Congresses of Byzantinists. This issue has been prepared for the XXIII International Congress in Belgrade. It includes articles reflecting the results of the latest research by Russian scientists on the problems of the social, political, ethnic and cultural history of Byzantium, as well as the problems of source study and historiography.
In accordance with the principle adopted in this series, most of the articles are profiled taking into account the main topics of the upcoming congress and are devoted to the history of Byzantine civilization as a living organism, which appears to be one in its development.