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Identifier 000456530
Title Η βυζαντινή μικρή αριστοκρατία (1204-1328)
Alternative Title The byzantine petty aristocracy (1204-1328)
Author Σωτηρίου, Αθανάσιος
Thesis advisor Κιουσοπούλου Αντωνία
Reviewer Κυρίτσης Δημήτριος
Μουστάκας Κωνσταντίνος
Abstract Byzantium was a hierarchical social formation in which a small group of individuals who formed the dominant class held significant political, social, and economic power and exerted authority over the majority of the population. The study of this class is crucial for understanding the societal transformations experienced by Byzantine society over the centuries. However, research on the upper echelons of late Byzantium (13th-15th centuries) is relatively limited and focuses primarily on a few prominent families that formed the “high aristocracy,” while neglecting the lower segments of the dominant class. This doctoral dissertation aims to contribute to addressing the aforementioned research gap through a systematic study of the lower and middle strata of the Byzantine aristocracy during the first half of the late Byzantine period (1204-1328). For methodological reasons, the study concentrates on a specific social group conventionally named as the “petty aristocracy.” This group includes individuals who held official distinctions but did not originate from the ranks of the high aristocracy. Thus, the core of the dissertation consists of three chapters, each examining the holders of the honorary title of “sebastos,” the “oikeioi” (familiars) of the emperors, and the bearers of court offices, respectively. These three chapters present the prosopographical data gathered from a systematic study of the sources and investigate the social origins, geographical distribution, and position of the petty aristocrats within the imperial mechanism. Additionally, detailed case studies are conducted to examine their economic basis, family networks, and career paths. Finally, each chapter concludes by assessing the composition, evolution, and distinguishing features of the respective group, while also examining the role played by its members in the political and administrative system. After the detailed examinations of the three groups, the dissertation has a final chapter that explores the position of the petty aristocrats as a whole within the late Byzantine power system. By analyzing their role in the major political developments between 1204 and 1328, it examines their political behavior, their relationships with the reigning emperors, and their involvement in the competition between imperial authority and the high aristocracy. Additionally, the chapter studies their stance towards the factional movements of the period, as well as their attitudes towards key issues that concerned Byzantine society, such as the Union of the Churches, relations with the Western powers, and response to the Turkish threat. Furthermore, the final part investigates the attitude of the petty aristocrats during the civil war between Andronikos II and Andronikos III to uncover the internal dynamics and determine the extent to which they formed a unified group.
Language Greek
Subject Dominant class
Late byzantine period
Social stratification
Titles and offices
Κοινωνική διαστρωμάτωση
Κυρίαρχη τάξη
Τίτλοι και αξιώματα
Υστεροβυζαντινή περίοδος
Issue date 2023-06-01
Collection   School/Department--School of Philosophy--Department of History and Archaeology--Doctoral theses
  Type of Work--Doctoral theses
Permanent Link https://elocus.lib.uoc.gr//dlib/d/b/1/metadata-dlib-1687432400-935997-11523.tkl Bookmark and Share
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