Byzantine Ideas of Persia, 650–1461 (Global Histories Before Globalisation)

This book offers a comprehensive study into the perceptions of ancient and medieval Iran in the Byzantine empire, exploring the effects of Persian culture upon Byzantine intellectualism, society and culture. Byzantine Ideas of Persia, 650-1461 focusses on the enduring position of ancient Persia in Byzantine cultural memory, encompassing both in the 'religious' and the 'secular' significance. By analysing a wide range of historical sources – from church literature to belles-lettres – this book examines the intricate relationship between ancient Persia and Byzantine cultural memory, as well as the integration and function of Persian motifs in the Byzantine mentality. Additionally, the author uses these sources to analyse thoroughly the knowledge Byzantines had about contemporary Iranian culture, the presence of ethnic Iranians, and the circulation and usage of the Persian language in Byzantium. Finally, this book concludes with an insightful exploration of the importance and influence of Iranian science on Byzantine scholars. This book will appeal to scholars and studentsin the fields of Byzantine and Iranian History, particularly to those studying the cross-cultural and social influence between the two societies during the Middle Ages. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license. This book offers a study into the perceptions of ancient and medieval Iran in the Byzantine Empire, as well as the effects of Persian culture upon Byzantine intellectualism, society, and culture MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict Cover 1 Half Title 2 Series Page 3 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Dedication 6 Table of Contents 8 List of Figures 12 List of Tables 14 Acknowledgements 16 Introduction 20 I.1 Clearing Up the Field 21 I.2 Cultural Memory 22 I.3 Byzantine Cultural Memory 24 I.4 Memory in Byzantium 26 I.5 The Function of Language 27 I.6 An Outline of Research Logic 28 1 Sacred Persia 32 1.1 The Concept of the Old Testament 32 1.2 The Identity of the Magi 37 1.3 The Star and Chaldean Wisdom 41 1.4 A Historiosophy of the Magi 42 1.5 A Polemical Device 44 1.6 Early Evangelisation of Parthia 45 1.7 The Adverse Persians 47 1.8 Materiality of Memory 50 1.9 Conclusion: God's Persia 52 2 The Pre-History of the Magi 61 2.1 The Plot 62 2.2 Date, Place and Typology 63 2.3 Aphroditianos and the Magi 64 2.4 Early Contextualising Attempts 65 2.5 A Christian 'Quasi-Mithraic' Apologia? 66 2.6 Reconciling Inconsistencies 68 2.7 Later Tradition 70 2.8 Conclusion: Persianising Christianity 71 3 The Holy Persians 76 3.1 Christianisation and Persecution 76 3.2 Liturgical Memory 77 3.3 Churches and Relics 82 3.4 Private Piety 85 3.5 'Persian' Anthroponymy 87 3.6 Conclusion: The Persian Saints Byzantinised 90 4 Memorising Persia 96 4.1 Mnemonic Tools 97 4.2 Explaining Memory 101 4.3 Les Lieux de Mémoire 105 4.4 Collecting to Recollect 108 4.5 Conclusion: Epistemological Bridging 109 5 Activating Memory 114 5.1 Rhetoric of Persia 115 5.2 The Byzantine Achaemenids 117 5.3 In the Vernacular 122 5.4 'Persian' Proverbs 124 5.5 Practicalities of Memory 126 5.6 Conclusion: Association and Function 127 6 Vicissitudes of Wisdom 135 6.1 Practical Wisdom 136 6.2 Psellos and the Persian 138 6.3 Plethon's Wisdom 140 6.4 Reassembling Zoroaster 140 6.5 Hellenic Persia 142 6.6 Was Zoroaster a Jew or a Muslim? 143 6.7 More on Byzantine 'Persianism' 145 6.8 Conclusion: Instrumentality and Neglect 146 7 Iranian Actualities 153 7.1 Khorasan 153 7.2 The Byzantine Persians 155 7.3 Theophobos, the Pharganoi and Others 159 7.4 The Anatolian Persians 163 7.5 Persian Visitors 165 7.6 Listening Persian, Speaking Persian 167 7.7 New Persian Wisdom 172 7.7.1 The Persian and Persian-speaking Intellectuals 172 7.7.2 Andronikos II and the Persian 176 7.7.3 Persian References 178 7.7.4 Byzantine Science Orientalised 180 7.7.5 Persian Moralising 182 7.8 A Persian Gazetteer 183 7.9 Continuity of Persias 187 7.10 Conclusion: Degrees of Persianisation 189 A Greco-Iranian Epilogue 206 E.1 A Gateway to the Orient 207 E.2 More than One Persia 208 E.3 Byzantine Persia and the Modern Iranian Identity 209 Bibliography 211 Index 266 General Index 266 Greek Terms and Expressions 283 Arabographic Terms 287 History;,Medieval,History;,Iranian,History;,Byzantine,History;,Cultural,History History,Medieval History,Iranian History,Byzantine History,Cultural History This book offers a study into the perceptions of ancient and medieval Iran in the Byzantine Empire, as well as the effects of Persian culture upon Byzantine intellectualism, society, and culture. Byzantine Ideas of Persia, 650-1461 focuses on the place of ancient Persia in Byzantine cultural memory, both in the "religious" and the "secular" sense. By analysing a wide range of historical sources from church literature to belles-lettres this book provides an examination of the place of ancient Persia in Byzantine cultural memory, as well as the place and function of Persian motifs in the Byzantine mentality. Additionally, the author uses these sources to analyse thoroughly the knowledge Byzantines had about contemporary Iranian culture, the presence of ethnic Iranians and the circulation and usage of the Persian language in Byzantium. Finally, this book discusses the importance and influence of Iranian science on Byzantine scholars. This book will appeal to scholars and students interested in Byzantine and Iranian History, particularly in reference to the cross-cultural and social influence of the two societies during the Middle Ages.