Byzantine Ideas of Persia, 6501461 (Global Histories Before Globalisation)

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. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents List of Figures List of Tables Acknowledgements Introduction I.1 Clearing Up the Field I.2 Cultural Memory I.3 Byzantine Cultural Memory I.4 Memory in Byzantium I.5 The Function of Language I.6 An Outline of Research Logic 1 Sacred Persia 1.1 The Concept of the Old Testament 1.2 The Identity of the Magi 1.3 The Star and Chaldean Wisdom 1.4 A Historiosophy of the Magi 1.5 A Polemical Device 1.6 Early Evangelisation of Parthia 1.7 The Adverse Persians 1.8 Materiality of Memory 1.9 Conclusion: God's Persia 2 The Pre-History of the Magi 2.1 The Plot 2.2 Date, Place and Typology 2.3 Aphroditianos and the Magi 2.4 Early Contextualising Attempts 2.5 A Christian 'Quasi-Mithraic' Apologia? 2.6 Reconciling Inconsistencies 2.7 Later Tradition 2.8 Conclusion: Persianising Christianity 3 The Holy Persians 3.1 Christianisation and Persecution 3.2 Liturgical Memory 3.3 Churches and Relics 3.4 Private Piety 3.5 'Persian' Anthroponymy 3.6 Conclusion: The Persian Saints Byzantinised 4 Memorising Persia 4.1 Mnemonic Tools 4.2 Explaining Memory 4.3 Les Lieux de Mémoire 4.4 Collecting to Recollect 4.5 Conclusion: Epistemological Bridging 5 Activating Memory 5.1 Rhetoric of Persia 5.2 The Byzantine Achaemenids 5.3 In the Vernacular 5.4 'Persian' Proverbs 5.5 Practicalities of Memory 5.6 Conclusion: Association and Function 6 Vicissitudes of Wisdom 6.1 Practical Wisdom 6.2 Psellos and the Persian 6.3 Plethon's Wisdom 6.4 Reassembling Zoroaster 6.5 Hellenic Persia 6.6 Was Zoroaster a Jew or a Muslim? 6.7 More on Byzantine 'Persianism' 6.8 Conclusion: Instrumentality and Neglect 7 Iranian Actualities 7.1 Khorasan 7.2 The Byzantine Persians 7.3 Theophobos, the Pharganoi and Others 7.4 The Anatolian Persians 7.5 Persian Visitors 7.6 Listening Persian, Speaking Persian 7.7 New Persian Wisdom 7.7.1 The Persian and Persian-speaking Intellectuals 7.7.2 Andronikos II and the Persian 7.7.3 Persian References 7.7.4 Byzantine Science Orientalised 7.7.5 Persian Moralising 7.8 A Persian Gazetteer 7.9 Continuity of Persias 7.10 Conclusion: Degrees of Persianisation A Greco-Iranian Epilogue E.1 A Gateway to the Orient E.2 More than One Persia E.3 Byzantine Persia and the Modern Iranian Identity Bibliography Index General Index Greek Terms and Expressions Arabographic Terms 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.