ماریا لکاپنه - امپراتریس بلغاری‌ها: نه قدیس و نه مجرم

The book presents the biography of Maria, daughter of Christopher Lekapenos (the eldest son of emperor Romanos I). For about 35 years, she was the tsaritsa of the Bulgarians at the side of her husband, Tsar Peter (927-969). Her character is but dimly visible in the sources; interestingly, the few sources that do mention her are almost exclusively of Byzantine provenance. Most scholars who have dealt with her life-usually as a side note to studies on Peter's reign-saw in her a representative of the interests of Constantinople and a propagator of Byzantine culture. Some have gone so far as to call her a Byzantine agent at the Bulgarian court. In this book, the first monograph on Maria ever to have been written, Miros?aw J. Leszka and Zofia A. Brzozowska construct a balanced narrative of the tsaritsa's life and her role in tenth-century Bulgaria through meticulous analysis of primary sources, putting aside biases. The publication is supplemented by a translation of the fragments of the Hellenic and Roman Chronicle of the second redaction devoted to Maria and Peter. Front matter 2 Contents 6 Introduction 10 Chapter I Sources 16 Chapter II Origins and Early Years 26 Chapter III The Year 927 38 1.Byzantine-Bulgarian Relations during the Reign of Symeon the Great (893–927) 38 2. Peter’s Way to the Bulgarian Throne 50 3. Peace Negotiations 54 4. Peace Treaty 58 5. Wedding 64 Chapter IV The Marriage with the Bulgarian Ruler – Honor or Degradation? 68 Chapter V Maria Lekapene as a Mother 80 Chapter VI On the Bulgarian Throne at Peter’s Side 88 Chapter VII Maria Lekapene and the Transfer of the Idea of the Imperial Feminine in Medieval Bulgaria 108 Chapter VIII Towards Eternity 154 1. Female Authority in Byzantium 110 1.1. The Byzantine Model of the Empress 110 1.2. The Empress’s Court 114 1.3. Coronations of Empresses 118 1.4. Imperial Wedding Ceremonies and Festivities 121 1.5. Participation in Secular and Religious Ceremonies 123 1.6. Philanthropy and Donation Activities 127 1.7. Political Influence of Byzantine Empresses 129 1.8. Rule from Behind the Throne 131 1.9. Female Regents 137 2. Maria Lekapene, Empress of the Bulgarians– Titulature, Seals, Insignia 140 Final Remarks 160 Appendix Maria Lekapene and Peter in Medieval Rus’ Historiography – fragments of the Hellenic and Roman Chronicle of the second redaction 164 Bibliography 180 Sources 180 Modern Scholarship 187 Indices 210 Index of People 210 Index of Ethnic and Geographic Names 219 Illustrations 222 Byzantina Lodziensia 230 The book presents the biography of Maria, daughter of Christopher Lekapenos (the eldest son of emperor Romanos I). For about 35 years, she was the tsaritsa of the Bulgarians at the side of her husband, tsar Peter (927–969). Her character is but dimly visible in the sources; interestingly, the few sources that do mention her are almost exclusively of Byzantine provenance. Most scholars who have dealt with her life – usually, we may add, as a side note to their studies on Peter's reign – saw in her a representative of the interests of Constantinople and a propagator of Byzantine culture. Some have gone so far as to call her a Byzantine agent at the Bulgarian court.Through their meticulous analysis of the primary sources and profound knowledge of the literature on the subject, the authors of the book – the first monograph on Maria ever to have been written – are able to construct a balanced narrative of the tsaritsa's life and her role in 10th century Bulgaria, putting aside biases and negative emotions.The publication is supplemented by a translation of the fragments of the Hellenic and Roman Chronicle of the second redaction devoted to Maria and Peter.