The De Thematibus ('on the themes') of Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus: Translated with introductory chapters and notes (Translated Texts for Byzantinists LUP)

The 10th-century treatise on the military provinces (the 'themes') of the medieval East Roman (Byzantine) empire is one of the most enigmatic of the works ascribed to the emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos. A mix of historical geography, imperial propaganda, historical information and legend or myth drawn from ancient, Hellenistic as well as Roman and late Roman sources, it was one of the emperor's earliest works, although the extent to which he was its author remains debated. Its purpose, and the emperor's aims in commissioning or writing it, are equally unclear, since it offers neither an accurate historical account of the evolution of the themata nor does it appear to draw on available administrative material that would have been available to its writer. It has remained until now untranslated into English and thus inaccessible to many, in particular to students at all levels both within and outside the field of Byzantine Studies, as well as non-specialist readers. This volume is intended to rectify this situation with a translation into English, accompanying detailed notes, and three introductory chapters providing context and background to the history of the text, Byzantine ideas about geography, and the debate over the themata themselves. Cover Contents Acknowledgements Abbreviations Preface Note on references to the text 1. Introduction: the text History of the text and editions Date and authorship Sources Structure and content Context and motives 2. Geography and the Byzantine world ‘Geography’ as cultural identity ‘Practical’ geographical knowledge Maps and route-finding 3. The themata: historiographical and historical development Background to the debate around the themata The technical meaning of thema The geography of the themata The De Thematibus Note to the translation Note to the commentary Cartographic aids Note on reference conventions Translation with commentary Bibliography Sources Literature Geographic and Personal Name Index