The Disputatio of the Latins and the Greeks, 1234: Introduction, Translation, and Commentary

In 1234, four mendicant friars arrived in the Byzantine city of Nicaea to discuss the possibility of a union between the Greek and Roman Churches. The controversy over the specific differences in both doctrine and practice had taken on a new urgency in the thirteenth century. The Fourth Crusade in 1204 placed the Byzantine capital of Constantinople under Latin control, creating an atmosphere of nearly continuous conflict, and yet the two sides agreed to meet in hopes of a peaceful settlement. Presented in translation for the first time, the report of those friars describing the discussions, or disputatio, of 1234 illuminates the full spectrum of motivations and implications surrounding the prospect of church union in the years following the Fourth Crusade. The letters exchanged by Pope Gregory IX and Patriarch Germanos II demonstrate the terms under which both sides entered the negotiations with a notable degree of optimism. Brought together, these sources represent the largest collection of material describing any dialogue between the churches in the thirteenth century. Translation and analysis of these sources call into question the long-held view that attempts to end the schism of the churches were perpetually doomed to fail. Cover Contents Preface Abbreviations Introduction 1. Historiography 2. Terminology 3. Background 4. Pope and Patriarch 5. Sources 6. Who are the Friars? 7. Report of the Friars 8. Role of Emperor and Patriarch 9. Conclusions Note on Translations TEXTS I Patriarch Germanos II to Pope Gregory IX, 1232 Editions and translations II Patriarch Germanos II to the Roman CARDINALS, 1232 Editions and Translations III Pope Gregory IX to Patriarch Germanos II, 26 July 1232 Editions and translations IV Pope Gregory IX to Patriarch Germanos II, 18 May 1233 Editions V The Disputatio Between the Latins and Greeks Edition Part I. Held at Nicaea in Bithynia Part II. Deeds at Nymphaion in Lydia Bibliography INDEX