Questions of Byzantine History

Teacher(s)

Coulie Bernard;

Language

French

Prerequisites

None, but a knowledge of ancient Greek is useful.

Main themes

A study of the political, administrative and fiscal system of the Byzantine Empire, from the IVth to the XVth century.
The course deals with the various dimensions of the history of the Byzantine State (political, administrative, fiscal, etc.). Particular attention will be paid to the written sources (legal documents, protocols and lists of precedences, literary texts).

Aims

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	At the end of this course, the student will be capable of mastering the elements of the functioning of the Byzantine State. In order to achieve this, he will have mastered the various working tools, and will also be able to carry out a personal research on the Byzantine institutions.

Content

The Byzantine state developed a particular form of organisation. During the eleven centuries of its existence (330 AD to 1453 AD), it underwent profound modifications, starting out with a system akin to the  Roman empire to arrive at a medieval system. The course will illustrate this evolution by a study of several themes, such as the role of the emperors, the administration of the territories, the financial and fiscal systems, etc. References to Byzantine sources will enable to better understand the daily functioning of the Byzantine state and to appreciate its characteristics and evolution.

Teaching methods

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the information in this section is particularly likely to change.

Lectures.

Evaluation methods

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the information in this section is particularly likely to change.

The exam is a reading of a Byzantine text (in translation): the student selects the life of an emperor in the Chronicle of Skylitzes (in translation) and is invited to identify the institutional elements referred to in the text. The details of the exam are presented during the first class.
The exam can take place in French or in English.

Other information

No prerequisite. Kwowledge of Greek is not necessary for this course.
English-friendly course: course taught in French but offering facilities in English.

Online resources

Documentation is available to the student on the Moodle site of the course: course map, bibliography, texts of several chapters, documents.

Bibliography

Textes et matériaux fournis par l'enseignant / Texts and documents provided by the teacher.

Faculty or entity

GLOR