Byzantine Court Culture From 829-1204; Editor: Maguire, Henry; Hardback; Book

Editor: Maguire, Henry
Hardback; Book; 139 B&w Illustrations
276 pages
Published: March 1998
Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0884022420

The imperial court in Constantinople has been central to the outsider's vision of Byzantium. However, in spite of its fame in literature and scholarship, there have been few attempts to analyze the Byzantine court in its entirety as a phenomenon. The studies in this volume aim to provide a unified composition by presenting Byzantine courtly life in all its interconnected facets. One important theme that unites these studies is the attention paid to describing the effects of a change in the social makeup of the court during this period and the reflection of these changes in art and architecture. These changes in social composition, mentality, and material culture of the court demonstrate that, as in so many other aspects of Byzantine civilization, the image of permanence and immutThe imperial court in Constantinople has been central to the outsider's vision of Byzantium. This volume aims to provide a unified composition by presenting Byzantine courtly life in all its interconnected facets. It argues that there was constant development and renewal behind its golden facade.