REMgrB23 Byzantine emipre under the Comnenian dynasty (1081-1204): a crossroad between East and West

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2015
Extent and Intensity
2/1. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Marek Meško, M.A., Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Irena Radová, Ph.D.
Department of Classical Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Jitka Erlebachová
Supplier department: Department of Classical Studies – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Thu 9:10–10:45 U37
Prerequisites (in Czech)
REBcZk B. A. State Exam || MEDBcZk B. A. State Exam || KRBcZk B.A. Final Exam || LJBcZk Bachelor's State Exam
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 40 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/40, only registered: 0/40, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/40
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 15 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The aim of this lecture will be to make students familiar with varied and in the same time very important period of the Byzantine history during which the Byzantine Empire was ruled by the Comnenian dynasty. The students will gain knowledge about individual rulers of this dynasty, and also about many problems they were obliged to face; about surrounding political entities and states, friendly, neutral or hostile to the Byzantines. This lecture will also help them to understand the period of the crusades, although not from the point of view of the Western pilgrims and knights, but rather from the point of view of the Byzantines which was different in many aspects. There will be mention concerning religious and cultural differences between east and west, and finally about their role in the conquest of Constantinople by the crusaders of the 4th crusade. Thus, this lecture will provide for them some basic information, so they will be able to understand the background of the relations existing among various Christian churches (Orthodox, Roman-Catholic, etc.) today.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction, geographic location of Byzantine Empire, nature of the written sources referring to the Comnenian era
  • 2. Friends and foes of Byzantium at the end of the 11th century - Mantzikert
  • 3. Alexius I Comnenus and his rule
  • 4. Byzantine contribution to the crusading movement – 1st crusade
  • 5. John II Comnenus and his rule
  • 6. Manuel I Comnenus and his rule – 2nd crusade
  • 7. Friends and foes of Byzantium at the end of the 12th century – 3rd and 4th crusade
  • 8. Papers
Literature
  • CIGAAR, K. N.: Western trawellers to Constantinople. The West and Byzantium 962-1204. Culture and political relations. Leiden - New York – Köln, Brill 1996.
  • DUCELLIER, A.: Constantinople 1054-1261. Tête de la chrétienté, proie des Latins, capitale grecque. Paris, Ed. Autrement 1996.
  • ANGOLD, M.: The Byzantine Empire, 1025-1204: a political history. Londýn - New York 1984.
  • QUELLER, D. E. – MADDEN, T. F.: The fourth crusade. The conquest of Constantinople. Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania Press 1997.
  • MAGDALINO, P.: The Byzantine Background to the First Crusade. Canadian Institute of Balkan Studies. Toronto 1996.
  • HROCHOVÁ, V. – TŮMA, D.: Byzantská společnost (soubor byzantských reálií). Praha, UK 1991.
  • HALDON, J.: Byzantium at War. 600-1453. London 2002.
  • BRAND, C. M.: Byzantium confronts the West 1180-1204. Cambridge-Massachusets, Harvard University Press 1968.
  • KODER, J.: Der Lebensraum der Byzantiner. Graz-Wien-Köln, Verlag Styria 1984.
  • LAIOU, Angeliki E. and Cécile MORRISSON. The Byzantine economy. First published. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007, xii, 270. ISBN 9780521849784. info
  • MAGDALINO, Paul. The empire of Manuel I Komnenos, 1143-1180. 1st pbk. ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University, 2002, xix, 557. ISBN 0521526531. info
  • HALDON, John F. Warfare, state and society in the Byzantine world, 565-1204. 1st pub. London: Routledge, 1999, x, 389. ISBN 185728495X. info
  • HROCHOVÁ, Věra and Miroslav HROCH. Křižáci ve Svaté zemi. 2., upr. vyd. Praha: Mladá fronta, 1996, 289 s. ISBN 8020406212. info
  • AVENARIUS, Alexander, Růžena DOSTÁLOVÁ, Vladimír FIALA, Věra HROCHOVÁ, Milan LOOS, Oldřich TŮMA and Vladimír VAVŘÍNEK. Dějiny Byzance. Edited by Bohumila Zástěrová. Vydání 1. Praha: Academia, 1992, 529 stran. ISBN 8020004548. info
Teaching methods
Lectures, seminars, students' presentations.
Assessment methods
Presentation. Oral exam.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught once in two years.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2012, Autumn 2017.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2015, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2015/REMgrB23