Power and Subversion in Byzantium

Dimiter Angelov is Professor of Byzantine History at the University of Birmingham, UK and currently also Visiting Professor in Byzantine History at Harvard University, USA; Michael Saxby is a doctoral candidate at the University of Birmingham, UK.

• Contents: Power and subversion in Byzantium: approaches and frameworks, Dimiter Angelov; Part I The Politics of Subversion: Usurpers and rebels in Byzantium: image and message through coins, Vasiliki Penna and Cécile Morrisson; How to usurp the throne in Byzantium: the role of public opinion in sedition and rebellion, Anthony Kaldellis; The imperial council and the tradition of consultative decision-making in Byzantium (11th to 14th centuries), Demetrios Kyritses; Financial crisis and the limits of taxation under Andronikos II Palaiologos (1282-1321), Kostis Smyrlis; The political arts at the late Palaiologan court (1402-1453), Michael Angold. Part II Art and Subversion: ’The world turned upside down’: art and subversion in Byzantium, Liz James; ’It began with a picture’: imperial art, texts and subversion between East and West in the 12th century, Anthony Eastmond. Part III Philosophy: 'No prince of perfection': Byzantine anti-Aristotelianism from the patristic period to Pletho, Börje Bydén; Pletho as subversive and his reception in the Islamic world, Maria Mavroudi. Part VI Literature and Subversion: Generic subversion? The political ideology of urban myth and apocalyptic prophecy, Paul Magdalino; Harmless satire, stinging critique: notes and suggestions for reading the Timarion, Dimitris Krallis; How to criticize the laudandus, Margaret Mullett; Subversion and duplicity in the Histories of John Kantakouzenos, Athanasios Angelou; Afterword - literary subversion in Byzantium: a partial and personal perspective, Margaret Alexiou; Index.

'... this is a worthwhile collection and, what is not always the case, all papers are of very high quality. ... each paper’s argument is presented clearly and concisely. I enjoyed reading the volume and highly recommend it to anybody who is unwilling to accept Byzantine reality at its face value.' Bryn Mawr Classical Review