The Byzantine Emperor Addressing his Addressee. Variants of Closeness and Distance in Diplomatic Communication: A Letter to the Abbot of Monte Cassino
The Byzantine Emperor Addressing his Addressee. Variants of Closeness and Distance in Diplomatic Communication: A Letter to the Abbot of Monte Cassino

Summary/Abstract: The imperial chancellery of Constantinople had different possibilities of self-designations of the emperor (as addresser) and designations of the addressee: generally, imperial documents accentuated the distance to the addressee and preferred an abstract noun with a third person singular verb. However, drafters could vary – even in the same document – between more emotional forms from the first person plural to the very familiar first person singular depending on the degree of distance and closeness (this aspect may be additionally emphasized by the range of respective forms for the addressee, i.e. abstract noun, second person plural, as well as singular). Nevertheless a first person singular in an imperial letter is extraordinary and needs explanation. This very diplomatic use of such forms is analysed on the basis of four letters of emperor Alexius I Comnenus to the abbots of Monte Cassino, once even switching to the first person singular.

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