Ein gefütterter Imitativsolidus des Iustinianus II. (687–692) von Andrid (Érendréd), Rumänien

Author(s): Péter Somogyi,Attila Hago / Language(s): German Issue: 2/2013

Andrid (Érendréd) is located in the Southwestern part of Satu-Mare county, to 23 km southwest to city of Carei (Nagykároly) along the road 108, in the Valley of Ier (Ér). This area is very rich in archaeological settlements. The village was first mentioned in 1398, as a territory of Endrédy family. From Andrid’s territory we know different archaeological finds from the Middle Neolitihic to the Late Medieval Period. The solidus imitation was find in the summer of 2009 by Cs. Tóth, on the left part of the road Andrid-Chereuşa, at Andrid-Legelő. He grands the finds to the Carei Local Museum. The goldplated solidus imitation can be dated on the Avaric period, at the 7th century A.D.

The Great Western Campaign of the Eastern Turks (711-714)

Author(s): Mihály Dobrovits / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2005

The western campaign of the Eastern Turks in 711-714 was the greatest military action of the Second (Eastern) Turkic Empire. In many respects it marked the climax of its power. For a few years it seemed as if the most glorious days of the First Turkic Empire had returned. The events of this campaign are recounted in detail in the Orkhon inscriptions, the Tonyuquq inscription and also in the Chinese and Arabic sources. The action, however, turned out to be a disastrous defeat in the end. This article investigates the causes of the failure which nearly brought the end of the Eastern Turkic Empire.

Notes on the Western Turks in the Work of Theophanes Confessor

Author(s): László Balogh / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2005

Theophanes Confessor, Byzantine author of the early 9th century, when referring to the Khazars in his work entitled Chronographia, used the term “Eastern Turks”. It is widely accepted that Byzantine authors used such terms in pairs, so the pendant of “Eastern Turks” was “Western Turks”, the latter being used to denote the early Hungarians. This conclusion is based on the fact that Byzantine chroniclers called the Hungarians Turks at the end of the 9th century. Theophanes mentioned the Khazars as Eastern Turks, as if he had information on a people also called Turks living west of the Khazars. However, not all historians shared this view, and some of them supposed that Theophanes applied the term Eastern Turks in a geographical sense, since the Khazars had lived east of the Byzantine Empire. The solution to this problem has far-reaching consequences. If Theophanes referred to the Hungarians, that would mark their first appearance in written sources at the beginning of the 9th century. But the pendant of the “Eastern Turks” in the chronicle of Theophanes Confessor, is not the “Western Turks”, but the “Western Huns”.

Castration as a Consequence of the Strengthening of the Dynastic Principle

Author(s): Bojana Krsmanović / Language(s): English Issue: 54/2017

The paper discusses examples of corporal mutilation that accompanied intra-dynastic conflicts or clashes with real or potential pretenders to the imperial throne. Castration was a known but rarely applied measure in the political conflicts of the 7th and 8th century. Hence the two consecutive cases of castration of all sons of the deposed emperor Michael I Rhangabe (813) and the assassinated emperor Leo V the Armenian (820) deviated from the previous Byzantine practice. The paper establishes that in these cases the choice of castration as the most effective means of ensuring the future political disqualification of the princes and their families was a result of the strengthening dynastic principle, which was particularly noticeable in the cases of the descendents of Constantine V from his third marriage. It also highlights that castration was never used on the deposed emperor autokrator, but only on the bearers of imperial dignities (co-emperors) or simply princes with no imperial title. In exam ples where castration was used to ensure political disqualification, it was not a sanction for an individual wrongdoing (in other words, castration was not a penalty prescribed for a specific transgression); if these cases were a matter of punishment at all, the penalty was meant to sanction the entire bloodline (γένος) rather than the (innocent) individual. Castration was a milder form of punishment compared to other forms of physical mutilation (severing of the nose, tongue or ears; blinding). Due to the ambivalent attitude of the Byzantine society towards eunuchs, castration did not necessarily lead to social margin alization. Hence, it was applied more frequently during the reign of the Macedonian dynasty, but prominent castrates were incorporated into the official hierarchy as members of an order of eunuchs (τάξεις τῶν εὐνούχων).

The Settlement of the Mardaites and their Military-Administrative Position in the Themata of the West: a Chronology

Author(s): Miloš Cvetković / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 54/2017

The paper discusses questions about the chronology of the settlement of Mardaite soldiers in the Balkans and their military-administrative position in the themata of the West: Peloponnesus, Cephalonia and Nicopolis. It presents arguments in favor of the hypothesis of the Mardaite settlement in Peloponnesus as the result of the colonization policy of Nicephorus I in the early 9th century. This view largely rests on information contained in the Chronicle of Monemvasia, a source hereto unused in discussions about the Mardaites. The Mardaites were moved in the territory of the themata of Nicopolis and Cephalonia at the close of the same century in a bid to reinforce Byzantine positions on the eastern coast of the Ionian Sea at the time of the Arab threat to this region. Finally, in the concluding passages the author touches on the military-administrative status of Mardaites in the themata of the West, who operated in units headed by tourmarchai, comparing them to other ethnic tourmai in the Byzantine Empire.

Bizantyńczycy w służbie władców bułgarskich w pierwszej połowie IX wieku

Author(s): Mirosław J. Leszka / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2017

Bizantyńczyków, którzy żyli w Bułgarii w pierwszej połowie wieku IX, można z grubsza podzielić na tych, którzy przybyli do niej w ramach masowych przymusowych przesiedleń oraz tych, którzy znaleźli się w niej w konsekwencji własnych, indywidualnych decyzji. W pierwszej grupie można wydzielić jeńców wojennych, którzy znaleźli się w rękach bułgarskich w wyniku działań zbrojnych oraz ludność deportowaną do Bułgarii z terenów zdobytych na Bizantyńczykach. Tego typu sytuacje notujemy w czasie wojen prowadzonych przez chana Kruma z Niceforem I, a następnie z jego następcami: Michałem I i Leonem V. Wiadomo, że spora liczba Bizantyńczyków znalazła się w rękach bułgarskich m.in. po zdobyciu Sardyki w 809 r., pogromie armii Nicefora I w lipcu 811 r. czy w konsekwencji zdobycia bizantyńskich twierdz: Deweltu, Mesembrii czy Adrianopola w latach 812–813. Część z nich dość szybko, w wyniku wymiany jeńców między cesarstwem a Bułgarią, wracała do Bizancjum. Byli jednak i tacy, którzy nie zostali wykupieni z niewoli, i tacy, którym nie udało się z niej uciec i stawali się już na stałe poddanymi chanów bułgarskich.

The First Coronation Churches of Medieval Serbia

Author(s): Jovanka Kalić / Language(s): English Issue: 48/2017

The medieval ceremony of coronation as a rule took place in the most important church of a realm. The sites of the coronation of Serbian rulers before the establishment of the Žiča monastery church as the coronation church of Serbian kings in the first half of the thirteenth century have not been reliably identified so far. Based on the surviving medieval sources and the archaeological record, this paper provides background information about the titles of Serbian rulers prior to the creation of the Nemanjić state, and proposes that Stefan, son of the founder of the Nemanjić dynasty, was crowned king (1217) in the church of St Peter in Ras.

Въстанието на Асеневци и възстановяването на средновековната българска държава

Author(s): Dimitâr Angelov / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/1985

Notes on the redacted fragments of Lidai fabao ji, an early Chan Buddhist chronicle

Author(s): Sun Jianqiang / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2018

Thirteen ancient Chinese manuscripts have been seen as texts of a long lost 8th-century early Chan Buddhist chronicle, the Lidai fabao ji. A number of textual indications, however, suggest that they cannot be taken as the Tang sources, because their texts have been redacted between 907 and the early 11th century. The original Tang source, Lidai fabao ji, remains mysterious to date.

К ВОПРОСУ О РУКОПИСНОЙ ТРАДИЦИИ МАКРОБИЕВА КОММЕНТАРИЯ НА ‘СОН СЦИПИОНА’

Author(s): Maja Petrova / Language(s): Russian Issue: 1/2017

The paper treats the manuscript tradition of Macrobius’ Commentary on the ‘Dream of Scipio’; the characteristic features of MS Parisinus Latinus 6370, which have laid the basis for modern critical editions of the text, are under consideration.

ЯСОН В ТРАГЕДИИ СЕНЕКИ «МЕДЕЯ»: ПЛОХОЙ ИЛИ ХОРОШИЙ МУЖ, ОТЕЦ И НАСТАВНИК?

Author(s): Victoria Pichugina / Language(s): Russian Issue: 1/2018

Seneca’s tragedy is considered from the point of view of the intertextual relations with other Greek and Roman literary works, connected with the Corinthian history about Jason and Medea. Seneca represents a special view of the hierarchy of male virtues: Jason is a husband, a father and a mentor. The rage of Medea is ‘legalized,’ the reaction of Jason is depicted in the Stoic terms. The main characters of the tragedy are represented by the Roman writer in a pedagogical rather than a heroic posture: the adults seek to educate each other in the process of their conflict over custody of their children.

ГЕСИХИЙ МИЛЕТСКИЙ И ЕГО БИОГРАФИЯ АРИСТОТЕЛЯ

Author(s): Mikhail V. Egorochkin / Language(s): Russian Issue: 2/2017

The paper consists of two parts. The first introductory part considers all the available testimonies about life and works of Hesychios of Miletos, the Byzantine historian and encyclopaedist of the 6th cent. A.D. The Introduction also contains a brief overview of the research literature on the issue. Some new assumptions are made about the dating and the purpose of the Roman and General History attributed to Hesychios. In particular, I suggest that the History was written in the early years of the reign of Justinian I and, perhaps, was intended for the upbringing and education of Hesychios’ son John. The second part of the paper contains a translation of the biography of Aristotle, which was attributed to Hesychios by V. Rose and which is believed to be a part of his Onomatologos or Table of Eminent Writers. The main value of this Biography is an extensive list of Aristotle’s writings. The translation is annotated and accompanied by an index of correspondences between the list of Hesychios and the two other extant lists of Aristotle’s works, belonging to Diogenes Laertius and Ptolemy-al-Garib.

Dendrochronological and radiocarbon analysis of the beam foundation of the medieval stone wall of Székesfehérvár

Author(s): Emil Horváth,Frigyes Szücsi,Zoltán Kern,András Morgós / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2018

In this paper the authors publish the results of the dendrochronological and radiocarbon investigation of the beam foundation excavated in the backyard of 20 Jókai Street under the medieval western town wall of Székesfehérvár. Based on the 11th century dating results – hypothesizing the primary usage of the beams – they delineate the historical significance of the early stone town wall in medieval Europe and the Hungarian Kingdom.

Морското бойно майсторство на славяни и прабългари (края на VI – началото на IX век)

Author(s): Atanas Orachev / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 2/1982

О местонахождении средневекового города Девол и пределах одноименной области (I часть)

Author(s): Petar Koledarov / Language(s): Russian Issue: 1/1982

Булгари и пугури

Author(s): Boris Simeonov / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 3/1981

Anadolu Medeniyetleri Müzesi’nde Salâhaddîn Eyyûbî’ye Ait Nadir Bir Bakır Sikke

Author(s): Ramazan Uykur / Language(s): Turkish Issue: 37/2018

In this article, a copper coin registered in the inventory of the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations and got minted by Salah Ad-Din Ayyub (Salahaddin) in Nusaybin in the year of 578 (1183) was examined. On the front side of the coin, there is a bust dressed in the Byzantine clothes and wearing a Sassanian style king’s crown with three tips. The bust has a round face, slanted almond eyes and Seljukian facial features. An inscription on the back side of the coin draws attention. In this inscription, Salah Ad-Din used an assertive title which is “Yusuf Ibn Ayyub Muhyi devlete Amir al Mu-minin”. This expression which means “the one who maintains the State of Islam” was given personally to Salah Ad-Din by the Abbasid caliph Al-Mustad in the year of 566 (1170) when he dethroned the Fatimid caliph al-Azad. As a result of the research, it was concluded that the use of the Sassanian and Byzantine kings’ style coins did not begin with Salah Ad-Din Ayyub and that Arabs and Artuqid Turkomens used particularly Roman and Byzantine style coins for many years. When all findings are set forth, it was concluded that this coin is a rare example and the value of the coin rose even more.

László király szentté avatásának évfordulója

Author(s): Terézia Kerny / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 02/1993

„Nagyszabású” Szent László-évforduló utoljára 1977-ben volt, a király trónra lépésének 900. esztendejében, bár akkor még nem volt ildomos az uralkodó szentségét túlságosan hangsúlyozni. E jubileumra emlékkönyv jelent meg és kamarakiállítás volt az esztergomi Keresztény Múzeumban, Lékai László bíboros, prímás, esztergomi érsek fővédnökségével. Mivel a tárlathoz sajnos nem készült katalógus (vagy nem készülhetett), emlékét ma már mindössze egy meghívó és néhány recenzió őrzi. Valószínűleg az évforduló kapcsán merült föl a medievista irodalomtörténész Mezey Lászlóban a Hungária Sacra címet viselő kiadványsorozat ötlete, interdiszciplinális jellegű tanulmányokkal. Első, általa szerkesztett, Szent Lászlót méltató kötete azonban csak évekkel később, 1980-ban hagyhatta el a Szent István Társulat kiadóját. A többi, ki tudja miért, hamvába holt. Szent László kultuszáról, tiszteletéről a legtöbb adatot az emlékévben a neves néprajzkutató, Bálint Sándor tette közzé. Tanulmányai, rövid közleményei az akkor még nívós Vigiliában és a kevesek által figyelemre méltatott Új Emberben jelentek meg. Készült egy nagyobb összefoglalása is, amely Ünnepi kalendárium... című adattárának első kötetében látott napvilágot.

Ein solidus von Konstantin VII. und Romanos II. aus Marosújvár/Ocna Mureş (RO)

Author(s): Péter Prohászka / Language(s): German Issue: 2/2018

The paper deals with a solidus of Constantine VII and Romanos II which was found in 1861 in Marosújvár (today Ocna Mureş, Romania). A drawing and a description of the finding circumstances was sent to Carl Torma, historian of antiquity by the engineer Franz Pošepny. From Transylvania only half a dozen Byzantine coins of the 9th–10th centuries are known. The majority of the Byzantine coins known from the Carpathian Basin belong to the reign of Constantine VII and Roman II, and were given to the Hungarians as a gift or subsidium. The author in his study gives an evaluation of it.

Early byzantine peacock brooches in the Southern Caucasus in the early medieval period

Author(s): Anna V. Mastykova / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2018

This paper discusses Early Byzantine clasps in the form of peacock, which occurred in modern Abkhazia and Kartli. These brooches date from the sixth and seventh centuries and meet with parallels among synchronous mediaeval antiquities. Peacock brooches discovered in the Southern Caucasus were imported directly from Byzantium. These finds indicate connections of the population of the Southern Caucasus and the Byzantine Empire.