What was happening in Byzantium as the Turks drew ever closer to Constantinople and an interest in classical Greek studies had been rekindled in the West? What was the role of the Byzantine scholars in an Empire facing multiple political and economic problems, and what were the matters that engaged them? What was the importance of teachers, libraries and monasteries to the so-called Palaeologan Renaissance, and what the significance of the theological disputes?

These questions and more are addressed in the twelve essays authored by international experts of this Companion, which advances our understanding of the intellectual milieux, trends, and achievements of the Palaeologan period.

Table des matières :

Introduction Intellectual Life in the Palaeologan Period: Persons, Genres and Trends – Sofia Kotzabassi

The “Legacy” of Aphthonios, Hermogenes and Pseudo-Menander: Aspects of Byzantine Rhetoric under the Palaiologoi – Eleni Kaltsogianni

Intellectual Pursuits for Their Own Sake – Sophia Mergiali-Sahas

Continuity and Evolution in Autobiographical Literature – Sofia Kotzabassi

Writing the History of Decline – Apostolos Karpozilos

Spirituality and Emotion: Poetic Trends in the Palaeologan Period – Ioannis Vassis

Epistolography, Social Exchange and Intellectual Discourse (1261–1453) – Alexander Riehle

The Reappropriation of Philosophy in the Palaeologan Period – Pantelis Golitsis

Κόσµου θεωρία: Cosmic Vision and Its Significance in the Works of Theodore Metochites and Other Contemporary Intellectuals – Ioannis Polemis

Monasticism and Intellectual Trends in Late Byzantium – Demetra Samara and Ilias Taxidis

The Hesychast Controversy: Events, Personalities, Texts and Trends – Ioannis Polemis

Working in the Imperial and Patriarchal Chanceries – Giuseppe De Gregorio

Public and Private Libraries in Byzantium — Ilias Taxidis

Informations pratiques :

A Companion to the Intellectual Life of the Palaeologan Period, Leyde–Boston, Brill, 2022 ; 1 vol., XII–519 p. (Brill’s Companions to the Byzantine World, 12). ISBN : 978-90-04-52706-5. Prix : € 244,00.

Source : Brill