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NIKITAS PASSARIS – The scene of the communion of the Apostles on Syrian, Armenian and Coptic manuscripts

The scene of the communion of the Apostles on Syrian, Armenian and Coptic manuscripts.
Nikitas Passaris, Université d’Athènes

The subject of the Communion of the Apostles is based on the evangelic narration of the Last Supper. In this presentation, based on my PhD research, we will present scenes from Syrian, Armenian and Coptic manuscripts and compare them to the Liturgical Typikon, in order to determine to which extent the representation of the scene has been influenced by the differences of the Liturgical Typikon.

The older scenes with this subject date to the second half of the 6th century and come from the aerea of Syria. Two types dominate according to the representation of Christ. In the first one, Christ is represented once, as in the Raboula manuscript, whereas in the second, who is more common, Christ is represented twice behind the altar offering bread and wine to two Apostles. In these representations, contemporary practices of the Liturgy are depicted. The model for these scenes could be found in monumental painting and particularly in the Church of the Last Supper, on Mount Sion in Jerusalem, which we know of from written sources. In addition, the oldest scenes are represented on Coptic frescoes of the 7th and 8th century, in the sanctuary, confirming the hypothesis of a model in monumental art. Representations are rare in monumental art, and these scenes are indeed important for this matter as they are the only pre-iconoclastic representations. The scene is found in the Coptic manuscript Par.Nat.Copt.13, of the 12th cent., in which the Apostles are depicted in different movements. In the Syrian manuscripts Brit.Mus.add.1170 and Vat.Syr.559, beginning of the 13th cent., Christ is represented on a throne, whereas in the manuscript Deir Zafaran (mid 13th cent.), the Apostles are represented on two levels. The Communion of the Apostles has also been represented in four Armenian manuscripts of the 13th and 14th cent., in which one can find differences in the representation of the subject. Do these scenes represent the differences in the Liturgical Typika or are these differences simply due to the evolution of the consecrated type of the 6th century?

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SOFOKLIS KOTSOPOULOS – The post Byzantine temple of Saint-Dimitrios in Monastiri

The post Byzantine temple of Saint-Dimitrios in Monastiri.
Sofoklis Kotsopoulos, Université Aristote de Thessalonique

In this paper, a part of the doctoral research that I elaborate at the department of History of Architecture and Art (Faculty of Architecture, Polytechnic School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki – Greece), is presented. The title of the PhD study is “The Architecture of the city of Monastiri and the whole area of Pelagonia”. Supervisor of the thesis is Prof. Maria Kampouri–Vamvoukou. The paper is presented in English.

The city of Monastiri (which nowadays belongs to FYROM), was based in Northwest Macedonia and during the 19th century was still subdued by the Ottoman Empire. Despite the hard political and national situation of Greece in this century, Greek community, which was characterized by its education, civilization and commerce, made this city the second most important centre of the North Greece, after Thessaloniki.

In 1830-1831, the Greek Christians built the largest church of the city. The permission for the construction was given by the authorities, through difficult procedures. The guilds and the Christians of the city, contributed in church’s construction, with money, stock and work. The role of the members of the Christian community was really important, considering the circumstances of that era.

Church’s dimensions are ~41×36 meters, and is a great sample of a three nave, wood-roofing basilica of the post-byzantine period. The inside roofing is a woody arch and the naves are separated by seven woody columns. The main church is surrounded by a gallery and on the second floor there is a women loft. There was also a Christian curt and hidden room for confession. The main construction by stone and bricks is typical for the period but the decoration from marble, woodcut, ivory, gold leaves reveal the power of the community. The woodcut temple and the icons depict the high level of Christian art during the 19th century in this area.

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BILGE AR – Reconsidering Hagia Eirene through Ottoman Era Documents

Reconsidering Hagia Eirene through Ottoman Era Documents.
Bilge Ar, Université technique d’Istanbul

Hagia Eirene Church represents an important step in the formation of a unique Byzantine architectural style. It is one of the main stages proceeded with another Constantinople church Polyeuktos, reaching to the most explicit outcome; Hagia Sophia, for the efflorescence of the Early Byzantine architectural style. It comes forth in the city history as the most important church of the capital till the construction of Hagia Sophia. The church had been refunctioned and reused throughout the years it had been under Ottoman rule. It had been embraced by the outer walls of the newly built Topkapı Palace and had been transformed into an ammunition store short after 1453. Holy relics originally kept in the church and spoils of the conquering were housed here besides the weapons of the depot. It had then been expanded in 1726 and taking the name Daru’l-esleha (House of Weapons), having the valuable material in it reorganized into an observable collection. After being used as a house for the collection and an armory depot for many years it had been transformed into the first Imperial Museum (Muze-i Humayun) in 1869. The Ottoman history of the building has only been mentioned by important dates and major function changes in earlier sources. This paper aims to tell the story of this monument during Ottoman era handling all the applications for repairing and those realized due to function changes and the later additions. Besides the physical additions and applications the administration of the building, important figures, other establishments functioning together with it and construction activities within the built environment around it are also among the subjects handled. A retrospective evaluation of Ottoman and Byzantine history of the building may also help to answer unanswered questions of the Byzantine monuments through Ottoman era documents including documents from Ottoman archives, images from miniatures, gravures, photographs in the 19th century and travelers notes.

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LUISA ANDRIOLLO – Empire unitaire et contextes régionaux

Empire unitaire et contextes régionaux : Constantinople et les provinces dans les épistoliers du Xe et XIe siècle.
Luisa Andriollo, Université Paris – Sorbonne

Tout en gardant une structure ecclésiastique et d’État centralisée et une vocation universelle, l’empire byzantine fut toujours un empire multiethnique: à l’intérieur de ses frontières, qui s’étendaient au début du XIe siècle de l’Italie méridionale à la Syrie et au Caucase, on rencontre en fait des situations géographiques et culturelles très variées et des particularismes régionaux importants.

Mon projet de recherche, qui se déroule dans le cadre d’une cotutelle entre l’Université Paris IV et l’Université de Pise et sous la direction de J.-C. Cheynet, porte sur les relations entre Constantinople et les provinces et sur le rôle joué dans ce contexte par l’aristocratie, essentiellement micrasiatique : elle représente en fait entre IXe et XIe siècle le groupe social à travers lequel se réalise le lien entre pouvoir central et territoires périphériques.

Dans mon intervention je me propose d’illustrer cette gamme de relations telle qu’elle ressorte de la témoignage des textes épistolaires. En fait, parmi les sources à notre disposition les épistolaires  du Xe et XIe siècle offrent un regard particulièrement intéressant sur les rapports entre les provinces et la capitale. D’un côté ils laissent paraître l’attitude de l’administration centrale et des milieux constantinopolitains à l’égard des territoires périphériques de l’empire, qui se balance entre préjugés, sentiment de supériorité et intérêt pour l’exploitation des ressources provinciales. Au même temps ils témoignent aussi des particularités régionaux, des faits et des problèmes locaux et de la perception du pouvoir central, représenté par l’empereur et ses fonctionnaires, par les gens qui vivaient en province ou qu’y avaient des intérêts.

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RENATE DEKKER – Episcopal activity in Late Antiquity

Episcopal activity in Late Antique Egypt: Theban bishops at work.
Renate Dekker, Université de Leyde

My research examines the social role of bishops in Late Antique Egypt, particularly in the Theban region (near modern Luxor), in a period that decisively shaped the history of the Coptic Orthodox Church and that of Egypt in general (ca. 600-641).

During this period, the doctrinal conflict over Christology at the Council of Chalcedon (451) became a definite schism, for the anti-Chalcedonian movement in Egypt rapidly developed into a separate church hierarchy alongside the official one, which was supported by the Byzantine state. This oppositional church is the forerunner of the present-day Coptic Orthodox Church. The beginning of the seventh century was also marked by political unrest, caused by the Persian invasion, the reconquest of Egypt under the Emperor Heraclius, and the oppressive religious policy by the Byzantine state.

Whereas the Chalcedonian bishops presumably resided in or near the cities, their anti-Chalcedonian counterparts mainly operated from monasteries in the countryside and seem to have formed a stabilizing factor in this dynamic society. Direct information about the anti-Chalcedonian church is provided by the professional archives of the bishops Abraham of Hermonthis and Pesynthios of Koptos, which are unique sources of factual information on episcopal activity, unlike the literary texts that we usually examine. By analyzing the specific nature of the contacts and social involvement of Abraham and Pesynthios on the basis of their archival documents, it will be possible to evaluate their role as social agents and to correct the idealized images of bishops as presented by normative texts.