The Career and Writings of Demetrius Kydones: A Study of Fourteenth-Century Byzantine Politics, Religion and Society

Description

The second half of the fourteenth century was a period of rapid change in the Eastern Mediterranean, principally due to the expansion into Europe of the Ottoman Turks. Demetrius Kydones was one of the key Byzantine political and intellectual figures of the time, and his writings are regarded as one of the most important sources for study of the period. Kydones’ career spanned at least four decades, from the 1340s to the 1380s. A Latin scholar, influenced in particular by the writings of Thomas Aquinas (some of which he translated into Greek), Kydones was a leading advocate of improvement of relations between Byzantium and the Latin West as crucial to Byzantine survival. This book examines Kydones’ career and writings, investigating how they can contribute to developing a nuanced understanding of Byzantine political and cultural developments in these years of crisis. Copyright Contents Acknowledgements Abbreviations Introduction section one intellectual context Introduction Chapter One. Demetrius' Intellectual Background 1.1. The Primary Context: The Byzantine Background 1.2. The Secondary Context: Western Texts 1.2.1. Demetrius' Latin Studies 1.2.2. The Evidence The Writers/Texts Aquinas Augustinian Texts Boethius Further texts 1.2.3. The Western Material: Observations section two ideas and preoccupations Introduction The Sources: Demetrius' Writings to c. 1371 Chapter Two. The Political Sphere 2.1. Demetrius' Understanding of Imperial Office and His Relationship with His Imperial Patrons 2.2. Foreign Policy (Excluding Relations with the Latin West) 2.2.1. The Turkish Threat 2.2.2. Bulgarians and Serbs 2.2.3. Hungarians and Mongols 2.3. Foreign Policy: The Latins Chapter Three. The Religious Sphere 3.1. Key Principles and Ideas 3.1.1. Faith and Revelation 3.1.2. The Sources of Revelation: Interplay of Scripture, 'Fathers' and 'Councils' 3.1.3. Methodology: Infallibility and Fallibility; Determining Authoritative Sources 3.1.4. Methodology: Defending the Latins 3.1.5. Methodology:The Status of Human Reason 3.1.6. 'Fathers' and 'Councils': Practical Issues 3.2. Specific Issues 3.2.1. The Church, East and West 3.2.2. The Filioque 3.2.3. Palamas section three historical context and implications Introduction Chapter Four. The Extent of 'Publicity' 4.1. Channels for Circulation 4.1.1. The Manuscript Evidence 4.1.2. Further Evidence of Circulation 4.2. Political Themes 4.2.1. Demetrius and His Imperial Patrons 4.2.2. Foreign Policy The Turkish Threat International Relations (Excluding the Latins) International Relations: The Latins 4.3. Religious Themes 4.3.1. General Attitudes to the West, Including the Papacy 4.3.2. Specific Doctrinal Issues The Filioque Palamism, Philotheos and the Hesychasts 4.4. Normative Relations Conclusions Chapter Five. Contextualising Demetrius' Pro-western Approach Introduction 5.1. The General Background: Byzantine-papal/Byzantine-Latin Relations 5.2. Demetrius' Role in Developments 5.3. The Credibility of the Pro-western Propaganda Chapter Six. Orthodox Developments Introduction 6.1. Divisions within Orthodoxy 6.1.1. The Hesychast Background 6.1.2. The Repercussions of the Civil War 6.1.3. Philotheos and Demetrius in the Late 1360s 6.2. Indications of Strength? 6.2.1. 'Orthodox Universalism' and Relations with Other Orthodox Sees Serbia/Peç Bulgaria/Trnovo Russia/Kiev 6.2.2. 'International Hesychasm' Conclusions Conclusion Select Bibliography General Index Manuscripts mentioned Index of Letters of Demetrius Kydones cited Original works of named authors/translations cited in the text