Matrimoni dinastici quali instrumentum regni: il caso limite di Simonida di Bisanzio
Dynastic marriages as instrumentum regni: the extreme case of Simonidas of Byzantium

Summary/Abstract: This article highlights the unscrupulous use of political marriage in medieval Byzantium, seen as an instrumentum regni and as a diplomatic practice aimed at rectifying political and military situations, as well as influencing states in partnership with the Eastern Roman Empire. The extreme case of Simonida of Byzantium, in which the child bride had to extricate herself from physical and psychological violence, the hostility of a foreign court, and the substantial indifference of her family of origin, yet still managed to play a decisive role in her environment, indicates, on the one hand, the sad background to this practice of political mediation, and on the other, how much was left to the personal aptitudes of each individual bride, destined to play a leading role in this intricate network of political and military alliances.

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