Разузнавачи, шпиони, предатели. Значение на разузнаването при действията на византийските войски в планинска местност (VI–XI в.)

Author(s): Kirił Marinow / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2016

Spying and reconnaissance missions played an important role in the preparation of military campaigns and in their subsequent conduct. As long as the enemy’s plans, its combat readiness, defensive abilities and movements, in addition to the existing climate, the terrain layout, the road networks and the supply possibilities (the so-called theatre of military operations), remained unknown, the organization of any military operation was left to chance, significantly reducing the possibility of its success – especially when the troops had to march across the areas that were difficult to access and were thus particularly suited to set traps for the enemy. This holds true especially for mountainous areas filled with narrow paths, ravines, high-lying passes, precipices, steep rocks and forest-covered slopes. The article is based on the analysis of polemological works of a number of ancient and Byzantine authors – Onasandros, Frontinus, Polyaenus, Vegetius, Maurkios, Syrianos Magister, Leo VI the Wise, Leo Katakyles, Constantine VII Porphyrogennitos, anonymous works devoted to the so-called parodoromē method and principles underlying the construction of military camps, and the work by Kekaumenos. I attempted to reconstruct the basic principles developed by war art experts and adhered to in the use of reconnaissance units in the operations carried out in mountainous areas by Greek, Roman and Byzantine troops. The necessity of scouting mountainous areas every time the imperial troops were going to march across them, as well as the consequences of failing to follow this fundamental rule, are stressed. The article contains the description of particular reconnaissance units, including the types of scouts and the tasks with which they were entrusted. The rules followed in the attempts to obtain information from the locals and deserters about the enemy’s movements are also discussed. It has been indicated that showing disregard for these rules usually resulted in falling into a trap by the imperial army and, consequently, in its defeat. For this reason information derived from those who deserted the enemy’s ranks had to be carefully verified and confirmed by independent sources. In addition, the commander-in-chief and his staff could not go into war consultation without having information obtained by scouts. It was impossible to work out an effective plan of action without such information.

Петър Ангелов, Чуждите народи в представите на средновековния българин

Author(s): Dmitry I. Polyvyannyy / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2016

Foreign peoples, medieval Bulgarians

Сашка Георгиева, Жената в Българското средновековие

Author(s): Elena Kostova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2016

Woman, Bulgarian Middle Ages

Alberto Alberti, Ivan Aleksandăr (1331–1371). Splendore e tramonto del Secondo Impero Bulgaro

Author(s): Vassil Gjuzelev / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2016

Ivan Aleksandăr, Second Bulgarian Empire

Сведения за богомилството в „Писмото до Панко“ на Атанасий Йерусалимски

Author(s): Veselin Panayotov / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 3/1987

Janusz Tazbir (1927–2016)

Author(s): Henryk Samsonowicz / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2017

Măsuri privind protecția animalelor cuprinse în legislația lui Constantinus I

Author(s): Vasile Mărculeț / Language(s): English,Romanian Issue: 1/2017

A field that was found under Constantine’s reforms was the legislative one. Constantine didn’t stopped at legislate only with the purpose of limiting human abuse. The first Christian emperor also adopted some laws that should impose a humanitarian treatment towards animals. The emperor focused on domestic animals, especially those used in various labors and activities. On May 14th 316, to follow his goal, Constantine I was issuing an edict through which he banned animal abuse by violent beating with clubs or gnarled and resistant bats. Constantine’s edict also targeted the cart drivers that were racing. The emperor imposed them to use only a rod or a whip that could have in the top a small needle with which they could gently hit the animals on their legs. To make sure that the edict was respected and applied the emperor also foreseen a set of punishments. Those who were violating the edict could have been downgraded to an inferior social class as the one they were already part off or even exiled. The military with high ranks could have been degraded or downgraded and the small soldiers could even risk been deported.

Towards an archaeological and ethnographic network analysis of salt supply routes in southeastern Transylvania

Author(s): Valerii Kavruk,Maria-Magdalena Ștefan,Dan Buzea,Dan Ștefan,Zsigmond Lóránd Bordi / Language(s): English,Romanian Issue: 1/2017

Extracting clues from the diachronic mapping of fortified sites and tumuli groups, against the background of historical and ethnographic references to old roads and accessible salt resources, we investigated if the mineralogical contrast existent between a rich in salt area from south-east Transylvania and its poor in salt neighbours, had as consequence the emergence of power centres which could have organized and controlled a system of salt transportation and supply.

O mărturie sigilografică privind prezenţa cruciaţilor la Dunărea de Jos / Sigillographic Evidence of the Crusaders’ Presence at the Lower Danube

Author(s): Costel Chiriac,George A. Bilavschi / Language(s): English,Romanian Issue: 1/2017

The authors present a seal-like piece, made of an alloy of lead and tin, which, on one face, has the image of a mounted mediaeval knight.The legend, in Latin, reads: SЄCRЄTU(m) • PһILIPPI • FILII • COmIТIS FLANDṚỊ(a)Є̣In translation: “The seal of Philip, son of the Count of Flanders.”In the opinion of the authors, this piece may be dated to the 12th-13th centuries and it belonged to a personage of Flemish origin, with the name of Philip. There are three possibilities of identification for the personage under discussion. He may have been:Philip of Alsace, Count of Flanders (1143-1191);Philip le Noble, Marquis of Namur (1175-1212);Philip of Courtenay (1243-1283), son of Baldwin II, the Latin emperor of Constantinople (1240-1261).The article discusses the political-military situations in which each of the three personages could be present in the Balkan-Danubian area; there is practically no possibility of a precise option for one or another of the three. The seal-like emblem was discovered in Dobruja (village of Saraiu, county of Constanţa), near the Danube.

Няколко аспекта на паричното обращение в Африка през Средновековието

Author(s): Krasimir Krustev / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 13/2013

The Arab conquest of Northern and Eastern Africa brings large changes. The 8th century can be considered as a borderline between Antiquity and the Middle Ages. The Islamic conquest changes the coin circulation in those parts of Africa which fall in the area of Islamic influence. We suggest that the African continent can be divided into three major areas. They are sharply differing not only in terms of monetary circulation but in a whole range of other factors: political, religious, historical and cultural. The nations in the three areas have different development in the Middle Ages. The first area includes of the north (i.e. Mediterranean) coast of the continent. The second area incorporates the east coast of Africa. This is an area of strong Arab-Muslim influence (especially since 10th century). The Comoros must be assigned to this area as well. The third area includes the rest of the continent. In it (with some exceptions) coins appeared only in the colonial era and were brought out by Europeans.

Megyei emberek a középkori Erdélyben

Author(s): András W. Kovács / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 1/2018

This article aims to clarify what were the attributes of the county representative in medieval Transylvania. Documents issued by county courts in medieval Transylvania sporadically mention a representative (nostrum hominem) who, in the course of legal procedures, was sent out by the county in order to carry out certain investigations on their behalf. This representative would witness and certify the performance of certain actions, such as settlements between litigants, requests for compensation, taking oaths, or appointments of legal representatives. He could also summon defendants to court on behalf of plaintiffs. He accompanied the noble magistrate (iudex nobilium) when commissioned by the county court to carry out inquiries or hearings of witnesses ordered by voivodes or vice-voivodes. On such occasions, the representative of the county appears in a role very similar to that of the trustworthy man sent by the places of authentication (loca credibilia). This representative of the county was not a permanent member of county authorities (permanent members were only the comes/ispán and the two iudices nobilium). According to the regulations adopted by the congregation of Transylvanian estates at Turda, in 1540, the representative of the county was chosen by the plaintiff (and not by the iudex nobilium) to investigate minor cases. He was to carry out a commission when the noble magistrate was either too busy to do it personally or the distance between the noble magistrate’s home and the place of inquiry was too great.

Gyalui Dénes argyasi püspök, erdélyi segédpüspök és éneklőkanonok pályafutása

Author(s): Mihai Kovács / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 1/2018

The main purpose of the paper is to present the biography of Dionysius Gyalui (+ 1526), parish priest of Gyalu (Gilău, Julmarkt) and Szászfenes (Florești, Fenesch), who became in a few decades precentor of the cathedral chapter and suffragan of the Transylvanian bishop. His biography sheds light on the steps which one had to take in order to become a canon in the Transylvanian chapter. Although Gyalui obtained his canonry from the palatine of Hungary, who held the right of patronage as tutor of his minor son, the bishop of Transylvania, it seems that the idea of making him a canon was formulated inside the chapter. Gyalui was one of the most important members of the cathedral chapter, despite being a man of humble origin, this fact proves that the origin of a canon didn’t infl uence his relationship with his fellows. His career contradicts the spreaded stereotypes about clergy in the 16th century, in his last years Gyalui gave up his incomes and possessions to become a Pauline friar.

Háború és erőszak mint szociális kód a késő középkori cseh nemesség köreiben

Author(s): Éva Császári / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 1/2018

Beran, Zdeněk: Válka a násilí jako sociální kód české pozdně středověkě šlechty. = Český časopis historický. 115. r. 2017. 2. no. 319-345. p.

Рыцарское надгробие из Королёвского замка Нялаб

Author(s): Igor Prohnenko,Maria Zhilenko / Language(s): Russian Issue: 1/2018

A fragment of a knight’s tombstone, a massive piece of marbled limestone bas-relief, has been discovered at the floor level under the walls’ debris during a study of room 3 of the castle of Nyaláb in Korolevo. Similar monuments appeared in Europe on the turn of the 13th - 14th centuries, while in the Carpathian region they were known since the last third of the 15th century.Tombstones depicting a full-height knight on his deathbed were wide-spread in Hungarian Kingdom during the last years of reign of King Matthias Corvinus and were associated with the workshop of the royal court sculptor from Italy Giovanni Dalmata. They are divided into three chronological groups.The first group dates from the 1480s and differs in that the deceased is depicted in Gothic plate armor with a lion at his feet and the coat of arms that angels usually hold. The most characteristic of the group are the tombstones of the following noblemen of King Matthias: Szapolyai Imre, Perényi István, and Pálóczi Imre.The second group has a more realistic depiction of details: the naturalistic image of the deceased on his deathbed, the lion lies in a natural position, and the shield rests on the sword. This group chronologically varies from the last decade of the 15th century to the first years of the 16th century and is represented by the bas-reliefs of Báthory István, Kinizsi Pál, and Beriszló Bertalan. The recently discovered tombstone of Perényi János from Korolevo belongs to this group in terms of style and quality of work.The third group is stylistically diverse. Although it is based on the traditions of previous groups, the quality of work here is worse. It dates from the first third of the 16th century.

Житието на 15-те тивериуполски мъченици като извор за историята на езическа България

Author(s): Lyuba Ilieva / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2017

The Martyrdom of the Fifteen Martyrs of Tiberioupolis is a significant literary monument of the cultural symbiosis accomplished in Bulgaria under Byzantine rule (11th–12th centuries). In this paper the hagiographical text is interpreted as primary source, containing unique historical information on the early-medieval Bulgarian history, particularly about the pagan Bulgarian religion and the turbulent period of the Bulgarian Christianization. We accept the information mentioned above as indirect evidence that The Martyrdom has transformed and preserved some authentic but lost Bulgarian historical sources.

Propaganda și popularizarea. Povestirile tipărite despre Vlad Țepeș în contextul anului 1488

Author(s): Daniel Ursprung / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 1/2018

In the fall of 1488, there appeared in Nürnberg the first printed work about Dracula, the literary character modeled on Vlad Țepeș, the ruler of Wallachia. It was shortly followed by other editions on the same topic. Why did a second wave of popularization of the stories about Dracula started just at the end of the ʼ80s of the 15th century and why exactly at Nürnberg? The propaganda battle between Emperor Frederick III and Matthias Corvinus was the premise for the onset of the stories about Vlad Țepeș in 1488. The stories originated from around the Hungarian court, whereas the denigration belonged to the supporters of the Emperor. The social, political, economic and cultural milieu of Nürnberg was an appropriate place where these stories could have had success in print. The specific context in which they appeared is linked to the Imperial Diet from 1487 and the canceled battle from 1488 against Matthias Corvinus, who was depicted as an ally of the Turks by the imperial side. The present study also discusses the social, cultural, commercial and political context which created favorable premises for the publication of the first preserved printing on Dracula.

Despre un proiect de cruciadă din anul 1500

Author(s): Ştefan Andreescu / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 1/2018

The Venetian-Turkish war from 1499–1502 prompted, among other things, the drafting of a project for a crusade by Bishop Stefano Taleazzi, the confessor of Pope Alexander VI Borgia. The text of the project mentions that the road through Moldavia and Moncastro was closed and thus the future crusade terrestrial army would have to use an alternate longer route through Serbia and Bulgaria. This was due, on one hand, to the news that reached Rome about the conquest of Moncastro by the Ottomans in 1484 and, on the other hand, to the news about the 1498 Turkish-Tatar expedition into Poland, with the support of Stephen the Great who wanted to avenge the Polish attempt to topple him the previous year. Stefano Talleazi’s project introduces us into the core of the discussions carried at Rome on the topic of the Christian effort against Ottoman expansion.

M. Smoliński, Świętopełk gdański, Wydawnictwo Poznańskie, Poznań 2016, ss. 368

Author(s): Łukasz Szempliński / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2019

Drowning in the Beauty of the Lord: A Glimpse at the Medieval Śrīvaiṣṇava Commentators’ Interpretation of the pādādi-keśa-varṇana of Tiruppāṇ Āḻvār’s Amalaṉātipirān

Author(s): Suganya Anandakichenin / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2019

This article explores how three medieval Śrīvaiṣṇava commentators— Periyavāccāṉ Piḷḷai (13th c.), Aḻakiya Maṇavāḷa Perumāḷ Nāyaṉār (14th c.) and Vedānta Deśikaṉ (14th c.)—deal with the passages that describe the different body parts of Raṅganātha, the main Deity in Śrīraṅgam, in Tiruppāṇ Āḻvār’s (9th c.) set of ten verses. Known as Amalaṉātipirāṉ (AAP),1 this decade, now part of the Nālāyira Tivviyap Pirapantam (or Nālāyira Divya Prabandham), follows the eyes of the poet, as they gradually move from the Deity’s foot to His head. The commentators make the most of these descriptions in order to emphasize the importance of beauty, which is visible, hence accessible, to everyone in His arcā (‘sacred icon’2) form and which is inextricably linked to His other attributes like sovereignty.

ISTORIA MEDIEVALĂ A BANATULUI REFLECTATĂ ÎN MONOGRAFIA ÎNCHINATĂ TIMIȘOAREI DE CĂTRE EMANUIL UNGURIANU

Author(s): Tiberiu Ciobanu / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 01-03/2019

Emanoil Ungurianu was born on 21 December 1845 at Satchinez, Timiş county. After finishing secondary school in Timişoara (1868) he gratuated from the Law School in Budapest (1872). From 1874 he worked as a lawyer in Timişoara. Between 1885 and1896 he was the bank manager of ‘Timişana’ Bank of Timişoara. Between 1885 and 1897 he conducted Alumneul Românesc. He sustained many Romanian cultural enterprises of the time (eg.: a founding member of Muzeul de Istorie şi Etnografie of Sibiu; a founding member of ASTRA; a founding member of ’Societatea literară Petru Maior’; a founding member of ’Asociaţia pentru cultura poporului român’ of Arad; a founding member of ’Reuniunea învăţătorilor români din Banat’, belonging to the Diocese of Arad; a founding member of ’Reuniunea femeilor române’ of Sibiu; a founding member of ’Reuniunea femeilor române’ of Timişoara; a founding member of ’Reuniunea femeilor române’ of Arad; a founding member of ’Societea pentru sprijinirea teatrului român din Ungaria şi Ardeal’; member of Casina Militară Timişoara; member of ’Societea Istoriceă şi Arheologică Timişoara’; member of ’România Jună’, the literary society of Vienna; member of ’Societatea ziariştilor români din Ardeal şi Banat’; member of ’Societea de gimnastică’ of Timişoara etc.). He was the director of Despărţământul Timişoara al Astrei, one of the founders of the museum of this institution in Sibiu as well as of ‘Dreptatea’, a newspaper printed in Timişoara. He made efforts for the foundation of the Trade Academy of Timişoara. After the Great Union he founded approximately 100 branches of the National Education House. In order to sustain the cultural institution financially, he set up the ‘Emanuil Ungurianu’ foundation which had a found of nearly 500.000 golden crowns which represented the whole inheritance bequeathed to the Diocese of Arad for this purpose. As a member of the 104 Altarul Banatului Romanian National Party, Ungurianu was an active militant for the national emancipation of the Romanians living in the Austro-Hungarian Empire as well as for the realization of the Great Union. On 1 June 1931, the monument dedicated to Emanuil Ungurianu (the first Romanian monumenterected in Timişoara) was finished and was inaugurated on 28 June the same year. The monument can be admired in front of the school which bears its name in the vicinity of Huniade Castle (the Museum of the Banat). He died on 25 March 1929.