BETWEEN SHAVING AND MAKING PEACE WITH JOHN II COMNENUS When Did the Venetians Give up Wearing Long Beards?

Author(s): Şerban Marin / Language(s): English Issue: 60/1/2023

This paper discusses how the Venetian chronicles written in the 14th–18th centuries represent the episode in which the ban on wearing beards in Venice under Doge Domenico Michiel is connected to the hostilities with the Byzantine Empire in the context of the expedition against Cephalonia in 1126. It is about a strange connection at the first glance; however, some Venetian chroniclers that inserted this event were tempted to consider this decision as an act of contempt against the Greeks that even made Emperor John II Comnenus decide to end the hostilities and demand peace. The paper also brings fragments that introduce this event in Venetian chronicles.

ПРОЛОЖНИТЕ ЖИТИЯ ЗА СВ. НИКОЛА ЧУДОТВОРЕЦ В ЮЖНОСЛАВЯНСКАТА КНИЖНИНА ПРЕЗ СРЕДНОВЕКОВИЕТО

Author(s): Radoslava Stankova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 60/1/2023

The article deals with the prologue (synaxarion) Vitae of St. Nicholas in Slavonic Cyrillic literature from the 13th to the 17th century. These texts function within the hymnographic composition practice and can be found in two types of liturgical books – the Prologue and the Menaion. They are usually extracts from extensive narratives, which is why this paper also looks at texts from two other types of medieval books (the Panegyric and the Reading Menaion) that contain The Acts of St. Nicholas, The Miracles of St. Nicholas and the so-called „Another” Vita – St. Nicholas of Sion Vita. These texts also functioned as synaxarion vitae. The Vita of St. Nicholas in the Simple Prologue is the shortest and earliest version of a hagiographic narrative about the saint translated in Bulgaria during the First Bulgarian Empire, and it is very rarely found in the hymnographic composition of the Menaion. St. Nicholas’ Vita in the Turnovo translation of the Verse Prologue is the most popular and common after the sixth song of the canon in the hymnographic composition practice. That Vita is a more extensive version of the Acts of St. Nicholas, based on the Metaphrastian Vita, preceded by a verse and an added miracle of St. Nicholas. The article mentions two interesting cases in Serbian menaia of the 15th century, which present different traditions to place the synaxarion texts.

Résume

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): Russian Issue: 2/1976

Summaries of Judaica Bohemiae 1976/2.

Lexemple, sous lAncien Régime, dune juridiction française de droit privé non dépourvue de prérogatives administratives

Author(s): Arnaud Jaulin / Language(s): French Issue: 1/2023

The Présidiaux were created in 1552 in order to speed up trials and diminish the influence of the high judicial courts (Parlements). They were at the core of a complex judicial organization and helped to enforce the Justice of the King. Although the Presidial of La Rochelle appears to be relatively unknown (and even forgotten) nowadays, it was of paramount importance in the judicial and political background of La Rochelle under the Monarchy. It embodied the power of the King. After the 1627 siege, its members were forced to declare themselves Catholics. Not only did the Presidial exercise Justice, it was also a source of Law, especially thanks to its administrative and police powers. For the King, it was a tool of social regulation, dedicated to fighting the Protestants and supervising citizens’ activities. But the Presidial of La Rochelle was also a political and social body, longing for autonomy – it was structured as a provincial parliamentary oligarchy. It was socially powerful and, as such, took precedence over the other jurisdictions and easily competed with rival bodies. Although it had been undermined by the judicial reforms, its Officers attempted to work themselves up the social ladder towards nobility, as is shown by the Presidial’s external signs of wealth and grandeur. In the 18th century, the Presidial of La Rochelle was still a middle jurisdiction, torn between its capacities and its ideals – a jurisdiction whose dilemma was to be neither lower, nor yet supreme.

Historical Approach to the Opera’s Libretto-Theme in Italy from the End of the 16th Century to the First Italian Reform

Author(s): Areti Tziboula,Anna-Maria Rentzeperi-Tsonou / Language(s): English Issue: 31/2021

The creators of opera in Italy at the end of the 16th century gave great importance to the choice of their subject matter in order to reproduce an overall work of art according to the archetype of ancient Greek tragedy. During its progressive course, opera underwent changes, in which libretto and its subject matter constituted major issues of study and criticism and were reformed according to the style of each period but always with quality as a keystone. The present study examines the formation of the Italian opera based on the choice of the librettos from its birth to the first Italian reform.

Мисията на Йохан Якоб Курц фон Зенфтенау до Константинопол (1623 –1624) и предизвикателствата пред хабсбургските дипломати на Босфора след Дългата турска война

Author(s): Aneliya Stoyanova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2024

Lasting for over a decade, the Long Turkish war (1593 –1606) temporarily disrupted the diplomatic contacts between Habsburgs and Ottomans. Like any other agreement between Vienna and Istanbul, the peace treaty of Zsitvatorok (1606) left various controversial questions unresolved and provided further issues to negotiate. The present article aims at outlining and analyzing the main challenges the Habsburgs diplomats in Istanbul were faced with during the first two decades after the reestablishment of permanent diplomatic contacts (1608) following the end of the Long Turkish war. The study focuses on the diplomatic mission of Johann Jakob Kurz von Senftenau (1623 – 1624). The choice to examine this particular mission in detail is due both to the good volume of preserved archival documents on its progress, and to the fact that it is among the lesser-known Habsburg embassies in Constantinople from the beginning of XVII century. Along with the ever ongoing negotiations of disputable articles of the peace agreements, rebuilding the intelligence network, and organizing save transportation of the diplomatic correspondence to the Imperial court in Vienna emerge as tasks of primary importance. The financial struggles in times of inflation and the frequent change of Ottoman rulers also stand out as main challenges for the Habsburg diplomats to handle.

On the Historical Foundations of Belarusian Identity

Author(s): Hienadź Sahanowicz / Language(s): English Issue: 65/2022

The article addresses the problem of the modern preconditions for the formation of the Belarusian nation. Among the open questions investigated by the author are the identification of the period in which the specific collective identity of the population settled on the territory of today's Belarus emerged, as well as the study of historical and cultural factors that may have influenced their national identity. As proposed in the article, the inhabitants of the territories of today's Belarus did not begin to consider the Grand Duchy of Moscow as a separate political entity until at least the 15th century: similarly, it is possible that they did not perceive themselves differently from the Ruthenians of Ukraine before the 17th century. It was only with the Chmel'nyc'kyj uprising and, in particular, during the war between Muscovy and the Polish-Lithuanian Confederation (1654-1657) that the peoples of the Belarusian and Ukrainian regions of Ruthenia began to exhibit significant differences in their interests, values and cultural peculiarities. The long-standing membership of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the historical interaction of the Slavs with the Baltic peoples helped shape many specific traits of Belarusian culture and laid the basis for the historical foundations of Belarusian identity as an independent national community. It therefore seems appropriate to associate the creation of the Belarusian nation not only with the Ruthenian identity, but also with the Lithuanian tradition.

Sergius Ciocau, Orheiul Vechi: Localități și așezăminte monastice (secolele XVI-XIX)

Author(s): Laurențiu Rădvan / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 1/2022

Review of: Sergius Ciocau, Orheiul Vechi: Localități și așezăminte monastice (secolele XVI-XIX), Chișinău: Cartdidact, 2021. – 220 p.

Cântarea monodică bizantină din spaţiul românesc versus cântarea religioasă multivocală: divergenţe şi convergenţe

Author(s): Violina Galaicu / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 2/2022

Among the agents of the infi ltration of polyphony in native religious singing are the reforming current, coming from the West through Transylvania, as well as the act of uniting with Rome a part of Transylvanian Romanians (1701). Catholic choral pieces are insinuated in Psalter manuscripts, including the curious phenomenon of the transposition of polyphonic religious singing into the Byzantine semiographic system. Th e two components — monodic and polyphonic — are also meet in Moldova. In 1782 during the abbotship of Paisie Velicikovski, a choir of Russian monks was established, who practiced harmonic singing (along with native monks who, traditionally, sang monodically) at Neamts Monastery. In the fi rst half of the 19th century, the contacts of psalter music with polyphonic religious music intensifi ed. Th e presence of choral singing was signaled in several cultural centers in the researched area (Arad, Bucharest, Iasi). As time goes on, psalter singing is competing more and more dangerously with harmonic singing, things being pushed to a fi erce confrontation between the two currents. Th e saving solution for keeping the balance between continuity and renewal is seen by the bishop Melchizedek of Roman.

The Prague Jewish Community in the Late 17th and Early 18th Centuries

Author(s): Alexandr Putík / Language(s): English Issue: 1/1999

The late 17th and early 18th centuries were a period of significant events for the Prague Jewish community, including the immigration to Eretz Yisrael led by Judah Hasid and the visit of Rabbi Nethanel ben Solomon. This study explores the state and church policies towards Jews, attempts at expulsion, and the impact of censorship and conversion pressures. It also examines the self-administration of the Jewish community and its response to these challenges. The archival sources reveal a more complex picture than previously understood, showing that the Messianic excitement of the Ashkenazic world did indeed reach Bohemia, contrary to earlier literature. The document provides a detailed account of the historical context, literature, sources, and demographic data of the Prague Ghetto, highlighting its significance as the largest Jewish community in Europe at the time.

The Sanjak-Beg Abashidzes’ land ownership-land use in Adjara during the rule of the Ottoman and Russian empires

Author(s): Turmanidze Otar / Language(s): English,Georgian Issue: 1/2024

The Sanjak-Beg Abashidzes from Batumi settled in Adjara from Imereti, namely from Saeri-Stavo of Argveti, in the 16th century. Adj­ara was then conquered by the Ottomans. The Abashidzes converted to Islam here and entered the service of the Ottoman state. The Ottoman Sultan gave them lands and estates and gave them the title of Sanjak Beg of Lazistan.The Abashidzes were large landowners in Adjara. The article discusses the land ownership and land use issues of the Sanjak-Beg Abashidzes of Batumi. After the implementation of the agrarian reform (Tanzimat) in the Ottoman Empire, the Agha-Begs no longer had private property. In return, they were assigned hereditary pensions, but the Abashidzes, like the rest of the Agha-begs of the Ottoman Empire, were left with the right of ownership and use.During the Ottoman rule, there was a continuous struggle bet­ween the state agencies and local landowners regarding land and estates. This struggle continued during Russian domination. During this period, the Sanjak-Beg Abashidzes from Batumi started mass sale of land and estates. They were also engaged in leasing and mortgaging pieces of land. The income in a form of natural products or money received from this was the main source of their existence. The article discusses the legal status of the Sanjak-Beg Abashidzes of Batumi. It is emphasized that during the Soviet regime they suffered severe economic and political oppression.

Ново изследване върху зараждането и развитието на предприемчеството в България

Author(s): Irena Mladenova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 2/2024

Antal Molnár, Zagrebačka biskupija i osmanska Slavonija u 17. stoljeću. Uloga Katoličke crkve u teritorijalnoj integraciji kontinentalne Hrvatske

Author(s): Petra Plantosar / Language(s): Croatian Issue: 4/2023

Review of: Antal Molnár, Zagrebačka biskupija i osmanska Slavonija u 17. stoljeću. Uloga Katoličke crkve u teritorijalnoj integraciji kontinentalne Hrvatske, Hrvatski institut za povijest, Zagreb, 2022., 225 str.

Habsburg-osmanische Raumabsonderung auf dem Balkan in der Frühen Neuzeit

Author(s): Maria Baramova / Language(s): German Issue: 1-2/2024

The current article focuses on how the border between the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire was perceived in the Early Modern period and how the visualization and staging of the border changed in the European-Ottoman context. Of particular importance is how and why the Habsburg-Ottoman border area, which shifted South-Eastern Europe considerably in geopolitical terms, was staged as a political reality. The staging of the border on geographical and political maps could also indicate dynastic ambitions and radical expansion plans in a particular area, which were deliberately disseminated to the public at the time via the print media of the era. Finally, the visualization and staging of the border played an essential role in the political and diplomatic relations between Vienna and Constantinople.

Un manuscris necunoscut al „Școlii Crimca” păstrat la Sinai

Author(s): Ovidiu Olar / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 2/2022

In 1988, Gary Vikan dedicated a study to the famous post-Byzantine calligrapher Luke the Cypriot, Metropolitan of Wallachia. Trying to substantiate the claim that the subject of his research “was closely acquainted with Anastasios Crimca, Moldavian Metropolitan, who was also a renowned manuscript illuminator”, he stated that “Mount Sinai cods. 1480 (Gospels)” was written by Luke, “while the headpieces and Evangelist portraits are by Crimca”. The detail was important, because it highlighted a previously unsuspected connection between two major Early Modern “schools of scribes”, a Greek one, gravitating around Luke († 1629), in Wallachia, and a Church-Slavonic one, galvanized by Crimca († 1629), in Moldavia. Yet Sinaiticus gr. 1480 does not contain the Gospels and it was not copied by Luke: it is a liturgical chant manuscript copied by one of Luke’s most talented disciples, hieromonk Iakovos of Simonopetra, in Bucharest, in 1625. There is, however, a manuscript that fits the (laconic) description provided by Vikan: Sinaiticus gr. 203. The present paper places the manuscript in its (dual) cultural context and reconstructs, with the help of archival materials, the career of the donor. Based on this evidence, it argues that it mirrors the profound political, economic, and social transformation of Southeastern Europe after the fall of Constantinople (1453).

Vizualusis istorijos pasakojimas: Šv. Barboros paveikslo Alėjų bažnyčioje atvejis

Author(s): Daiva Vaisnoriene / Language(s): Lithuanian Issue: 119/2024

The article examines a painting of St Barbara in the church of the Holy Trinity in Alėjai. The painting is believed to date from the second half of the 17th century and has not been previously studied. The study briefly reviews the history of the foundation of the parish and the manor in Alėjai, which belonged to the Dominican monastery in Raseiniai from the 17th to the 19th century. The article also discusses the history of the consecration of the church and possible ways of painting the altarpiece, using historiographical and iconographical sources. The painting is analysed using traditional methods of art research such as formal, iconographic-iconological and comparative analysis. In addition to the meaning of this work, an anthropological approach to cultural and artistic research is also applied. The composition and action of the painting are compared with images of church altars that were common in Western European countries during the Middle Ages.

The Qur’ans of the Spanish Moriscos and the Tatars of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania: Drawing Comparisons and Tracing Patterns

Author(s): Katarzyna K. Starczewska / Language(s): English Issue: Spec/2023/2023

This paper is aimed at presenting a preliminary comparative study of the Qur’anic translations produced by two autochthonous European Muslim communities: Spanish Mudéjars (Muslims who remained in the Iberian Peninsula after the Christian reconquest) and Moriscos (former Muslims forced to convert to Christianity) and, on the other side of Europe, the Tatars of Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL). The framework for this comparison is provided by some basic facts: over the span of two centuries, in the case of the Morisco population (starting with the conquest of Granada in 1492, until the expulsion of the Moriscos in 1609)1 , and three centuries in that of the Tatars of the GDL (17th to 19th centuries), their literary production was exclusively hand-written. Both groups preserved their Muslim religiosity but, with some erudite exceptions, had only scarce knowledge of Arabic, the holy language of Qur’anic revelation. Moreover, without having access to one another’s culture, both Moriscos and the Tatars of the GDL adapted the Arabic alphabet to their vehicular languages, Romance and Slavic respectively2 . Thanks to this adaptation strategy, they maintained the sacred aspect of their writings and were able to translate the Qur’an into a language they fully understood. However, in spite of these striking similarities between the two groups, there were also notable differences. While the Tatars of the GDL were granted full religious freedom, the Moriscos were heavily persecuted for any signs of adherence to Islam. In order to shed more light on the phenomenon of European Muslim cultures, in this paper I will present various manuscript examples of these groups’ Qur’anic translations, and draw some preliminary conclusions regarding the information that can be retrieved from this kind of sources.

„ȘUMA CAPETELOR” – UN EXERCIȚIU OBIȘNUIT ÎN TRADUCERILE BIBLICE DIN TRANSILVANIA, ÎNCEPÂND CU NOUL TESTAMENT DE LA BĂLGRAD (1648)

Author(s): Niculina Iacob / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 1 supp./2024

In the paratext of the Noul Testament de la Bălgrad [The New Testament from Alba Iulia], a special place is held by the so called “Șuma”, that is summaries of the chapters, supposed to orient the reader towards an easier understanding of that specific chapter and even to have a didactic role in the context of the 1648 translation. It was proven that the summaries translated in the text published in Alba Iulia were made by Theodore Beza who wrote them in Latin and first published them in the 1580 Greek-Latin New Testament edition (Geneva). This type of summaries will become a tradition, especially in the biblical translations in Transylvania after 1648, as they sometimes give indications about the filiation of the texts, as will be revealed in the present paper.

Styl – dyskurs – komunikacja urzędowa w badaniach diachronicznych (na przykładzie górnośląskich ksiąg kancelaryjnych z XVI–XVIII wieku)

Author(s): Mirosława Siuciak / Language(s): Polish Issue: XXXII/2023

The aim of this article is to show a new perspective in diachronic research on communication in the legal and official sphere. Until now, research has focused on the style of texts related to this field of communication, but any analysis has been selective. The introduction of the category of discourse into historical linguistics allows for a more comprehensive view of the source material through the prism of the communication rituals in force at a given period and the principles of constructing texts with specific pragmatic aims and stylistic properties. The subject of the analysis is the records in the official town registers of the early 17th century concerning real estate purchase and sale transactions. Taking into account the continuity of the officialese discourse, the author shows how texts documenting property changes were formulated at that time and proves that certain structural and stylistic elements continue in the contract genre today. A broader study of the history of the discourse would make it possible to show the formation of new genre forms from pre-existing officialese expressions set in particular time, in a different legal system and communication patterns.

Early Modern Diplomatic Realities: Michael Starzer and Caspar Gratiani in the First Years of Their Acquaintance (1610 – 1614)

Author(s): Aneliya Stoyanova / Language(s): English Issue: 4/2024

Austrian Habsburg resident in Constantinople Michael Starzer (1610 – 1622) and trans-imperial agent, future Ottoman diplomat and Prince of Moldavia Caspar Gratiani met in the Ottoman capital in the early 1610s. Based on the analysis of the Habsburg diplomat’s correspondence, the current article focuses on the interaction and cooperation between these two men from the spring of 1611 (i.e. when Michael Starzer first mentioned Gratiani in his letters to the Habsburg court) to the appointment of Gratiani as part of the Ottoman diplomatic mission to Linz in the summer of 1614. The main research questions concern the factors that contributed to the good relationship between them and its impact on the development of the Habsburg-Ottoman diplomacy during the first decade after the end of the Long Turkish War.