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Politics: Power and Institutions

The Section of Byzantine Research specializes in the study of the political history of the Byzantine period and of the period of the Latin dominions in the Greek territories, with particular attention to the functioning of institutions and mechanisms of power.

The research goes beyond the mere recording of political events, systematically examining the structure and operation of state mechanisms, power relations, administrative and fiscal policies, diplomatic relations, as well as the long-term development of political institutions and non-state entities, such as ecclesiastical and monastic institutions.

Institutions of the Byzantine Empire

This thematic area centers on the study of the institutions of the Byzantine Empire, with a particular focus on the middle and late periods. The research is organized around five main topics:

1. Administrative Institutions
2. Public Finances
3. Legal Status and Property Rights
4. Monasticism
5. Diplomatic Relations

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Latin Dominions in the Greek Territories (13th-17th centuries): Institutions

The Greek territories under Latin dominion were fragmented not only among various Western European rulers but also within the jurisdiction of a single sovereign. As a result, numerous political entities emerged —some independent, others subject to direct or indirect control by a metropolitan centre. These entities were continually reshaped by shifting historical circumstances over a broad and dynamic period, extending from the late Middle Ages into the early modern era. The region also encompassed two distinct worlds: the Catholic West and the Orthodox East, whose divide steadily deepened from the thirteenth century onward.

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