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: an analysis of the empire’s administrative structures, particularly during the middle period (7th-12th centuries). This includes the study of state offices, court titles, the hierarchical organization of the state, and provincial administration. (2) Public Finances: A detailed examination of the fiscal system, especially the system of grants and the development of the institution of pronoia, introduced by Alexios I Komnenos (1081–1118) and further developed over the next two centuries. (3) Legal Status and Property Rights: an exploration of individual legal status and property rights from the 11th to the 14th centuries, highlighting the formation of two primary social classes—peasants and lords. (4) Monasticism: a multifaceted study of monastic life in the middle and late periods, covering the spatial organization, economic roles, and administrative structure of monasteries. This also includes their interactions with secular and ecclesiastical authorities, liturgical practices, the formation of sacred spaces, and the development of collective memory and identity within monastic communities. (5) Diplomatic Relations: an investigation into Byzantium’s diplomatic engagements with political centers of the Muslim world from the 7th to the 11th century, with a particular emphasis on the influence of the empire’s political and social elite in shaping these interactions.