Prosopography of the Byzantine World
Encyclopedia
The Prosopography of the Byzantine World is a project to create a prosopographical database
of individuals named in textual sources in the Byzantine Empire
and surrounding areas in the period from 642 to 1265. The project is a collaboration between the British Academy
and the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities
.
and Byzantine prosopography begun by Theodore Mommsen in the 19th century and carried on by A.H.M. Jones, which produced The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire (three volumes, Cambridge, 1971–1992), covering the period from 260 (the accession of Gallienus
) to 641 (the death of Heraclius
, marking the end of late Antiquity
).
In 1993, the British Academy signed a collaboration agreement with the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy. The work is divided into three periods, 641–867 (Heraclian dynasty to the Amorian dynasty), 867–1025 (Macedonian dynasty
up to the death of Basil II
) and 1025–1261 (last Macedonians, the Komnenian period, and up to the recovery of Constantinople from the Latin Empire
). The Palaiologan period, after 1261, is covered by the Prosopographisches Lexikon der Palaiologenzeit
, launched by the Austrian Academy of Sciences
under the direction of Erich Trapp and published between 1976 and 1991.
and is freely accessible from the internet
.
The project aimed to cover all named individuals in the Byzantine world in the period from 641, where The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire ends, to 1265. The geographical scope has since been extended to cover Jerusalem. As of 2006 the PBW itself covers the period 1025 to 1180, a total of some 10000 individuals. The data is drawn from textual sources and also from sigillography
which constitutes an important resource in Byzantine prosopography. Around 7500 seal
s are recorded. The project team estimate that, in printed form, the database would amount to some 1400 pages.
The project was chaired until 2005 by Dame Averil Cameron
. The current chair is Professor Charlotte Roueché FSA, head of the Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies department at King's College London. The project has been funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council
.
Database
A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
of individuals named in textual sources in the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
and surrounding areas in the period from 642 to 1265. The project is a collaboration between the British Academy
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
and the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities
Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities
The Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften is the academy of sciences of the German states Berlin and Brandenburg. As the word "Wissenschaft", in German includes both the natural sciences and the humanities, the academy's title is best translated as Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of...
.
Origins
The project was begun in the 1980s with the aim of completing the work on later Roman EmpireRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
and Byzantine prosopography begun by Theodore Mommsen in the 19th century and carried on by A.H.M. Jones, which produced The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire (three volumes, Cambridge, 1971–1992), covering the period from 260 (the accession of Gallienus
Gallienus
Gallienus was Roman Emperor with his father Valerian from 253 to 260, and alone from 260 to 268. He took control of the Empire at a time when it was undergoing great crisis...
) to 641 (the death of Heraclius
Heraclius
Heraclius was Byzantine Emperor from 610 to 641.He was responsible for introducing Greek as the empire's official language. His rise to power began in 608, when he and his father, Heraclius the Elder, the exarch of Africa, successfully led a revolt against the unpopular usurper Phocas.Heraclius'...
, marking the end of late Antiquity
Late Antiquity
Late Antiquity is a periodization used by historians to describe the time of transition from Classical Antiquity to the Middle Ages, in both mainland Europe and the Mediterranean world. Precise boundaries for the period are a matter of debate, but noted historian of the period Peter Brown proposed...
).
In 1993, the British Academy signed a collaboration agreement with the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy. The work is divided into three periods, 641–867 (Heraclian dynasty to the Amorian dynasty), 867–1025 (Macedonian dynasty
Macedonian dynasty
The Macedonian dynasty ruled the Byzantine Empire from 867 to 1056, following the Amorian dynasty. During this period, the Byzantine state reached its greatest expanse since the Muslim conquests, and the Macedonian Renaissance in letters and arts began. The dynasty was named after its founder,...
up to the death of Basil II
Basil II
Basil II , known in his time as Basil the Porphyrogenitus and Basil the Young to distinguish him from his ancestor Basil I the Macedonian, was a Byzantine emperor from the Macedonian dynasty who reigned from 10 January 976 to 15 December 1025.The first part of his long reign was dominated...
) and 1025–1261 (last Macedonians, the Komnenian period, and up to the recovery of Constantinople from the Latin Empire
Latin Empire
The Latin Empire or Latin Empire of Constantinople is the name given by historians to the feudal Crusader state founded by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade on lands captured from the Byzantine Empire. It was established after the capture of Constantinople in 1204 and lasted until 1261...
). The Palaiologan period, after 1261, is covered by the Prosopographisches Lexikon der Palaiologenzeit
Prosopographisches Lexikon der Palaiologenzeit
The Prosopographisches Lexikon der Palaiologenzeit , abbreviated PLP, is a German-language reference work on the people of the Palaiologan period of the Byzantine Empire .It was published between 1976 and 1995 by the Austrian Academy of Sciences, under the direction of Erich Trapp, with the...
, launched by the Austrian Academy of Sciences
Austrian Academy of Sciences
The Austrian Academy of Sciences is a legal entity under the special protection of the Federal Republic of Austria. According to the statutes of the Academy its mission is to promote the sciences and humanities in every respect and in every field, particularly in fundamental research...
under the direction of Erich Trapp and published between 1976 and 1991.
Status
The first result was the Prosopographie der mittelbyzantinischen Zeit, Abteilung I: 641–867, edited by Friedhelm Winkelmann and Ralph-Johannes Lilie and published in five volumes between 1998 and 2002. A version of this database is hosted at Berlin-Brandenburg Academy. In 2001, the British Academy published a CD-ROM with its own Prosopography of the Byzantine Empire I (641–867), edited by John Robert Martindale, which is complementary to the German work. A section of the database covering the period 1025–1261 is hosted at King's College LondonKing's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
and is freely accessible from the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
.
The project aimed to cover all named individuals in the Byzantine world in the period from 641, where The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire ends, to 1265. The geographical scope has since been extended to cover Jerusalem. As of 2006 the PBW itself covers the period 1025 to 1180, a total of some 10000 individuals. The data is drawn from textual sources and also from sigillography
Sigillography
Sigillography is one of the auxiliary sciences of history. It refers to the study of seals attached to documents as a source of historical information. It concentrates on the legal and social meaning of seals, as well as the evolution of their design...
which constitutes an important resource in Byzantine prosopography. Around 7500 seal
Seal (device)
A seal can be a figure impressed in wax, clay, or some other medium, or embossed on paper, with the purpose of authenticating a document ; but the term can also mean the device for making such impressions, being essentially a mould with the mirror image of the design carved in sunken- relief or...
s are recorded. The project team estimate that, in printed form, the database would amount to some 1400 pages.
The project was chaired until 2005 by Dame Averil Cameron
Averil Cameron
Dame Averil Millicent Cameron, DBE, FBA is Professor of Late Antique and Byzantine History in the University of Oxford, and was formerly the Warden of Keble College, Oxford between 1994 and 2010....
. The current chair is Professor Charlotte Roueché FSA, head of the Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies department at King's College London. The project has been funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council
Arts and Humanities Research Council
Established in April 2005 as successor to the Arts and Humanities Research Board, the Arts and Humanities Research Council is a British Research Council and non-departmental public body that provides approximately £102 million from the Government to support research and postgraduate study in the...
.