Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the course, students will
- be acquainted with the literary and artistic production of Byzantium,
-have realized of the necessity of combining the written sources with the archaeological evidence
- have comprehended their contribution to the study of Byzantine society.
Course Content (Syllabus)
The seminar focuses on the study of objects of the minor arts (encolpia, rings, reliquaries, staurothekai, coins, seals etc.) that bear inscriptions, either metrical or not. Topics that will be discussed include the inscribing techniques, the character of inscribed texts (donor inscription, invocation, apotropaic inscription etc.), the function of the written text with regard to its content, but also to its form. Besides inscribed objects that have survived, also texts intended to be inscribed on objects that no longer exist will also be considered. Finally, special attention will be given to the characteristics of the Byzantine society that created these objects – e.g. the degree of literacy, personal piety, self-projection and promotion, the role of gender identity in the choices made – and their evolution through time.
In the framework of the course, a field trip to Athens will take place to enable students to see relevant exhibits in museums of the city and to participate at the Kanellopoulos Museum a workshop of Byzantine minor arts with an emphasis on the manufacture techniques of jewels.