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Document Details : Title: L'empereur, l'aristocrate et l'évêque Subtitle: Autorité sur l'État et relations de pouvoir dans les discours de Michel Chôniatès Author(s): ROSKILLY, Jack Journal: Byzantion Volume: 90 Date: 2020 Pages: 227-269 DOI: 10.2143/BYZ.90.0.3288841 Abstract : This paper studies the praises to aristocrats of the metropolitan bishop of Athens Michael Choniates by analyzing his political conceptions concerning the relations between the emperor and the aristocrats and their performativity regarding the aims of the episcopal government at the end of the 12th century. It demonstrates that the emperor and the aristocrats shared an authority of the same nature, which led Choniates, relying on a strong and ancient rhetorical tradition, to advocate a harmony between them during the first part of his episcopate. However, during a second period, this symbiosis weakened and Choniates manipulated the unique nature of authority to show the confrontations and tensions between the emperor and the aristocrats. Thus, the bishop developed a conception of the aristocracy, which made her more autonomous from the imperial power and grant her the control of the State when the emperor fainted. These ideas are considered into their discursive and historical contexts and are relied to the intentions of the bishop and his requests for fiscal privileges to the authorities. |
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