Macedonian Renaissance

As Macedonian Renaissance is a phase in historical research sometimes in Byzantine history referred to ( 9-10. Century), in the kingdom experienced a new cultural flowering.

The Eastern Roman Empire, which had lost a large part of its territory, its population and its tax revenue as a result of the Arab conquests and the almost parallel conquest of the Slavs in the Balkans at the beginning of the 7th century, went through in the 7th century a process of transformation, an enormous impact on state, society and culture had. It meant the end of antiquity to the east and the Gräzisierung of the state apparatus that was previously marked contrast of late antique elements; Latin as (parallel ) language of the army and the bureaucracy has now been completely replaced by Greek. The (first so called in modern times ) was Byzantine Empire from the late Eastern Roman Empire. But Byzantium was completely in the following decades with the defensive battle at the border and with internal problems (see Byzantine Iconoclasm ) busy.

The result was, among other things, a detectable decay of the urban structures ( the ancient polis was now often replaced by the fortified kastron ) and a decline in the cultural level, although Byzantium still significantly more preserved from the ancient heritage than the West. In the 9th century, the domestic, but especially the foreign policy situation had relaxed to the extent that stronger again could be used for cultural affairs money. It developed a new phase of cultural recovery, the highlight of which was reached in the 10th century, art and literature, but also in general the "science " concerned ( see, eg, John VII Grammatikos and Leon the Mathematician ).

Because the name of the then ruling imperial dynasty, the Macedonian dynasty (although already under the previous dynasty, a cultural revival was recognizable), has become naturalized in the research as a term for this phase of the term Macedonian Renaissance. However, the term "Renaissance" in research is controversial and the name is probably only a very limited extent applicable. The Byzantines did not discover the "Antique " new, because the study of ancient works (such as those of Plato, Aristotle and Thucydides ) there was never entirely broken, but intervened on handed- material (especially from late antiquity ) back. In this respect, the term " Renaissance " in Byzantium is hardly applicable. Nevertheless, it came after the cultural collapse in 7/8 Century to quite a significant return to the ancient Greeks, but this was always understood by the Byzantines as part of its past. The interest of the Byzantines to ancient forms of culture increased and there was renewal forms, yet at the same time works that had little or no influence of antique models originated approximately in the art to continue. Of particular importance was the Macedonian Renaissance for illumination. The most prominent example of this is the Paris Psalter. Clearly visible here is a return to the realistic style of classical antiquity.

The renewed flourishing of literature, in the land once more the classical high-level language has been maintained is connected among other things with Photios and Aretha of Caesarea, which ushered in a Byzantine " encyclopaedism ". Photius, Patriarch of Constantinople Opel, wrote a work which is mostly known as Libraries, in which he referenced several pagan and Christian authors and rated their works. Since many of these works have gone partially or completely lost, the Libraries is also an important source in this respect. Aretha again dealt intensively with classical philology and philosophy.

Emperor Constantine VII was even personally striving to get antique and late antique / early Byzantine works and ensure their tradition. On his behalf, an extensive, preserved only in part encyclopedia, which also contained fairly extensive excerpts from various works originated. For example, at least about excerpts from the historical works of Priscus and Menander Protector have been handed down in this way; but also, among others, for the tradition of parts of the historical work of Cassius Dio is this collection of importance. For the tradition of ancient texts also in Byzantium newly introduced in the 9th century minuscule played a role in the new copies of ancient manuscripts were written.

For the Byzantine historiography was the new " Byzantine humanism ," as he is sometimes called, is also significant. The late antique historiography broke with the histories of Theophylaktos Simokates from the early 7th century. Only from the late 8th century historical works are again obtained, but were now written chronicles. It was not until the 10th century, more sophisticated, mostly contemporary historical historical works were written back.