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Boban Petrovski
University “Ss. Cyril and Methodius”, Skopje, Former Yugoslav Republic Macedonia;
boban@fzf.ukim.edu.mk
Τοπαρχίαν Πολόγους: Location and Chronological Framework
Historiography considers North-western Macedonia, respectively Polog, entered within
Byzantine borders at the same time with the restoration of the Byzantine Empire in 1261. Namely, it
is believed that with the peace agreement signed between Nicaea and Bulgaria in 1258, Bulgarians
returned to the Nicaeans earlier conquered territories. Previously agreed Nicaean-Bulgarian border
(Regina peace agreement of 1256) was established and Nicaean administration in Polog was restored.
It seems that the relevant contemporary sources, as is undoubtedly John Cantacuzene,
challenge such findings. Thus, one might argue that John Cantacuzene`s information about “tὴν
Δαλμαtίαν… tοπαρχίαν Πολόγους” refers to north-western Macedonian region Polog and it could
indicates that Polog fell under Byzantine rule later than 1261.
Also this information might refere to Polog, located in Albania – according to the Geogre
Acropolites wrriten records about the conquest of Polog in 1259!
The ground for locating and chronological framework for the existance of tοπαρχίαν Πολόγους
could be found in the following contemporary sources:
- The well-known Skopje Monastery of St. George – Gorg Chrysobull issued by bulgarian tsar
Constantine Tikh Asen (sometime around 1258);
- George Pachymer`s information about Polog during his visit to Serbia.
Bearing in mind these source information I am raising the issue of existence of a separate
short-term government in Polog and I am offering its chronological time frame.
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Erekle Jordania
Georgian National Committee of Byzantine Studies, Tbilisi, Georgia;
ereklejordania@yahoo.com
Byzantine Pontos and the Kartvelians in the XIII-XV Cc.
One of the most important directions of contemporary Byzantine studies is the comprehensive
research of various historical, geographical and cultural regions of Byzantium as areas of interaction
and mutual influence of different cultures and civilizations. Such studies allow to reveal the
peculiarities of regional development of byzantine civilization and to determine the reasons, both
political and sociocultural contributing to the identity of these regions.
In this regard, the Pontos, which in a number of other historical and cultural parts of the
Byzantine world is characterized with a complex of sociocultural features, seems to be of a great
interest. In our view, the regional peculiarities of the Byzantine Pontos, along with occurring in
the Black Sea region political and migration processes have been to a great extent caused by the
geographic and ethnic characteristics of this region.
In all historical times, Pontоs was the scene of fierce military struggle for geopolitical and
economic dominance in the Black Sea region between various empires and kingdoms of Antiquity
and the Middle ages. At the same time, it acted as a contact zone between different cultures and
civilizations of East and West, North and South. As a result of their interaction and mutual influence
a special - Pontic type of polyethnic society of the Middle Ages was formed.
Along with that, since the times of the ancient colonization of the Black Sea, political and
cultural development of the Pontos has been defined by the Greeks. The process of Hellenization
here was not as active as, for example, in the Northern and Western Black Sea region and was
associated not with the influx of immigrants from Greece, but with the spread of Greek culture and
its influence on customs and lifestyle of local – Kartvelian population.
The Empire of Trebizond may serve as a vivid example of this. Based upon its type of civilization
the Kingdom of Great Komnenos, created with an active participation of Tamar’s Kingdom, was a
Byzantine state, basic elements of which were the Orthodoxy, the Greek language and the Byzantine
concept of power. The commitment to Hellenic, or rather to the Greek-Byzantine art may well
demonstrate the civilizational belonging of the Empire too. Besides, in our opinion, a striking proof
of this is the existence of Greek as an official language of clerical work and worship.
However, the Pontic Byzantium was formed as a result of mutual influence and interaction
between Byzantine civilization and local, in particular Kartvelian, historical, cultural and civilizational
space. Architectural monuments and toponyms of the region, anthroponymics, traditions, culture
and the language of the Pontos population, as well as administrative-territorial organization and
social structure of the Empire of Trebizond serve as a perfect evidence of the foregoing.
Without overstating the role and importance neither of the Georgian Kingdom nor of the
Kartvelian population of the Pontos in the historical fate of the Empire of Trebizond, we should
mention that namely the local indigenous population, obviously along with the Greeks, shaped
significantly the sociocultural identity of the Pontic polyethnic society, as well as the cultural image
of the Kingdom of the Great Komnenos and the Pontic region in general.
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