International congress of byzantine studies belgrade, 22 27 august 2016

Paraskevi Sykopetritou
, 
Narrating Ceremonial Events of Accession and Portraying the Palaiologan Imperial Ideology 
in the Works of the Late Byzantine Historiographers (1261–1354)
Anita Belcheva
, 
Patrons and Recipients of Manuel Philes’ Poetry. The Person and the Persona of the Poet
Angeliki Papageorgiou
, 
Βάρβαρός τε καὶ τὰ πάντα ἄστοργος καὶ μηδὲν σεμνὸν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἔχει καταπροϊέμενος: 
The Image of Serbia and Milutin in Byzantine Historiographical Texts
Bojana Pavlović
, 
Nikephoros Gregoras on the Meaning and Perception of History
Aikaterini Andritsou
, 
Observations on Nikephoros Gregoras’ Literary Treatment of Written Sources in Roman History
Žarko Petković
, 
Classical Authors in the 
Histories
of John Cantacuzenos – Two Examples

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Paraskevi Sykopetritou
University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus; 
[e-mail]
Narrating Ceremonial Events of Accession and Portraying the Palaiologan 
Imperial Ideology in the Works of the Late Byzantine Historiographers 
(1261–1354)
My communication aims not only to contribute to the increasing scholarly interest with 
reference to late Byzantine imperial ceremonies, but also to provide a fresh insight to Palaiologan 
political ideology through a re-reading of the relevant historiographical sources, namely the 
narratives of George Akropolites, George Pachymeres, Nikephoros Gregoras, and John VI 
Kantakouzenos. With special emphasis on the period between 1261 and 1354, I will examine some 
of the widely unexplored functional aspects of the Palaiologan accession rituals and their ideological 
ramifications as symbolic acts performed to publicize the transfer of power and legitimize the rights 
of the late Byzantine dynastic succession.
Anita Belcheva
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece; 
[e-mail]
Patrons and Recipients of Manuel Philes’ Poetry. 
The Person and the Persona of the Poet
As the most prolific poet of the early Palaeologan era, Manuel Philes had come to contact with 
members of the byzantine elite and wrote a significant number of poems to different aristocrats 
and officers of the imperial court. Was he more familiar with some of them and which are the 
indications therefore in his poems or the poetic convention doesn’t allow us to see that clear? Are 
there evidences which indicate the grade the donor ‘takes part’ in what he ‘orders’ demanding to be 
said in the poem or is it just different levels of expression?
There are also a number of poems which the poet had written, as it seems, for practical 
purposes addressing different persons each time and asking usually for material goods and benefits 
for himself.
The study of the relations between Philes and his contemporaries through his poems gives 
considerable indications which can be taken into account in order to ‘re-construct’ the person and 
the persona of the poet.

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