International congress of byzantine studies belgrade, 22 27 august 2016

THE AGE OF THE KOMNENOI
Chairs:
 Paul Magdalino, Leonora Neville
Ayana Saeki-Katakura
, 
The Porphyra in the Alexias
João Vicente de Medeiros Publio Dias
, 
The Insubordination of Gregorios Taronites: 
A Precedent for the Future Fragmentation of the Byzantine Empire?
Toni Filiposki
, 
The Dispute between Theophylact, the Archbishop of Ohrid, and the Paroikos Lazar: 
An Example of “State Interventionism” during Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos’ Reign 
(1081‒1118)
Maximilian Lau
, 
Emperor John II Komnenos and the Imperial Crisis of 1126
Jack Roskilly
, 
Reconstituer le réseau d’un évêque : 
Michel Chôniatès, métropolite d’Athènes (1182-1205). Sources et problèmes
Angelina Volkoff
, 
The Figure of Alexios III Angelos Komnenos in History and Historiography. A Reassessment
Stefan Lazić, 
On Dating the Last Norman Invasion of the Byzantine Empire
Leonie Exarchos
, 
Tuae provideas civitati
: Identifications and Identities of Latins in the Twelfth-Century Byzantium
Zdenko Zlatar 
Imperial Power in Komnenian Byzantium (1081-1180)

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Ayana Saeki-Katakura 
Osaka, Japan; 
[e-mail]
The Porphyra in the Alexias
This paper examines the description of the porphyra in the Alexias by Anna Komnene, 
focusing on her remarkable phrase: “to be born and brought up in the room of the porphyra”. The 
paper argues that Anna Komnene gave special meaning to the porphyra with her opposition to her 
brother John II Komnenos.
The following four descriptions of the porphyra demonstrate Anna Komnene’s opposition to 
her brother John II in the context of the porphyra.
1. Anna Komnene was born and brought up to the room of the porphyra (Alexias, book 
preface, ch. 1 and section 1 and ch. 4 and section 1).
2. Constantios Doukas (1060-1081) was born and brought up in the room called the porphyra 
as well (Alexias, book 4, ch. 6 and section 7).
3. Nikephoros Diogenes and Leon Diogenes were born in the room of the porphyra (Alexias, 
book 7, ch. 2 and section 3).
4. The construction of the room called the porphyra, of which wall was made of porphyra 
marble with white spots, was a form of square and had a pyramidal roof (Alexias, book 7, ch. 
2 and section 4).
In the description 3, Anna Komnene associated Nikephoros and Leon Diogenes with the 
porphyra, though Nikephoros Diogenes was a rebel against Alexios I Komnenos. In the description 4, 
she explained the construction of the room called porphyra next the description of Diogenes brothers.