Book contents
- The Cambridge History of the Byzantine Empire c. 500–1492
- Frontispiece
- The Cambridge History of the Byzantine Empire c. 500–1492
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Maps
- Illustrations
- Tables
- Dedication
- Preface
- Preface to the Paperback Edition
- General Introduction
- Part I The Earlier Empire c. 500–c. 700
- Part II The Middle Empire c. 700–1204
- Chapter 5 State of Emergency (700–850)
- Chapter 6 After Iconoclasm (850–886)
- Chapter 7 Religious Missions
- Chapter 8 Armenian Neighbours (600–1045)
- Chapter 9 Confronting Islam: Emperors Versus Caliphs (641–c.850)
- Chapter 10 Western Approaches (700–900)
- Chapter 11 Byzantine Italy (680–876)
- Chapter 12 The Middle Byzantine Economy (600–1204)
- Chapter 13 Equilibrium to Expansion (886–1025)
- Chapter 14 Western Approaches (900–1025)
- Chapter 15 Byzantium and Southern Italy (876–1000)
- Chapter 16 Belle Époque or crisis? (1025–1118)
- Chapter 17 The Empire of the Komnenoi (1118–1204)
- Chapter 18 Balkan Borderlands (1018–1204)
- Chapter 19 Raiders and Neighbours: The Turks (1040–1304)
- Part III The Byzantine Lands in the Later Middle Ages 1204–1492
- Glossary (Including Some Proper Names)
- Genealogical Tables and Lists of Rulers
- Alternative Place Names
- Bibliography
- Book part
- Picture Acknowledgements
- Index
Chapter 13 - Equilibrium to Expansion (886–1025)
from Part II - The Middle Empire c. 700–1204
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 November 2019
- The Cambridge History of the Byzantine Empire c. 500–1492
- Frontispiece
- The Cambridge History of the Byzantine Empire c. 500–1492
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Maps
- Illustrations
- Tables
- Dedication
- Preface
- Preface to the Paperback Edition
- General Introduction
- Part I The Earlier Empire c. 500–c. 700
- Part II The Middle Empire c. 700–1204
- Chapter 5 State of Emergency (700–850)
- Chapter 6 After Iconoclasm (850–886)
- Chapter 7 Religious Missions
- Chapter 8 Armenian Neighbours (600–1045)
- Chapter 9 Confronting Islam: Emperors Versus Caliphs (641–c.850)
- Chapter 10 Western Approaches (700–900)
- Chapter 11 Byzantine Italy (680–876)
- Chapter 12 The Middle Byzantine Economy (600–1204)
- Chapter 13 Equilibrium to Expansion (886–1025)
- Chapter 14 Western Approaches (900–1025)
- Chapter 15 Byzantium and Southern Italy (876–1000)
- Chapter 16 Belle Époque or crisis? (1025–1118)
- Chapter 17 The Empire of the Komnenoi (1118–1204)
- Chapter 18 Balkan Borderlands (1018–1204)
- Chapter 19 Raiders and Neighbours: The Turks (1040–1304)
- Part III The Byzantine Lands in the Later Middle Ages 1204–1492
- Glossary (Including Some Proper Names)
- Genealogical Tables and Lists of Rulers
- Alternative Place Names
- Bibliography
- Book part
- Picture Acknowledgements
- Index
Summary
As earlier chapters have shown, the empire’s military situation was alleviated by political upheavals in the Muslim world and the abatement of hammer blows directed by the Abbasid leadership. The caliphate itself had more recourse to diplomacy, recognising Ashot I Bagratuni (‘the Great’) (884–90) as paramount prince among the Armenians and bestowing a crown on him. Soon afterwards, Basil I (867–86) responded with démarches of his own towards Ashot. The later ninth century probably saw the elaboration of the basileus’ diplomatic web eastwards, drawing in political elites in central and eastern Caucasia such as ‘the chiefs of Azia’, lords of the Caspian Gates. By the reign of Leo VI (886–912) the court was maintaining well-to-do Turks from the Fergana valley as well as Khazars, and these young men were making substantial down payments of gold in order to receive annual rogai as members of a unit of the imperial bodyguard. The chinks in Muslim power were shown up in other forms, such as the prisoners-of-war kept at court. The more prominent among them were enrobed in the white garments of catechumens at the emperor’s Christmas and Easter banquets, as if to affirm willingness to adopt the religion of the Christians. Triumphal parades of Basil I, as of Theophilos (829–42), celebrated with spectacular props the emperors’ occasional forays into Muslim-held regions, and a poet could write of Basil as a new David, who with God’s help will vanquish the enemy hosts.
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- The Cambridge History of the Byzantine Empire c.500–1492 , pp. 493 - 536Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2019