Byzantine diplomacy
Byzantine diplomacy concerns the principles, methods, mechanisms, ideals, and techniques that the Byzantine Empire espoused and used in order to negotiate with other states and to promote the goals of its foreign policy. Dimitri Obolensky asserts that the preservation of civilization in Southern Europe was due to the skill and resourcefulness of Byzantine diplomacy, which remains one of Byzantium's lasting contributions to the history of Europe and the Middle East.[1]
Challenges and goals
After the fall of
Byzantium's "Bureau of Barbarians" was the first foreign intelligence agency, gathering information on the empire’s rivals from every imaginable source.[3] While on the surface a protocol office—its main duty was to ensure foreign envoys were properly cared for and received sufficient state funds for their maintenance, and it kept all the official translators—it clearly had a security function as well. On Strategy, from the 6th century, offers advice about foreign embassies: "[Envoys] who are sent to us should be received honourably and generously, for everyone holds envoys in high esteem. Their attendants, however, should be kept under surveillance to keep them from obtaining any information by asking questions of our people."[4]
Principles and methods
Byzantine culture |
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Byzantine diplomacy drew its neighbors into a network of international and interstate relations, controlled by the empire itself.[5] This process revolved around treaty making. Byzantine historian Evangelos Chrysos postulates a three-layered process at work: 1) the new ruler was welcomed into the family of kings, 2) there was an assimilation of Byzantine social attitudes and values, 3) as a formalization of the second layer of the process, there were laws.[6]
In order to drive this process, the Byzantines availed themselves of a number of mostly diplomatic practices. For example, embassies to Constantinople would often stay on for years. A member of other royal houses would routinely be requested to stay in Constantinople, not only as a potential hostage, but also as a useful pawn in case political conditions where he came from changed. Another key practice was to overwhelm visitors by sumptuous displays. Constantinople's riches served the state's diplomatic purposes as a means of propaganda, and as a way to impress foreigners.[7] When Liutprand of Cremona was sent as an ambassador to the Byzantine capital, he was overwhelmed by the imperial residence, the luxurious meals, and acrobatic entertainment. Special care was taken to stimulate as many of the senses in as high degree as possible: brightly lit things to see, terrifying sounds, tasty food; even the diplomatic set-piece of having barbarians standing around the throne wearing their native gear.[8]
The fact that Byzantium in its dealings with the barbarians generally preferred diplomacy to war is not surprising. For the East Romans, faced with the ever-present necessity of having to battle on two fronts — in the east against
could be contacted. There was always someone to the enemy’s rear in a position to appreciate the emperor's largesse.This strategy could be seen in practice during the Rus
Another innovative principle of Byzantine diplomacy was effective interference in the internal affairs of other states. In 1282,
See also
References
- ^ a b c Obolensky 1994, "The Principles and Methods of Byzantine Diplomacy", p. 3.
- ^ Gabriel 2002, p. 281; Haldon 1999, p. 101.
- ^ a b Antonucci 1993, pp. 11–13.
- ^ Dennis 1985, Anonymous, Byzantine Military Treatise on Strategy, para. 43, p. 125.
- ^ Neumann 2005, pp. 869–870.
- ^ Chrysos 1992, p. 35.
- ^ Laiou 2002, "Writing the Economic History of Byzantium", p. 3.
- ^ Neumann 2005, pp. 870–871.
Sources
- Antonucci, Michael (February 1993). "War by Other Means: The Legacy of Byzantium". History Today. 43 (2).
- Chrysos, Evangelos K. (1992). "Byzantine diplomacy, A.D. 300-800: means and ends". In Shepard, Jonathan; Franklin, Simon (eds.). Byzantine Diplomacy: Papers from the Twenty-Fourth Spring Symposium of Byzantine Studies, Cambridge, March 1990. Aldershot, England: Variorium. pp. 25–39. ISBN 0860783383.
- Dennis, George T. (1985). Three Byzantine Military Treatises. Washington, District of Columbia: Dumbarton Oaks, Research Library and Collection. ISBN 9780884021407.
- Gabriel, Richard A. (2002). The Great Armies of Antiquity. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 0-275-97809-5.
- ISBN 1-85728-495-X.
- ISBN 0860783383.
- ISBN 0-88402-288-9.
- Neumann, Iver B. (August 2005). "Sublime Diplomacy: Byzantine, Early Modern, Contemporary" (PDF). Millennium: Journal of International Studies. 34 (3). Netherlands Institute of International Relations 'Clingendael': 865–888. S2CID 144773343. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2017-08-08. Retrieved 2014-07-30.
- ISBN 9780351176449.
- ISBN 0-88141-008-X.
- ISBN 0860783383.
- ISBN 0860783383.