Shepard Jonathan, Franklin Simon (ed.) Byzantine Diplomacy

Papers of the Twenty-fourth Spring Symposium of Byzantine Studies, Cambridge, March 1990. — Variorum, 1992. — 333 p. — (Society for the Promotion of Byzant). — ISBN 0-86078-338-3.The contributions to this book derive from papers presented to the 24th annual Byzantine symposium, on the subject of "Byzantine Diplomacy", held in Cambridge from 31 March - 2 April 1990. In common usage the very word "Byzantine" suggests intricate diplomatic deviousness. Whether one finds this image of Byzantium seductive or repellent, one might at least suppose that the topic of Byzantine diplomacy would have been comprehensively explored and explained in books by Byzantinists. One would be wrong. The present book is intended to fill, or to begin to fill, an astonishing gap in the literature about Byzantium.
The intention is grander than the achievement, and conspicuous gaps remain. We would have liked to include, for example, studies of the "nuts and bolts" of diplomacy: of documents and seals, of finance, of diplomatic offices and the composition of embassies. Information on such matters is scattered through the volume, not gathered in thematic surveys. This is regrettable, but has been unavoidable in the circumstances.
The present volume marks an important step, in that it is the first in tire new official publication series of the Society for the Promotion of Byzantine Studies, published on behalf of tire Society by Variorum.Editors' Preface.

Section I: The Byzantine Notion of Diplomacy.
A. Kazhdan. The notion of Byzantine diplomacy.
Section II: Phases of Byzantine Diplomacy.
E. Chrysos. Byzantine diplomacy, A.D. 300-800: means and ends
J. Shepard. Byzantine diplomacy, A.D. 800-1204: means and ends
N. Oikonomides. Byzantine diplomacy, A.D. 1204-1453: means and ends
Section III: Byzantium and Others.
J. Herrin. Constantinople, Rome and the Franks in the seventh and eighth centuries
T. Noonan. Byzantium and the Khazars: a special relationship?
H. Kennedy. Byzanline-Arab diplomacy in the Near East from the Islamic conquests to the mid eleventh century.
S. Franklin. Diplomacy and ideology: Byzantium and the Russian church in the mid twelfth century.
K. Hopwood. Low-level diplomacy between Byzantines and Ottoman Turks: the case of Bithynia.
Section IV: Sources on Diplomacy.
R. Scott. Diplomacy in the sixth century: the evidence of John Malaias.
I. Sevcenko. Re-reading Constantine Porphyrogenitus.
C. Schummer. Liudprand of Cremona - a diplomat?
M. Mullett. The language of diplomacy
Section V: Art in Diplomacy.
R. Cormack. But is it art?
A. Muthesius. Silken diplomacy.
J. Lowden. The luxury book as diplomatic gift.
Section VI: Social Aspects.
R. Macrides. Dynastic marriages and political kinship.
J. Haldon. "Blood and ink": some observations on Byzantine attitudes towards warfare and diplomacy.
M. Whitby. From frontier to palace: the personal role of the emperor in diplomacy.
D. Smythe. Why do barbarians stand round the emperor at diplomatic receptions?
Section VII: The Less Obvious End.
P. Antonopoulos. The less obvious ends of Byzantine diplomacy.