Institute of Historical Research . Section of Byzantine Research

The Research Program, entitled Byzantium and the Balkan-Eurasian World, emerged after the restructure of the Department of Byzantine Research of the IHR/NHRF in the summer of 2018. Focusing on the study of the history of states and peoples beyond the borders of the Byzantine Empire, the Program examines the relations of Byzantium with its northern neighbours (Eastern, Central and Southeastern Europe), and especially the early Slavs, the Germanic peoples and the nomads of Eurasia, emphasizing in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. Simultaneously, the Program places particular emphasis on the quality of its publications and it collaborates with high standard publishing houses or journals (e.g. Scopus database) for the publication of its research outcome.

The new Program keeps in the Institute the tradition and the research interests of an older one (Byzantium and the Slavic-Balkan World), which are enriched with new thematic areas and are adapted to the new demands of the research.

Research Projects

Regarding the current research activities:

a) Personal research programs: Morals and customs of the Eurasian nomads (4th-7th c.).
b) In the framework of the Collaborative Research Program ΑΝΑVATHMIS (2017-2020), the project Ethnogenesis and expansion of the early Slavs in the European area (5th-7th c.) is implemented, with deliverable a monograph in e-book form.
c) (under publication) Byzantium and Kievan Rus’, 882-1240 (collective volume).

Conferences and Events

The scientific events of the Program are relevant to its research interests. The Program organized a workshop for the year Greece-Poland 2019. The coordinator participates also in various lecture series, such as the annual lecture cycle of the Greek Association of South-Eastern European Studies. The Program participates also to the Educational Events of the NHRF, having organized the following Circles of lectures:

Byzantium and the steppe peoples (January 2019).
Ancient and early Byzantine Thrace (March 2020).

Collaborations

The program plans to develop collaborations with scientific Institutions in Greece and abroad in the framework of common research interests, which will aim at the implementation of joint projects or partnerships in editorial activity, organization of Scientific Events etc. Priority of the Program is its integration into international scientific Associations, such as the European Society for Central Asian Studies (ESCAS). The up to now activities of the Program coordinator also include collaborations with Universities or Research Centers in Greece and abroad as invited speaker as well as stay abroad supported by fellowships.

Publications

Monographs

Byzantium and the Avars, 6th-9th c. A. D. Political, diplomatic and cultural relations Brill: Leiden – Boston 2018. Revised translation of the monograph: Το Βυζάντιο και οι Άβαροι, ΣΤ΄-Θ΄αι. Πολιτικές, διπλωματικές και πολιτισμικές σχέσεις, IIR/NHRF, Monographs 15, Athens 2010.
Οι Άντες. Ιστορία και πολιτισμός (4ος-8ος αι.) [The Antes. History and Culture (4th-8th c.)], IIR/NHRF, Monographs 16, Athens 2016 (the monograph was initially published as e-book, IIR/NHRF, Digital Monographs 1, Athens 2015), http://ebooks.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/ihr/catalog/book/56.

Other publications / journals (indicative)

«Sclaveni and Antes. Some Notes on the Peculiarities between them», Slavia Orientalis 67/3 (2018), 377-393.
«The Title Anticus to the Successors of Justinian I. A Pattern of Imitation?», Byzantion-Nea Hellás 37 (2018), 265-284.
«A re-approach of Procopius’ ethnographic account on the early Slavs», Byzantina Symmeikta 27 (2017), 239-257.
«The Byzantine gold and the methods of the Avars», Vyzantiiskii Vremennik 101 (2017), 114-126.