Registrum Patriarchatus Constantinopolitani, Vol. V

The project Edition des Patriarchatsregisters von Konstantinopel, Band V: 1379-1390 (Patriachen Neilos, Antonios IV, Makarios [2. Periode]), Codex Vind. Hist. gr. 48, ff. 1r-60r is intended as the continuation of one of the main efforts in the field of Diplomatics in Byzantine Studies in Vienna: the edition, on the basis of a second manuscript, Codex Vind. Hist. gr. 48, of the register of the Partiarchate of Constantinople. With the previous publication of the first three volumes and a soon to be finished fourth volume, the edition of Codex Vind. Hist. gr. 47 will be complete. This work has applied new standards in Byzantine Diplomatics to the edition of documents and chancellary papers and has further improved these standards with model effect. In order to insure such improvements also in future, two young scholars specialised in Byzantine Diplomatics and (Church) History, Dr Ekaterini Mitsiou and Dr Johannes Preiser-Kapeller, have been trained by the applicant for this project over the course of several years in the specific problems of edition of patriarchal documents. Volume V, which is now to be prepared, covers the period from 1379 to 1390 and is devoted mainly to `foreign policy` in the wake of Ottoman advances and disputes with Russia over Church politics. In the sphere of internal politics, the documents repeatedly refer to the civil wars between John V, his son Andronikos IV and his grandson John VII. Up to the present the only available edition of these texts has been that of Franz Miklosich and Joseph Müller from the years 1860 and 1862. Excellent though this complete edition is, it does not meet the needs of modern scholars. Aside from errors in transcription due to the haste of publication, the main defects to be noted are the unexplained chronologcal order, the lack of references to direct or indirect citations, the often very arbitrary abbreviation of the texts, standardisation of spelling and insufficient indication of missing parts in the text. The Vienna edition in the series Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae presents the texts of the patriarchal register with a critical re- evaluation of the original document, and it eliminates the above-mentioned defects through a codicological examination of the make-up of the register (with notation of missing folia), a detailed analysis of the contents, including the chronological framework and diplomatic commentary of the documents and laws mentioned in the text (with supplementary references also to current collections of imperial and patriarchal documents) and, above all, a translation based on a glossary of the official language of the patriarchal chancellary (the first such in an edition of documents). Project Website: http://www.oeaw.ac.at/byzanz/prk.htm

The project aimed at a critical edition, a diplomatic analysis, and a German translation of the documents issued by the patriarchs of Constantinople Neilos Kerameus, Antonios IV and Makarios and transmitted in the codex unicus, Vienna, Austrian National Library, Historicus graecus 48, ff. 1r -57v (the original register manuscript). The engagement of a young, highly motivated team, best acquainted with this kind of documents and this period, did not only result in a critical edition according to all relevant scientific criteria, but also in the application of neighbouring disciplines (e.g. the actual network research from social sciences or within the text edition itself the observance of Byzantine stixis in original passages of the register). Within the introducing parts a consequent, partially reviewed scheme was adopted aiming at a better elaboration of inner Byzantine documents and fiscal registers; in this way the enumeration of estates and their incomes were studied in regard of registers or lists that may have been used, they ware listed in the rubric Mentioned Documents and Laws. So, for the first time, this diplomatic aspect was taken into consideration. The high appreciation of the research topic at the Institute for Byzantine Studies and especially the continuation afforded by the FWF can be seen not alone by the numerous invitations to events dealing with the history of the patriarchate, by the way an important impact on the career development of the collaborators, but vice versa also by the international participation on the project, which can be highlighted by the international congress on the register of the patriarchate of Constantinople, organized by the collaborators during the project. They managed it to invite several international researchers of excellent reputation working in the research field of the patriarchate during the period of the Palaiologian dynasty for papers and to discuss with them aspects of the register. This was combined with the establishing of a research network which bore fruits: Having been planned during the project and carried out in the phase out time of the project (Juni 2010) the collaborators were invited as co-operation partners by the CNRS, Paris together with a research group of the Athenian Idryma Ereunon Byzantinon (specialised on the register of the 15th century) to a workshop and the foundation of an international association. The edition being at present critically revised by the project supervisors for print was completed totally according to the project planning and will be submitted to the publication committee of the Austrian Academy of Sciences to be published in the Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae. With regard to an academic necessity the project also aimed at the presentation of the subject, scientific as well as popular; for best results the project was supported in this case by the Foundation Pro Oriente to give an insight in aspects of the patriarchate of Constantinople and the edition work to an audience interested in orthodoxy. In plenty of articles the collaborators have also complemented the edition by deepening historical or administrative questions arising during the interpretation of the documents.