History of the Eastern Mediterranean

Research on early medieval Cyprus has focused on the late antique " golden age " (late fourth/early fifth to seventh century) and the so-called Byzantine " Reconquista " (post-AD 965) while overlooking the intervening period. This phase was characterized, supposedly, by the division of the political sovereignty between the Umayyads and the Byzantines, bringing about the social and demographic dislocation of the population of the island. This book proposes a different story of continuities and slow transformations in the fate of Cyprus between the late sixth and the early ninth centuries. Analysis of new archaeological evidence shows signs of a continuing link to Constantinople. Moreover, together with a reassessment of the literary evidence, archaeology and material culture help us to reappraise the impact of Arab naval raids and contextualize the confrontational episodes throughout the ebb and flow of Eastern Mediterranean history: the political influence of the Caliphate looked stronger in the second half of the seventh century, the administrative and ecclesiastical influence of the Byzantine empire held sway from the beginning of the eighth to the twelfth century. Whereas the island retained sound commercial ties with the Umayyad Levant in the seventh and eighth centuries, at the same time politically and economically it remained part of the Byzantine sphere. This belies the idea of Cyprus as an independent province only loosely tied to Constantinople and allows us to draw a different picture of the cultural identities, political practices and hierarchy of wealth and power in Cyprus during the passage from Late Antiquity to the early Middle Ages.

This paper will discuss the political and legal aspects of the maritime disputes in the Eastern Mediterranean and the factors relevant to their conciliation. The first part of the paper introduces the Mediterranean Sea and the relevance of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) regime in its basins. Subsequently, the author summarizes relevant historical cleavages in the Levant Basin, with a focus on relevant modern Lebanese-Israeli, Lebanese-Syrian and inter-Cypriot events. Part III will discuss the increasing interest in EEZ delimitation over the past decade due to hydrocarbon prospects in the Eastern Mediterranean and the geopolitical and maritime challenges that have since taken shape. Finally, based on the Law of the Sea and previous examples from around the world, the author discusses relevant legal avenues for achieving balanced solutions to maritime tensions in the region and presents the most relevant criteria in delimiting maritime boundaries.

Η μελέτη εξετάζει το σύνθετο πλέγμα σχέσεων και αλληλεξαρτήσεων που αναπτύχθηκε στη διάρκεια του πρώτου αιώνα της λατινικής κυριαρχίας στο Αιγαίο μεταξύ κατακτητών, εποίκων και εγχωρίων καθώς και με τον υπόλοιπο λατινοκρατούμενο χώρο (φεουδαρχικές σχέσεις, πολιτικές εξαρτήσεις, οικογενειακοί δεσμοί, οικονομικές συναλλαγές κ.α.). Σε αυτό το πλαίσιο ερευνώνται οι παράγοντες εκείνοι που με τον ένα ή το άλλο τρόπο λειτούργησαν καθοριστικά στη διαμόρφωση των σχέσεων αυτών, όπως η προέλευση και η κοινωνική θέση των νέων κυριάρχων, οι συνθήκες εγκατάστασής τους στην περιοχή, η εκάστοτε πολιτική συγκυρία, η θέση και η γεωπολιτική σημασία των νησιών, η διάταξή τους σε ομάδες ή μεμονωμένα. Η πραγμάτευση του θέματος εστιάζει στις μικρές ανεξάρτητες ή ημιανεξάρτητες δυτικές κυριαρχίες που δημιουργήθηκαν στο Αιγαίο μετά την Τέταρτη Σταυροφορία και αγγίζει περιφερειακά τα δύο μεγάλα νησιά της Εύβοιας και της Κρήτης.

Famagusta Maritima: Mariners, Merchants, Pilgrims and Mercenaries
presents a collection of scholarly studies spanning the thousand year history of the port of Famagusta in Cyprus. This historic harbour city was at the heart of the Crusading Lusignan dynasty, a possession of both Genoa and Venice during the Renaissance, a port of the Ottoman Empire for three centuries, and in time, a strategic naval and intelligence node for the British Empire. It is a maritime space made famous by the realities of its extraordinary importance and influence, followed by its calamitous demise.

Contributors are: Michele Bacci, Lucie Bonato, Tomasz Borowski, Mike Carr, Pierre-Vincent Claverie, Dragos Cosmescu, Nicholas Coureas, Marko Kiessel, Antonio Musarra, William Spates, Asu Tozan, Ahmet Usta, and Michael Walsh.

This study presents a precious illuminated Bible, dating to the late 13th century, actually in the Cleveland Museum of Art: the
contribution shows that this significant manuscript is stylistically close to a group of illuminated Bibles from Catalonia and French
Midi. On the basis of its stylistic and palaeographic analysis, the Bible is attributable to southern France. This Bible must be considered
therefore as a concrete example of an original creative process based on geographical mobility of manuscripts, exchanges of
models and interactions between clients, owners and illuminators (often from different backgrounds) in the geographical context
of the Mediterranean arc, between southern France and Catalonia.

This study aims to reveal the role of the Ancient Era developments in shaping the Eastern Mediterranean geopolitics. In this context, the main issues of the region’s history are examined. The Eastern Mediterranean has always been a crucial competition stage of the world politics. Investigating the historical developments, thus, can help to expose the geopolitical and security structure of the region. Specifically, the political and economic domains deserve special attention. Firstly, the economic, political, and strategic importance of the region is emphasized. Secondly, the interaction of Egyptians, Hittites and Assyrians in this region is analysed with reference to modern concepts such as hegemony and balance of power. Thirdly, the main developments of the Roman Era are discussed. Finally, it is concluded that although actors of the region have changed over time, there are some perpetual characteristics that still continue to shape the geopolitics of the Eastern Mediterranean.

This present essay focuses on the information that Hispanic spies collected in the Levant during the sixteenth-century. Based on archival and literary sources, the study is built around the typical structure of a lyric opera to show the worth of the secret correspondence such as archetype of European perception about the Ottoman Empire and, more generally, about all the Islam.
KEY WORDS: Intelligence; Secret information; Ottoman Empire; Hispanic Monarchy; Eastern Mediterranean; Otherness.

Torino, 2-3 settembre 2021 - Polo del '900, via Del Carmine 14
XV CONVEGNO INTERNAZIONALE DI STUDI STORICI DI
"SPAGNA CONTEMPORANEA"
1820-1830: RIVOLUZIONE, REAZIONE, LIBERALISMO
Convegno in omaggio a Alberto Gil Novales e Jean-René AymesLa vicinanza del Bicentenario delle rivoluzioni liberali in Grecia, Polonia, Portogallo, Spagna e Italia tra il 1820 e il 1830 e dell’estensione della crisi all’Atlantico e al Mediterraneo è utile per un primo bilancio sulle ricerche in corso e sulle prospettive storiografiche.
Si trattò di una crisi globale, che svolse un ruolo di primo piano nelle origini del mondo contemporaneo, intrecciando guerra e rivoluzione, progetti costituzionali e rinnovamenti delle monarchie, o viceversa rilancio del loro assetto materiale e ideologico tradizionale. Essa mobilitò eserciti e comunità politiche, favorendo la circolazione di uomini e generando una imponente messe di testimonianze e memorie.
La proposta di convegno prende le mosse dal corpo di studi internazionali che negli anni recenti, focalizzandosi sull’epoca post-napoleonica, si è misurato sui contenuti e i modi della politicizzazione e del conflitto civile; così come sull’istituto monarchico e sulle ideologie, le correnti e le pratiche controrivoluzionarie in Europa e in America; come, infine, sui caratteri transnazionali della Restaurazione, la nascita dei diversi patriottismi nazionali e le differenti e tipiche declinazioni del liberalismo.All’interno di questo mondo, il conflitto tra la Rivoluzione e la Restaurazione ha prodotto soluzioni politiche, statali, nazionali e costituzionali differenti: e in tal senso lo studio della crisi del decennio 1820-1830 offre ancora oggi la possibilità di formulare innovative prospettive interpretative sui modi della transizione che portò dalla guerra globale del 1792-1815 alla creazione delle comunità politiche ed istituzionali caratteristiche del mondo contemporaneo.
Le nuove domande della storiografia politica, istituzionale e culturale aprono uno spazio proficuo ai fini dell’innovazione della ricerca su questo periodo. Discuterle è l’obiettivo principale di questo convegno.
All’iniziativa hanno aderito oltre quaranta studiosi, provenienti da dieci Paesi (Francia, Germania, Grecia, Messico, Polonia, Portogallo, Regno Unito, Spagna, Stati Uniti, Italia), che da diversi punti di vista e con diversi approcci metodologici affronteranno i vari temi enunciati nel titolo.

4 febbraio 2022 - 15.30-15.50 SESSIONE : LA DIPLOMAZIA: SPERANZE, ILLUSIONI E AMBIZIONI : ROSA MARIA DELLI QUADRI: "ALLE ORIGINI DELLA MOBILITAZIONE INGLESE PER LA GRECIA: LA CESSIONE DI PARGA"

I recenti scavi della Missione archeologica a Mozia della Sapienza nella Zona C hanno individuato il primo stanziamento fenicio, con una serie di pozzi e l'Edificio C8, i cui resti fotografano i momenti iniziali di vita della colonia fenicia nel secondo quarto dell'VIII secolo a.C.

Αντικείμενο της μελέτης είναι η διερεύνηση του ιστορικού υπόβαθρου που δημιούργησε τα ομηρικά έπη και τον επικό κύκλο. Το αντικείμενο αυτό απασχολεί βέβαια την έρευνα από τα χρόνια των αλεξανδρινών φιλολόγων· ωστόσο νέες ανακαλύψεις, ιδίως στον χώρο της αιγαιακής αρχαιολογίας και της αρχαιολογίας και φιλολογίας των ανατολικών πολιτισμών, αλλά και νέες προσεγγίσεις επιτρέπουν διαρκώς νέες ερμηνείες. Η μονογραφία στηρίζεται στην εξαντλητική μελέτη των γραπτών και αρχαιολογικών πηγών – του επικού κύκλου, των κειμένων της Γραμμικής γραφής Β΄, μυθολογικών κειμένων στην ελληνική και τις ανατολικές γλώσσες, εισαγμένων έργων τέχνης και χρηστικών αντικειμένων από τον ελλαδικό χώρο στη Μικρά Ασία, την Αίγυπτο και την Εγγύς Ανατολή κατά την Εποχή του Χαλκού και την πρώιμη Εποχή του Σιδήρου και ανατολικές εισαγωγές στην Ελλάδα κλπ. – αλλά και στην κριτική αποτίμηση της σχετικής βιβλιογραφίας στους τομείς των ομηρικών ερευνών, της ασσυριολογίας, αιγυπτιολογίας, χεττιτολογίας, προϊστορικής και κλασικής αρχαιολογίας και μυθολογίας. Ο συγγραφέας δεν χρησιμοποιεί μόνο τη διεθνή βιβλιογραφία, αλλά αναλύει και τα σημαντικότερα κείμενα παρουσιάζοντας δικές του μεταφράσεις από το πρωτότυπο στα κρισιμότερα σημεία, καθώς γνωρίζει την χεττιτική, λουβική, χουρριτική και φρυγική γλώσσα, τη σφηνοειδή και τη λουβική ιερογλυφική γραφή, καθώς και αρκετές σύγχρονες γλώσσες.

Το βιβλίο προλογίζει ο Καθηγητής Αρχαίας Ιστορίας στο Institute of Advanced Studies του Πανεπιστημίου Princeton κος Άγγελος Χανιώτης. Μετά από εισαγωγικά κεφάλαια για τις καταβολές των ελληνικών μυθολογικών παραδόσεων, τη θεματολογία της πρώιμης ελληνικής αγγειογραφίας και το ελληνικό δωδεκάθεο, η μονογραφία αποτελείται από πληθώρα επιμέρους μικρών κεφαλαίων, που πραγματεύονται ειδικά θέματα – περίπου ως ψηφίδες που συνθέτουν μια μεγάλη εικόνα. Το θέμα αυτής της μεγάλης εικόνας είναι η διαδικασία μεταφοράς μυθολογικών παραδόσεων, ιδεών, αντικειμένων και λατρειών από την Ανατολή στην Ελλάδα και αντιστρόφως, οι πολιτικές και διπλωματικές σχέσεις μεταξύ των μυκηναϊκών κρατών και των διαδόχων τους με κράτη της Ανατολής, ιδίως με τα κράτη των Χετταίων και των Νεο-Ασσυρίων, και γενικότερα οι πολιτικές και οικονομικές επαφές και η πολιτισμική ώσμωση στην ανατολική Μεσόγειο. Όλα τα επιμέρους ζητήματα, που δεν μπορούν να απαριθμηθούν εδώ, εξετάζονται με εξαντλητική χρήση των πηγών, προσεκτική αποτίμηση (και πολύ συχνά κριτικό σχολιασμό) της προγενέστερης έρευνας και ιδιαίτερη πρωτοτυπία, όπως π.χ. σχετικά με τη σχέση του μύθου του Ουλλικούμμη με τον μύθο του Αχιλλέα, τη δημιουργία του επικού κύκλου πριν από την απειλητική εξάπλωση της νεο-ασσυριακής αυτοκρατορίας και τους διαύλους επικοινωνίας και τους πιθανούς τρόπους μεταβίβασης ιδεών και μυθολογικών μοτίβων εκατέρωθεν του Αιγαίου, προφορικά και γραπτά. Ο συγγραφέας συχνά ασκεί πρωτότυπη και πειστική κριτική σε διάφορες απόψεις που έχουν διατυπωθεί στην έρευνα.

Η πρωτοτυπία και συμβολή της μονογραφίας αυτής στην έρευνα δεν συνίσταται μόνο στις επιμέρους ερμηνευτικές συμβολές, αλλά και (ίσως κυρίως) στη συνολικά πρωτότυπη εικόνα που προκύπτει για τις σχέσεις ελληνικού κόσμου και Ανατολής στην περίοδο περ. 1400-600 π.Χ. Είναι σχέσεις αδιάκοπων ανταλλαγών και ώσμωσης, από τις οποίες προκύπτει ένας ενιαίος ιστορικός χώρος στην ανατολική Μεσόγειο που είναι αναγκαίο να εξετάζεται ως ενότητα όχι μόνο μετά τις εκστρατείες του Αλεξάνδρου, αλλά ήδη από την Εποχή του Χαλκού. Το έργο αυτό είναι πολύ καλογραμμένο, με εξαιρετική τεκμηρίωση, πειστική σύνθεση και σαφή επιχειρηματολογία. Περιλαμβάνεται εκτενής περίληψη στα αγγλικά.

Για ιστορικούς, αρχαιολόγους, φιλολόγους και κάθε ενδιαφερόμενο επί ζητημάτων αρχαιογνωσίας.

Marks incised or painted on Eastern Mediterranean pottery from the Late Bronze Age – generically known as «potmarks» – have been extensively studied in the past two decades. Incised markings have also appeared on ingots and other metallic supports, although these have arguably received less attention. It has long been clear that some of these marks consist of signs drawn from existing writing systems, with Cypro-Minoan playing a special role, and this has contributed to scholars’ research on the relationship between marks and script. However, many unknowns remain. An old and significant problem relates to difficulties in assessing which marks can be securely identified with Cypro-Minoan signs, stemming from the lack of a detailed palaeographical study of the script’s signary. Recent advances in our knowledge of Cypro-Minoan, especially with regards to the palaeographic variation and identity of its signs, now enable us to better understand which marks are extracted from that writing system and which are not. With a special focus on ingot- and potmarks from the Eastern Mediterranean and Sardinia, this article discusses methods for distinguishing Cypro-Minoan marks from non-Cypro-Minoan marks. It is argued that a greater number of marks can now be securely identified with signs of the Cypro-Minoan script. In a second stage, findings are compared with other parameters, such as vessel shapes and functions, find-spots and places of import, and methods (incised or painted) and timings (before or after firing or casting) of the marks. This re-evaluation reveals no significant distribution patterns, suggesting that many different marking systems might have been in use or that the choice of Cypro-Minoan signs used as marks was not very systematic. In our conclusions, we discuss the implications of these results for our knowledge of the dynamics of Bronze Age Cypriot society.

In early modern period, bosnian conquest and islamization provoke several historiographical debates - deeply close to current social and political concerns - that this paper - stemed from two lectures made at University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - try to go over. Thanks the abundant studies published since the last bosnian war, it has been clear conquest and islamization of Bosnia are two different processes. Islamization is partly due to internal social conflicts of the christian medieval bosnian society and to opportunities for the dhimmi-s to make a career out of the Ottoman administration or to freed themselves from the Jizya or from their lords. Islamization is not encourage as it is an issue for the Sultan taxation and for the Muslim Clergy. New Bosnian Muslims present many evidences of religious and cultural syncretism. Islam is adapted to the structures of the society and conversions reinforce the traditional elite's position, which chose to turn Muslim. Yet, according to the Ottoman clergy, jihad is not conquest and conversion but a way to control the practices of converted Muslims and in a changing world.

The Proceedings of the III. Scientific Symposium on the Asia Minor Greeks, who arrived in Cyprus contain Salutations, nine related papers on the subject with English Summaries and Index./ Τα Πρακτικά του Γ΄ επιστημονικού Συμποσίου, που είχε αφιερωθεί στις αρχειακές μαρτυρίες των Μικρασιατών, που έφθασαν στην Κύπρο περιλαμβάνουν Χαιρετισμούς, εννέα πρωτότυπες σχετικές μελέτες με αγγλιστί περιλήψεις και Ευρετήριο (Index) ονομάτων και γεωγραφικών όρων.

Revised and significantly enhanced from the 2012 publication by the same author.

Absence of cut stone from Cypriot monuments lends itself to a legend that the British took stone and used it ‘in the Suez Canal’ - a story appearing on websites, in tourist literature, in academic footnote and archives. This article wrings substance from the legend, taking several approaches: archival searches in Cyprus and France, site visits in Cyprus and Egypt, personal interview and investigation of Cypriot archaeology and art history literatures. So far, there is no direct proof of Cypriot stone inside the Suez Canal or used in the structures that accompany it, but there is plenty of evidence for it.  Stone poaching and export from Cyprus, although ignominious, are a curious source of pride in Cypriot lore and this perspective adds a new dimension to formal understandings of stone reuse. Looking at the timing and material consumption of the Suez Canal project compared to local deficits in stone, this work shows the breadth of stone export generally headed to Port Saïd during the late Ottoman and British Colonial periods, and looks at the nature of Cypriot export including the agents of, and motivating forces behind it as well as efforts to stop or regulate the trade. Competition - between those who would preserve Cypriot monuments, and others who used them as quarries - reveals different perspectives on the value of stone, on the idea of heritage and identity, and the ways these notions change over time.

Selected pages for those who wants to take a glimpse at my new book, Pirates for the Sultan. Slavery, Booty and Holy War in Ottoman Mediterranean, 1500-1700, Sultanın Korsanları: Osmanlı Akdenizi’nde Gazâ, Yağma ve Esaret, 1500-1700.

Drawing from a wide range of primary and secondary sources in English, French, Ottoman, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, German and Latin, this new work studies in 12 chapters and 600 pages the activities of Ottoman corsairs from the Adriatic to Iceland, from Baleares to Azores, dealing with several different aspects: Cultural (religion, superstition, sexuality, daily life aboard corsair ships), economic (division of the booty, piracy’s function in an emerging capitalist world market), social (piracy and banditry) geographical (topography of the North African coasts), political (Maghreb’s relation with Istanbul) and military (ship types, fleet compositions, military strategies employed). It has 16 colored, 34 black and white pictures, 20 maps and a 12 page glossary at the very end. You can buy it online at: https://www.kitapyurdu.com/kitap/sultanin-korsanlari-amp-osmanli-akdenizinde-gaza-yagma-ve-esaret-15001700/479170.html&manufacturer_id=196016

The call to the Paris Peace Conference (1919) concluded the peace treaties that ended the Great War: these treaties regulated various territorial disputes and contributed to the dissolution of certain empires and the creation of new states. The call to a peace settlement was met with enthusiasm by the Greek majority in the then British colony of Cyprus, which the United Kingdom had unilaterally annexed in 1914: the dominant issue in Cypriot politics at that time was the demand for the termination of British colonial rule and the union of Cyprus with Greece (enosis).  Such an aim was directly linked to the principle of self-determination that had already been gaining international impetus since 1917. Nevertheless, the efforts of the Greek Cypriot delegation (comprised of Greek Cypriot members of the Legislative Council and presided over by the Archbishop Kyrillos III of Cyprus) to Paris and, later on, to London, did not result in the settlement of the Cyprus Question in the pattern of enosis because of Britain’s decision to remain uncompromising regarding the prospect of Greek self-determination in Cyprus;  In the mind of Britain, the strategic value of Cyprus was closely linked to the security of British possessions in the Levant, especially given the potential of advances in aviation. Thus, Cyprus’ geostrategic location was considered ideal as a base in the near future.  The British stance hardened after the Treaty of Lausanne of 1923, under which Turkey recognised the annexation of 1914. The island was declared a British Crown Colony in 1925.  From the Greek perspective the Cyprus Question remained unresolved, despite the peace treaties under consideration at the Paris Peace Conference, the demise of the Ottoman Empire and the emergence of the doctrine of self-determination.
In the late 1920s and the early 1930s, the Cyprus Question remained unsettled, as union with Greece remained a solid and direct demand of the Greeks in Cyprus.  The British opposition to enosis, and Greek complaints about the colonial administration on both political and economic grounds, led to the spontaneous uprising known as “Oktovriana” (the October Events) in 1931, when civil disturbances erupted in the island and Government House was burned down.  The riots soon spread to other parts of Cyprus; the prompt reaction of the British colonial authorities, however, as well as the spontaneous and uncoordinated character of the revolt, brought about the complete restoration of British control over Cyprus and the onset of even more authoritarian colonial governance.
The present study investigates the British campaign to suppress the Revolt of 1931, an event that stands out as a landmark in 20th century Cypriot History, the first effort of the Greek population of Cyprus to gain freedom by radical means. As it will be pointed out, the British response was not confined solely to normal policing: the colonial authorities did not appreciate the uprising as purely one of public disorder; on the contrary, they considered it far more serious and necessitating the engagement of both military and police forces. This study, therefore, concentrates on the interrelationship between, on the one hand, military matters and, on the other hand, public security, intelligence gathering, policing and public order relating to the October Events.

More than 20 years after presenting his first interpretation of the mosaic from the House of Aion in a paper entitled “Uwagi na temat mozaiki z Domu Aiona w Nea Paphos (Cypr)” (Meander 9/10, 1987, p. 421-438, in Polish, and translated to English: « The Immortality of the Human Soul and the Dionysiac Mysteries in the 4th Century Allegory [in Connection with the Interpretation of the Mosaic from the “House of Aion” at Paphos in Cyprus]»), where he proposed reading the five mythological panels (1. Leda and Zeus; 2. Dionysus on Mount Nysa; 3. The Dionysian thiasos; 4. Apollo and Marsyas; 5. The Apotheosis of Cassiopeia) as an allegory of the destiny of the human soul and body, starting with conception and ending with the liberation of the soul and its apotheosis, the author now enhances his initial interpretation with numerous reflections concerning the historical context of this work of art, created in the years 320-360.
If, according to the author, the mosaic is a “Hymn” in honour of the pagan gods, Man (his soul) and his place in the (pagan) universe, then at the same time it polemicises with the Christian faith and its God, Jesus Christ.
The author puts forward numerous new solutions relating to the mosaic’s iconography and iconology. Analysis of the mosaic also leads him to propose a solution to the as-yet unanswered question regarding the absence of images of the crucified Christ in Christian art of the 3rd and 4th centuries, up until 420/430, when the first images of Christ on the cross appear.
CONTENTS:
Introduction
1. Research to-date (recap)
2. Description of mosaic (recap)
2.1. Composition of five mythological scenes
2.2. Brief iconographic description of mythological panels
2.3. Outline of individual iconographic elements and their respective roles
2.4. The pagan gods’ air of majesty and dignity as an expression of piety
3. A few words about the pagan reaction
4. An apology of pious human life according to pagan principles and a polemic on the Christian model of Man and his theological idol, Jesus Christ
4.1. Divine intervention in the act of human conception (allusion to/polemic on the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary)
4.2. The Epiphany of Dionysus (an allusion to the Epiphany of Christ – Theou Pais)
4.3. The procession and dissemination of Dionysian order (allusion to/polemic on Christ’s entry into Jerusalem)
4.4. The error of Marsyas (polemic on/allusion to the error of Jesus the Messiah): arrest, sentencing for arrogance and lack of piety (asebeia) and condemnation to a martyr’s death
4.5. The anabasis (or anagoge psyches) of a ‘beautiful soul’ (allusion to/polemic on the Ascension of Christ)
5. A few words on the mosaic programme prior to final conclusions
Final conclusions
Key words: mythological mosaic, House of Aion, Nea Paphos, Late Antiquity, Roman art, allegorical narrative, allusive language of mythological pictures, wordplay (Marsyas-Messias), Jesus Christ, anti-Christian polemic, Dionysos, Cassiopeia, Apollon, Nereides, Abstract Personifications, Greek Mythology, ΚΥΠΡΟΣ

In 1530 the Knights Hospitallers were granted the Maltese islands by Charles V. The administration of an archipelago on the Mediterranean war frontier required constant knowledge on the enemy. This article reconstructs Hospitaller Malta's principal intelligence collection and transmission channels during the seventeenth century, particularly during the magistracy of Alof de Wignacourt from 1601 to 1622, two important decades of infrastructural changes for the archipelago. These specialised communication channels allowed Malta to carve out a special place for itself within the Habsburg-Ottoman rivalry and, in a way, contributed to the gestation period which saw the island evolve from a medieval Spanish fief into an early modern state.

Keywords Hospitaller Malta-Intelligence-Ottoman-Habsburg rivalry-Seventeenth century-Communications-News transmission-Order of St John-Knights of St John

The fortifications of Famagusta, the largest port of Renaissance Cyprus, initially rose between 1308 and 1372 on orders from the Lusignan, the island’s ruling French family, and following Papal indulgences for their hastened completion. The chain of sociopolitical events that shaped Famagusta’s history under the subsequent rules of Genoa (1373-1464) and Venice (1489-1571) necessitated substantial modifications to the physical disposition of the city’s waterfront castle, walls, fifteen towers and three gates.
This paper interprets the defensive structures of Famagusta both as barriers that fragmented the city and its surrounding area into distinct territories, and as a network of interconnected spaces that gave the city its unified character and urban form. The city’s fortifications are shown to have not only functioned as inseparable parts of its military history, but also to have shaped the everyday life experiences of its diversified ethno-linguistic populace, and to have commanded Famagusta’s changing tyche or fortune.

Akdeniz tarih boyunca pek çok insan topluluğuna ve kültürlerine ev sahipliği yapmış büyük bir medeniyet havzasıdır. Bu havzanın bir parçası olan Doğu Akdeniz ise gerek üç büyük semavi din olan Yahudiliğin, Hıristiyanlığın ve İslamiyet’in doğduğu coğrafya olması gerekse de sahip olduğu siyasi, kültürel ve ekonomik zenginlik bakımından dikkat çekicidir.
Doğu Akdeniz tarihin başlangıcından günümüze kadar çok çeşitli mücadelelere ve büyük tarihi gelişmelere sahne olmuştur. Çalışmamız içerisinde ele alınan ve Doğu Akdeniz’in Türkiye ve Suriye kıyılarında uzanan şehirlerimizin yani Antalya, Alanya, Tarsus, Misis, Anazarba, Süveydiye ve Lazkiye’nin XIII. yüzyıl siyasi, sosyal ve ekonomik tarihlerine
odaklanılmıştır.
Ele aldığımız Doğu Akdeniz şehirleri Ortaçağ’ın en büyük olaylarından İslamiyet’in Doğuşu, Haçlı Seferleri ve Moğol İstilası gibi olaylardan ziyadesiyle etkilenmiş merkezlerdir. Aynı zamanda Selçukluların, Eyyûbîlerin, Memlûklerin ve Moğolların tarih sahnesine çıkışları ve aralarındaki siyasi mücadeleler de ele aldığımız şehirlerin tarihini şekillendirmiştir. Çalışmamız kapsamında ele aldığımız coğrafyadaki tarihi gelişmeler genel itibarıyla Türkiye Selçukluları, Kilikya Tâbi Ermeni Baronluğu, Doğu Akdeniz’de kurulan Haçlı Krallıkları, Eyyûbîler, Memlûkler ve Moğollar arasında gerçekleşmiştir. İlgili yerlerde çalışma sahasına müdahil olan başka devletlerin ve yerel güçlerin etkileri de ele alınmıştır.
XIII. yüzyılda Antalya ve Alanya şehirlerinin gerek siyasi, gerek ekonomik gerekse de sosyal tarihi büyük oranda Türkiye Selçukluları tarafından şekillendirilmiş, yüzyıl sonlarına doğru ise Karamanoğulları Beyliği devreye girmiştir. Tarsus, Misis ve Anazarba şehirlerinin bulunduğu Kilikya sahası XIII. yüzyılda Kilikya Tâbi Ermeni Baronluğu’nun egemenliği
altında kalmışsa da adı geçen yüzyıl içerisinde önce Türkiye Selçuklularının, Kösedağ Savaşı’ndan sonra Moğolların ve yüzyılın ikinci yarısının hemen ardından Memlûklerin hâkim olduğu bir siyasi durum mevcuttur. Süveydiye ve Lazkiye şehirlerinin bulunduğu Suriye mıntıkasında ise Haçlıların, Eyyûbîlerin ve daha sonra da Memlûklerin şekillendirdiği bir tarih söz konusudur.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Ortaçağ Akdenizi, Türkiye Selçukluları, Haçlılar, Eyyûbîler, Memlûkler, Moğollar.
ABSTRACT
Mediterranean is a major basin of interaction that has hosted many civilizations and cultures throughout history. Eastern Mediterranean which is a part of this basin, is remarkable for its political, cultural and economic richness as well as being the place where three major Semitic religions; Judaism, Christianity and Islam were born and spread. Eastern
Mediterranean has been the scene of various battles and major historical developments from the very beginning of history. This study deals with the political, social and economic history of Antalya, Alanya, Tarsus, Misis, Anazarba, Süveydiye and Lazkiye -located on the coasts of Turkey and Syria- within the 13th century.
These Eastern Mediterranean cities examined in this study are centers affected by the major events of the Middle Ages, such as the Birth of Islam, the Crusades and the Mongolian Occupation. Appearance of Seljuks, Ayyubids, Mamluks and Mongols on the stage of history
and the political struggles between them, shaped the history of the cities. Historical developments in the geography focused in the scope of the study, were between the Seljuk Turks, Cilicia Vassal Armenian Barony, Crusader Kingdoms established in Eastern Mediterranean, Ayyubids, Mamluks and Mongols. The impacts of other states and local
forces involved in the field of work were also discussed where necessary.
Throughout the 13th century, the political, economic and social history of Antalya and Alanya were largely shaped by the Seljuk Turks; and towards the end of this century Karamanoğulları Principality became active. Cilician field where Tarsus, Misis and Anazarba were located, was under the rule of Cilicia Vassal Armenian Barony; however later; first the Seljuk Turks; and then the Mongols after the Battle of Kösedağ; and the Mamluks following the second half of the century, dominated the political situation in the area. The history of the territory of Syria where Süveydiye and Lazkiye were located, was shaped by the Crusaders, Ayyubids and then the Mamluks.
Keywords: Medieval Mediterranean, Turkey Seljukids, Crusaders, Ayyubids, Mamluks, Mongols.

“Voilà un livre irremplaçable. Pour la première fois, un auteur choisit de traiter de la navigation vénitienne sous ses multiples aspects, politique, commercial, social, fiscal, du marché protégé au marché noir ou, si l’on préfère, de l’observation stricte des lois votées par les Conseils de la République, très attentifs à sauvegarder les positions commerciales de leur ville, à la contrebande durement réprimée, de la construction au naufrage provoqué et compensé par l’assurance maritime.”

----Jean-Claude Hocquet, in: Annales. Histoire, Sciences Sociales (June 2023) 78(2): pp. 389 - 391

“[…] an essential tool for all those interested in Venice and the major source of her influence and her prosperity, her ships of all kinds.”

----Susan Rose, in: The Mariner's Mirror (2022) 108(4): pp.480-481

Abstract: Drawing from a broad range of hitherto unpublished archival material and the reconstructed biographies of hundreds of San Marco ships, this book provides a critical overview of the Republic’s shipping activities contemporary with the major geographical discoveries of the period, the ascendency of the Ottoman Empire in the Mediterranean, and the on-going struggle among the major European powers for political and economic hegemony. Within this complex framework, the agency of environmental factors receives equal importance beside geopolitics and economic interests, challenging the accepted hierarchy of the factors impacting the maritime history of Venice.

Since the 11th century, there existed contacts between the territory of Ostarrichi and Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire at the Bosporus. These relations were intensified during the period of the Crusades, especially because of the participation of members of the house of Babenberg in these endeavours in the Eastern Mediterranean. Two Babenberg dukes, Henry II Jasomirgott (in 1148) and Leopold VI (in 1203), even married princesses from the imperial houses of Byzantium and became important intermediators between West and East. These events also left their marks in the Greek and Armenian historiography of the time, where we encounter the first references to “Austria”. Besides warfare and diplomacy, also elements of artistic style and stories found their way from the “Orient” to the Danube; yet, one still has to notice the persistent tradition of legends (such as the origin of the popular song “Eia poppeia” in Byzantium) even in scholarly literature. These well-known stories do not have any basis in our sources, which on the contrary allow us to draft a more realistic and at the same time not less fascinating pictures of the relations between Ostarrichi and the Bosporus.

For free download please visit http://rcin.org.pl/dlibra/publication?id=87872&tab=3
Abstract: In the ancient Eastern Mediterranean and beyond, textile production was a very dynamic activity where patterns of transmission of spinning and weaving skills through women can be traced over long distances. Even if it is traditionally believed that in antiquity lives of women were not so dynamic, several literary sources give consistent proofs of the mobility
of women. For example, the “Iliad” is among the most important texts in providing instances of forced or willing migration of women highly skilled in the craft of weaving, e.g. Sidonian women brought by Paris to Troy for their craftsmanship, who made the most beautiful cloth from Hecuba’s house (Hom. Il. 6.288-305), to Hector’s vision of his wife, Andromache, carried as slave to Argos and forced to spin for her future mistress (Hom. Il. 6.454-456). The view from the archaeological and iconographic evidence is consistent with that drawn from the literary record. Thus, we can follow the literary sources supported by iconography and archaeology to identify patterns of transmission of textile crafts through women in an effort to gain a better understanding of the dynamics of textile production in the ancient Greek world.

Gestione dell'acqua in europa (XII-XVIII Secc.) = Water Management in Europe (12th-18th centuries) : selezione di ricerche = Selection of essays. -Firenze : Firenze University Press, 2018. (Atti delle "Settimane di Studi" e altri Convegni, 49) http://digital.casalini.it/9788864537009 ISBN 978-88-6453-699-6 (print) ISBN 978-88-6453-700-9 (online) Peer Review Process All publications are submitted to an external refereeing process under the responsibility of the FUP (GLWRULDOÃ%RDUGÃDQGÃWKHÃ6FLHQWLÀFÃ&RPPLWWHHVÃRIÃWKHÃLQGLYLGXDOÃVHULHVÃ7KHÃZRUNVÃSXEOLVKHGÃLQÃWKHÃ FUP catalogue are evaluated and approved by the Editorial Board of the publishing house. For a PRUHÃGHWDLOHGÃGHVFULSWLRQÃRIÃWKHÃUHIHUHHLQJÃSURFHVVÃZHÃUHIHUÃWRÃWKHÃRIÀFLDOÃGRFXPHQWVÃSXEOLVKHGÃRQÃ WKHÃZHEVLWHÃDQGÃLQÃWKHÃRQOLQHÃFDWDORJXHÃRIÃWKHÃ)83ÃZZZIXSUHVVFRP /DÃ6HWWLPDQDÃGLÃ6WXGLÃqÃVWDWDÃUHDOL]]DWDÃFRQÃLOÃFRQWULEXWRÃGL) Ministero dei beni e delle attività culturali e del turismo /DÃ)RQGD]LRQHÃ'DWLQLÃVLÃGLFKLDUDÃÀQÃG·RUDÃGLVSRQLELOHÃDGÃDVVROYHUHÃLÃVXRLÃREEOLJKLÃSHUÃO·XWLOL]]RÃGHOOHÃ immagini contenute nel volume nei confronti di eventuali aventi diritto.

In the “calamitous” 14th century, as Barbara Tuchman called it in her classic „A Distant Mirror“ (1978) , the medieval world entered a period of severe crisis in demography, economy, politics and religion. This crisis took hold in all regions, ranging from China in the East to England in the West. Even before the catastrophic pandemic of the Black Death (1346-1352), deteriorating climatic conditions had ended the period of demographic and economic expansion that began in the 10th century.
The local and regional impacts and consequences of these general potentially crisis-laden conditions may have differed; outcomes ranged from actual societal collapse to the emergence of powerful new polities – while Byzantium´s power dwindled away, Hungary entered a period of strong rulership and external power in the reign of Louis I of Anjou (1342-1382), for instance. But these conditions provide a framework for global perspective on this period and allow us to use the 14th century-crisis as a field of “natural experiments of history”, as Jared Diamond and James A. Robinson have called them ; accordingly, we analyse how similar crisis phenomena influenced the development of societies with different (or similar) traditions, religions, institutions, geographies or ecologies.
In order to be able to capture the local variations and complexities, we adopt concepts and tools provided by the field of complexity science. Mono-causal or linear explanations are inadequate for the analysis and the description of crisis, transformation or collapse of pre-modern polities. Within this framework, complex systems are understood as large networks of individual components, whose interactions at the microscopic level produce “complex” changing patterns of behaviour of the whole system on the macroscopic level. In the last decades, historians and social scientists who became interested in complexity theory tried to use its concepts and terminology for the conceptualisation and description of phenomena in their own fields, but often only in a “metaphoric” way. Less frequently, though, historians have tried to make use of the mathematical foundations of complexity theory or of quantitative tools provided by this field. Recent scholarship has implemented some of these tools especially for the construction of macro-models of socio-economic development. While these studies help us construct analytical tools for the macro-level of our own research, they run the same risk as earlier scholarship of neglecting complex variations at the local and regional levels.
Therefore, we combine complexity theory with the analytical framework of „systems theory“ developed by the German sociologist Niklas Luhmann in order to capture the interveawements between politics, economy and religion within a polity and with the political, economic and ecological environment. In addition, we employ the methods and tools of network analysis, which allow us to capture, analyse and model linkages and cause-effect correlations in society, economy, politics and religion on the macro- and micro-level down to groups and individuals.
Overall, as a complement to earlier studies our analytical
approach shall allow us to capture the “diversité véritable” of our period without losing track of essential commonalities (the “strange parallels”, as Victor Liebermann has called them in his remarkable study on Southeast Asia in Global Context, 2009 ) of this “first world crisis” across all cultures and societies. The scientic value of this approach will be demonstrated for some specific cases.

Separated by fluid boundaries and marked by stark ethnic and confessional divisions, the worlds of the Christian East and Western Europe did not develop in a vacuum but maintained centuries-long reciprocal contacts and osmotic relationships that shaped their respective cultural and artistic traditions. First under Byzantine and then under Ottoman rule, Orthodox Christians came into close contact with their European counterparts either through peaceful encounters, such as trade and diplomacy, or through warfare, crusading, political and religious conflicts, as well as the migration waves that followed. These extensive networks of communication and exchange fostered an intense mobility of people and objects, as well as a constant circulation of knowledge, trends, and ideas between the Orthodox lands of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans, and the Catholic states of Central and Western Europe. Along with written sources, the material evidence of these enduring exchanges includes objects, such as portable artworks, devotional icons, manuscripts, liturgical objects, as well as monumental art and architecture.
The proposed special issue of Arts seeks to approach various aspects of the long-lasting interaction between the cultural and artistic traditions of the Christian East and West, focusing on themes such as the mobility of artists and patrons, cultural transfer, and appropriation, as well as artistic hybridity. By employing a broad chronological and geographical scope, this Special Issue invites contributions from a wide range of fields and disciplines, aiming to trace diachronic and trans-spatial aspects of the cultural contacts between Eastern and Western societies and to challenge long-established historiographical notions regarding the East-West dichotomy.
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Contributions have to address the topic of the Special Issue.
For more information please follow the link below:

Title: "Ottoman corruptions of post-Byzantine chant!"
About the long history of exchange between oktoechos and makam music and about a certain ideological discourse to talk about it

German version: Gerlach, O., 2018. ‘Osmanische Verfälschungen im nachbyzantinischen Gesang!’ Über die lange Geschichte eines Austauschs zwischen Oktoichos- und Makammusik und den ideologischen Diskurs darüber. In M. Pischlöger, hrsg. Bericht der Internationalen Tagung Wien 2016. Theorie und Geschichte der Monodie, 9.2. Brno: Tribun EU, S. 651–679.

English version: Gerlach, O., 2020. ‘Ottoman Corruptions of Post-Byzantine Chant!’ About the Long History of Exchange Between Oktoechos and Makam Music and About a Certain Ideological Discourse to Talk About It. In M. Pischlöger, ed. Bericht der Internationalen Tagung Wien 2018. Theorie und Geschichte der Monodie, 10. Brno: Tribun EU, pp. 117–144.

Summary:

In confrontation with the differences between Byzantine music transmission and the innovations of the New Music School of the Patriarchate since the 18th century, H.J.W. Tillyard reproached the living tradition of Orthodox monodic chant (called hyphos, the "patriarchal style") that it corrupted the Byzantine heritage. Gregorios Stathis reacted by a lecture at Oxford, in which he stressed, that a Western philologist like Tillyard does not understand the difference of music composed according to the makamlar from the one composed according to the oktoechos. He referred to the distinction between external (exoteric) and internal (esoteric) music which was common in Greek music theory of the 19th century, after makam music became transcribed as well into Byzantine neumes since the school of the Archon Protopsaltis Panagiotes Halacoğlu.

Only recently handwritten Greek Anthologies or "Mismagia" had been rediscovered as important sources of Ottoman music. This discovery raises the question how to deal with common prejudices and misunderstandings, which became an obstacle to approach the current tradition of psaltic art and its creative potential.

On two occasions, in 1436 and 1444, diplomat and antiquarian Cyriac of Ancona visited Athens and sketched the city's antiquities. Most famous is his drawing of the Parthenon's west facade, which he depicted not as it was-the entrance to a Catholic church with a high tower of reused ancient marble-but as he wanted it to bean ancient temple in pristine condition. 1 In 1458, the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II also ascended the citadel of Athens and 'from the ruins and the remains, he reconstructed mentally the ancient buildings, being a wise man and as a great king, and he conjectured how they must have been originally'. 2 That, in any case, was the report of the contemporary chronicler Kritovoulos of Imbros, who had not been with the sultan when he visited the recently conquered city. Mehmed's interest in drawing and in maps is well-attested and the Constantinopolitan historian Doukas even depicts the Conqueror sketching the walls of the Queen of Cities as he prepared his final assault. 3 We might quite plausibly imagine the Ottoman prince, like Cyriac some twenty years earlier, sketching the Parthenon, or perhaps a more distant view of the acropolis with its impressive Frankish defences. Neither Cyriac's nor Mehmed's admiring visits to Athens did much to stimulate antiquarian pilgrimage to Athens in the fifteenth century. Adapting Henri Pirenne's comment on America, 'discovered by the Norsemen and then forgotten, because, in the eleventh century, the world had as yet no need of it,' it seems that the world 1 Copies of Cyriac's sketch survive; see the excellent studies by Howard, 'Responses' and Tanoulas, 'Through the broken looking glass'. Also, Tanoulas, Τὰ Προπύλαια, 40-41, 310-314. 2 Kritovoulos, Histories, 3.9.5-6, tr. 136. Inserted after 'a wise man', the marginalium 'and a Philhellene' is found at 3.9.6, lines 27-28 of the unique manuscript dedicated to the sultan and kept in his private library.

Nel Cinquecento, lo spionaggio acquisisce formule e metodi diversi rispetto al passato e, grazie allo sviluppo della diplomazia e delle poste, che agevolano la trasmissione delle informazioni dimezzandone i tempi, i sovrani europei dispongono ora di mezzi aggiornati per scoprire le intenzioni del nemico. Si qualifica, in tal modo, il profilo della nuova "spia": agente specializzato che conosce la criptografia e i codici segreti, oltre a saper individuare le rotte più rapide ed efficaci per spedire i dispacci. Protagonista delle ricerche di Gennaro Varriale è Napoli, dove la corte promuove la costituzione di un sistema difensivo e di un ben articolato "network" spionistico. Nella strategia degli Asburgo, infatti, lo spionaggio rappresenta uno sguardo confidenziale sui turco-barbareschi e uno strumento essenziale nell'ambito del conflitto con l'Impero Ottomano.

The following study aims to present the Catalan-Aragonese presence in the Eastern Mediterranean during the 13th and 14th centuries, based on the work of Ramón Muntaner. Initially, some details regarding the above source will be stated, and also it will be mentioned briefly the course of the Crown of Aragon up to the end of the Wars of the Vespers on the eve of the 14th century. The main object of the study is the accomplishments of the Catalan Company in the East and Greece, as they are narrated in the aforementioned source, while we will attempt to approach psychologically the main characters, with the valuable aid of contemporary bibliography. What is more, apart from the territorial expansion, the present study will talk about the mercantile expansion of the Crown of Aragon to the eastern Mediterranean. Finally, there will be examined the bilateral relations and perceptions between the Byzantines and the Catalans, we will look for any cultural remnants that the Catalan-Aragonese presence left in Romania, while there will be pointed out some ascertainments regarding the primary source that was used in the present essay.