Identification of Byzantine Emperors in the So-Called “Introduction” to the “Sofia Chronicle” (“Introduction” of the “Initial Compilation”)
State Academic University of the Humanities
Financing: state assignment of the Ministry of Sciences and Higher Education of the Russian Federation: topic FZNF-2023-0003 “Traditions and values of society: mechanisms of formation and transformation in the context of global history” No. 1022040800353-4-6.1.1; 5.9.1 (at the State Academic University for the Humanities)
For citation: Shchavelev, Aleksei S. Identification of Byzantine Emperors in the So-Called “Introduction” to the “Sofia Chronicle” (“Introduction” of the “Initial Compilation”) // Graphosphaera. 2023. Vol. 3. № 2. P. 170–180. URL: http://writing.igh.ru/index.php?id=2023-3-2-170-180
DOI: 10.32608/2782-5272-2023-3-2-170-180
Abstract: The paper proposes a new identification of the names of Byzantine emperors (“Greek Caesars”) indicated as chronological reference points in the so-called “Introduction” to the “Initial Compilation” of the 11th century. Apart from Michael III, the last emperor of the Amorian dynasty, who was unambiguously identified, the second emperor was named Emperor Alexander of the Macedonian dynasty, and the third emperor was Isaakios I, the founder of the Komnenos dynasty. It is also possible that only two emperors are specified – the first, from which the history of the “Russian land” is counted, Michael III, and the second, contemporary for the author of the text, the ruler of Byzantium, Isaakios I Komnenos. In this case the name Alexander probably was the second monastic name of Isaakios I, who in 1059 left the throne and has left in a monastery, but kept connections with imperial palace. In favour of this speaks the most probable date of his tonsure, which falls on November 24 – the day of the memory of the martyr Alexander. The reference to Isaakios I Komnenos allows us to date the text of the “Introduction” to the beginning of the 1060s, attributing it to the so-called “Compilation of the 1060-s”.
Key words: Russian Chronicles, Initial Compilation, Introduction to the Initial Compilation, Compilation of the 1060-s years, Byzantine Emperors, Isaakios I Komnenos
Литература / References
Гиппиус А. А. Два начала Начальной летописи: к истории композиции Повести временных лет // Вереница литер: к 60-летию В. М. Живова. М., 2006. С. 56–96. [Gippius A. A. Dva nachala Nachal’noy letopisi: k istorii kompozitsii Povesti vremennykh let (Two Beginnings of Primary Chronicle: To the History of Composition of the Tale of Bygone Years) // Verenitsa liter: k 60-letiyu V. M. Zhivova. Moscow, 2006. S. 56–96.]
Гиппиус А. А. Предисловие к «Софийскому временнику» (Киевскому Начальному своду): текст, язык, источники // Русский язык в научном освещении. 2010. № 2 (20). С. 143–199. [Gippius A. A. Predisloviye k «Sofiyskomu vremenniku» (Kiyevskomu Nachal’nomu svodu): tekst, yazyk, istochniki (The Introduction to the “Sophia Chronicle” (Kiev Initial Code): Text, Language, Sources) // Russkiy yazyk v nauchnom osveshchenii. 2010. № 2 (20). S. 143–199.]
Гиппиус А. А. «До Александра и Исакия»: к вопросу о происхождении младшего извода Новгородской первой летописи // Древняя Русь. Вопросы медиевистики. 2011. № 1 (43). С. 18–30. [Gippius A. A. «Do Aleksandra i Isakiya»: k voprosu o proiskhozhdeniyu mladshego izvoda Novgorodskoy pervoy letopisi (“Until Alexander & Isaakios”: To the Question of the Genesis of Young Variant of Novgorod First Chronicle) // Drevnyaya Rus’. Voprosy mediyevistiki. 2011. № 1 (43). S. 18–30.]
Гиппиус А. А. «Нѣсть се Олегъ, но святыи Димитрии…»: к атрибуции летописного свода 1060-х годов // Восточная Европа в древности и средневековье. 2013. [Вып.] XXV. Экономические основы формирования государства в древности и средневековье. С. 62–68. [Gippius A. A. “Nѣst’ se Oleg”, no svyatyi Dimitrii…»: k atributsii letopisnogo svoda 1060-kh godov (“This is not Oleg, but St. Dimitrios”: To the Attribution of the Code of 1060s Years) // Vostochnaya Yevropa v drevnosti i srednevekov’ye. 2013. [Vyp.] XXV. Ekonomicheskiye osnovy formirovaniya gosudarstva v drevnosti i srednevekov’ye. S. 62–68.]
Зиборов В. К. О летописи Нестора. Основной летописный свод в русском летописании XI в. СПб., 1995. [Ziborov V. K. O letopisi Nestora. Osnovnoy letopisnyy svod v russkom letopisanii XI v. (About Nestor Chronicle. The Basic Chronicle Code in the Russian Chronicle Tradition of the 11th Century). St-Petersburg, 1995.]
Остромирово евангелие. 1056–1057. По изданию А. Х. Востокова. М., 2007. [Ostromirovo yevangeliye. 1056–1057. (Ostromir’s Gospel). Po izdaniyu A. Kh. Vostokova. Moscow, 2007.]
Пиотровская В. К. «Летописец вскоре Константинопольского патриарха Никифора» в славяно-русской письменной традиции. СПб., 2021. [Piotrovskaya V. K. «Letopisets vskore Konstantinopol’skogo patriarkha Nikifora» v slavyano-russkoy pis’mennoy traditsii. (“Letopisets vskore Konstantinopol’skogo patriarkha Nikifora” in the Slavic-Russian Script Tradition). St-Petersburg, 2021.]
Присёлков М. Д. Очерки по церковно-политической истории Киевской Руси X–XII вв. СПб., 2003. [Priselkov M. D. Ocherki po tserkovno-politicheskoy istorii Kiyevskoy Rusi X–XII vv. (Essays about Church & Political Histoiry of Kievan Rus’ of the 10th–11th Century). St-Petersburg, 2003.]
Спасский С. Полный месяцеслов Востока. М., 1997. Т. I–III. [Spasskiy S. Polnyy mesyatseslov Vostoka (Full Menologium of the East). Moscow, 1997. T. I–III.]
ПСРЛ – Полное собрание русских летописей. [PSRL – Polnoye sobraniye russkikh letopisey. (Full Collection of Russian Chronicles).]
T. III. Новгородская первая летопись Старшего и Младшего и изводов. М., 2000. [T. III. Novgorodskaya pervaya letopis’ Starshego i Mladshego i izvodov (Novgorod First Chronicle of Elder & Younger Variants). Moscow, 2000.]
Т. XV. Рогожский летописец. Тверской сборник. М., 2000. [Rogozhskiy letopisets. Tverskoy sbornik (Rogozhskiy Chronicle. Tverskoy Compilation). Moscow, 2000.]
Успенский Б. А., Успенский Ф. Б. Иноческие имена на Руси. М.; СПб., 2017. [Uspenskiy B. A., Uspenskiy F. B. Inocheskiye imena na Rusi (Monk Names in Rus’). Moscow; St-Petersburg, 2017.]
Фоллин С. Об одном возможном источнике предисловия в Начальному своду // Ruthenica. 2008. Т. VII. С. 140–153. [Follin S. Ob odnom vozmozhnom istochnike predisloviya v Nachal’nomu svodu (About One Possible Source of the Introduction to the Initial Code) // Ruthenica. 2008. T. VII. S. 140–153.]
Шахматов А. А. Повесть временных лет и ее источники // Труды Отдела древнерусской литературы Института русской литературы (Пушкинский дом). 1940. T. IV. С. 9–150. [Shakhmatov A. A. Povest’ vremennykh let i yeye istochniki (Primary Chronicle & Its Sources) // Trudy otdela drevnerusskoy literatury Instituta russkoy literatury (Pushkinskij dom). 1940. T. IV. S. 9–150.[
Шахматов А. А. Предисловие к Начальному Киевскому своду и Несторова летопись // Шахматов А. А. История русского летописания. Т. I. Повесть временных лет и древнейшие русские летописные своды. Кн. 2. Раннее русское летописание. СПб., 2003. С. 380–412. [Shakhmatov A. A. Predisloviye k Nachal’nomu Kiyevskomu svodu i Nestorova letopis’ (The Introduction to the Initial Kiev Code & Nestor’s Chronicle) // Shakhmatov A. A. Istoriya russkogo letopisaniya. T. I. Povest’ vremennykh let i drevneyshiye russkiye letopisnyye svody. Kn. 2. Ranneye russkoye letopisaniye. St-Petersburg, 2003. S. 380–412.]
Gautier P. Monodie inédite de Michel Psellos sur le basileus Andronic Doucas // Revue des études byzantines. 1966. № 24. P. 153–170.
GMCh – Georgii Monachi Chronicon. Vol. I–II / Ed. C. de Boor. Lipsiae, 1904.
NAC – Nicephori Archiepiscopi Constantinopolitani Opuscula Historica / Ed. C. de Boor, acc. Ignatii Diaconi Vita Nicephori. Lipsiae, 1908.
NB – Nicéfore Bryennio Histoire / Intr., texte, trad. et notes par P. Gautier. Bruxelles, 1975. (CFHB; IX).
PBW – Prosopography of Byzantine World. URL: http://db.pbw.kcl.ac.uk/pbw2011/jsp/narrativetree.jsp (дата обращения: 01.09.2023)
PMBZ – Prosopographie der mittelbyzantinischen Zeit. URL: https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/pmbz/html (дата обращения: 01.09.2023)
PVL – The Pověst Vremennych lět. An Interlinear Collation and Paradosis / Compl. & Ed. by D. Ostrowski. Harvard, 2003. Pt. 1–3.
