This volume, edited by Benjamin Anderson and Mirela Ivanova, actively participates in the ongoing revision of dominant narratives within Byzantine studies. Informed by contemporary discussions on decolonisation, it dismantles lingering Eurocentrism and fosters a more nuanced understanding of the medieval past.
The book situates itself within the context of two pivotal events of 2020. The first is the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, USA, which served as a stark reminder of systemic racial injustice and ignited global movements demanding social equity. The second event is the politically charged conversion of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul from a museum back into a mosque by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. This act resonated deeply within the Byzantine scholarly community, forcing a necessary confrontation with the entanglement of politics and historical scholarship. The decision even spurred the Byzantine Studies Association to postpone and relocate its 2021 congress from Istanbul to Venice and Padua in 2022. These events underscore the urgency of critically examining the enduring influence of colonialism on academic disciplines, including Byzantine studies.
Emerging from a webinar held in 2020 and a subsequent roundtable discussion at the Venice Congress in 2022, the book presents a two-pronged approach to the subject matter through its Introduction and 14 rich contributions from 17 authors. The first section, reflected in the book's title, delves into the role of colonial constructs within Byzantine studies. The second section focuses on the question of how to write a more critical historiography of the discipline, one that dismantles its previously unchallenged canons and fosters a more inclusive understanding of the Byzantine past.
One key challenge lies in the fact there was no direct successor state to Byzantium, leading to the centuries-old appropriation of its legacy for diverse political ends. The Ottoman Empire, for instance, constructed its legitimacy by drawing on Byzantine heritage while simultaneously positioning itself as an ‘other’. Conversely, Balkan states as well as Russia claimed the mantle of the ‘Third Rome’, highlighting the instrumental role of ‘imperialism’ and ‘nationalism’ in shaping Byzantine studies. The West further complicated the narrative by viewing Byzantium as the ‘Oriental other’, projecting its own anxieties onto the Eastern Empire. Building on this theme of contested legacy, the editors propose a fascinating duality: Byzantium as both a coloniser of its eastern neighbours and a colonised entity through the Orientalist lens of Western narratives.
The subsequent contributions delve deeper into this complex situation. Nathanael Aschenbrenner and Jake Ransohoff reveal the financial side of the discipline, exposing the connection between early Byzantine studies and the economic realities of European colonialism. Hugh Jeffery emphasises the ethical implications of neglecting post-Byzantine history in archaeological practices. Şebnem Dönbekci and colleagues highlight the political sensitivities and the limitations of a purely decolonial framework surrounding Byzantine heritage in the wake of Hagia Sophia's conversion. Nicholas Matheou argues persuasively that source bias leads to an overemphasis on elite perspectives and suggests examining periods of imperial weakness to uncover alternative viewpoints within the empire. Anthony Kaldellis and Averil Cameron further critique the persistent Eurocentrism within Byzantine studies, a methodology that has shaped the field while simultaneously hindering the adoption of innovative approaches. Moreover, the volume explores the appropriation of Byzantium for post-colonial identity formation. Maria Mavroudi's work explores how some movements—for example, the artist Mark Doox's work presenting civil-rights figures through Orthodox iconography—utilise ‘subaltern Byzantiumism’ to challenge dominant Western narratives.
Building on the critique of Eurocentrism and colonial entanglements in Byzantine studies, several contributors delve deeper into specific power dynamics within the field. Arietta Papaconstantinou reviews the over-reliance on Greek sources in Byzantine scholarship, arguing it neglects non-Greek experiences. This necessitates incorporating diverse languages and materials for a more nuanced historiography. Alexandra Vukovich, through the concept of the ‘ethnic process’, highlights the colonial aspects of the Byzantine Empire. She argues that imperial centres, including Byzantium, often defined and categorised peripheral peoples, such as the Rus, in a way that served their own political agendas. Matthew Kinloch tackles the issue of a lack of diversity within current Byzantine studies itself. He points to statistics that reveal a field dominated by white, male and Eurocentric scholars, with English as the primary language of discourse. Kinloch advocates for a more inclusive approach, encouraging the inclusion of diverse voices and perspectives to enrich the field's understanding of the Byzantine world.
Arielle Winnik examines the decontextualisation of Byzantine-Egyptian textiles in nineteenth-century museums, highlighting how empires exploit cultural objects. Stephanie Caruso chronicles the shifting racial interpretations of a Byzantine portrait, demonstrating how colonial practices influence art history. Andrea Achi argues for a more inclusive vision of Byzantine art through the case of an Ethiopian gospel leaf displayed in a Western museum. Finally, Elizabeth Williams critiques the colonial legacies of museums and proposes strategies for decolonising their narratives. The extensive bibliography encourages further exploration within a more self-reflective field of Byzantine studies.
In conclusion, this volume is a significant contribution to the ongoing transformation of Byzantine studies. By moving beyond simplistic pronouncements and engaging with contemporary discussions on decolonisation, it dismantles lingering Eurocentrism and fosters a more nuanced understanding of the medieval past. The contributors offer a rich tapestry of perspectives, critically examining the power dynamics that shaped both the historical reality of Byzantium and the subsequent development of the field itself.
