A Tale of Two Pyres: Re-evaluating the Bogomil Trial Scene of Anna Komnene

This article concerns the trial sequence narrated by Anna Komnene in Book XV section 9.2-5 of her. In this passage, the princess historian describes a dramatic show trial in which a large number of accused Bogomils are brought together and given the choice between two pyres - one representing repent...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Mincin, Elisabeth ca. 20./21. Jh. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Invalid server response. (JOP server down?)
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Peeters [2019]
In: Byzantion
Year: 2019, Volume: 89, Pages: 421-432
IxTheo Classification:CD Christianity and Culture
KAE Church history 900-1300; high Middle Ages
KBL Near East and North Africa
Online Access: Volltext (doi)
Description
Summary:This article concerns the trial sequence narrated by Anna Komnene in Book XV section 9.2-5 of her. In this passage, the princess historian describes a dramatic show trial in which a large number of accused Bogomils are brought together and given the choice between two pyres - one representing repentance to Orthodoxy whilst the other representing the maintenance of their heretical beliefs. In either case, they were all to be sentenced to death. I argue that this scene is not simply theatrical but, in fact, a complete fiction, engineered by Anna for the sake of enforcing a desired ideological image of her father as a Christ-like saviour.
ISSN:2294-6209
Contains:Enthalten in: Byzantion
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.2143/BYZ.89.0.3287078