Armenians in the Byzantine Empire: Identity, Assimilation and Alienation from 867 to 1098

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Description

Armenians in the Byzantine Empire is a new study exploring the relationship between the Armenians and Byzantines from the ninth through eleventh centuries. Utilising primary sources from multiple traditions, the evidence is clear that until the eleventh century Armenian migrants were able to fully assimilate into the Empire, in time recognized fully as Romaioi (Byzantine Romans). From the turn of the eleventh century however, migrating groups of Armenians seem to have resisted the previously successful process of assimilation, holding onto their ancestral and religious identity, and viewing the Byzantines with suspicion. This stagnation and ultimate failure to assimilate Armenian migrants into Byzantium has never been thoroughly investigated, despite its dire consequences in the late eleventh century when the Empire faced its most severe crisis since the rise of Islam, the arrival and settlement of the Turkic peoples in Anatolia.

Reviews

This is an exploration of another Byzantium, viewed not through the usual lens of Greek Orthodoxy and Hellenic culture, but through the Armenian princes and soldiers who first submitted to their powerful neighbour and integrated themselves into its society, then later separated and founded a state of their own. * Professor Jonathan Harris, Royal Holloway University of London, UK *
The eleventh-century rift between the Byzantine Empire and the Armenian people played a crucial role in shaping the future history of Anatolia and the wider region. In this compelling study, Bromige offers an insightful model for understanding how the once-strong bonds connecting these communities collapsed into suspicion and animosity. * Nicholas Morton, Nottingham Trent University, UK *

Author Bio

Toby Bromige is Visiting Lecturer at City, University of London. He holds a PhD from Royal Holloway, University of London.