Date Compiled: 2026-04-12

Neagoe Basarab Teachings — Intertextual Analysis

Title: The foundation and function of the monarchic institution in The Teachings of Neagoe Basarab: an intertextual reading
Source: Conference proceedings: Învățăturile prește toate zilele, "Sfaturile lui Matei al Mirelor," Editura Academiei Române, 2018
Type: Conference proceedings article (Romanian)
Topic: Neagoe Basarab's Instructions — intertextual analysis of its Byzantine and biblical sources

Summary

This article analyzes two fundamental sources Neagoe Basarab draws on in his Instructions to Theodosie:

  1. Old Testament / Judeo-Christian tradition — the Samuel/Kings model of divine-right kingship
  2. Byzantine tradition — Patriarch Eftimie of Tarnovo's Enkomion of Saints Constantine and Helena

Neagoe inserts key fragments from these sources into his Instructions to construct his vision of the ideal ruler.

Key Arguments

The Old Testament Model

Neagoe uses the story of Saul and Israel's first king to construct a model of divinely-appointed kingship. The king must remember he is God's servant, appointed to rule on God's behalf. His judgment reflects his accountability to God.

The Constantinian Model (Via Eftimie of Tarnovo)

Eftimie of Tarnovo's Panegyric of Saints Constantine and Helena provided Neagoe with the Byzantine imperial template:
- The emperor as God's representative on earth
- The emperor's authority deriving from divine appointment, not popular mandate
- The state as embodiment of divine will, as long as the ruler fulfills Christian duties

Neagoe's Synthesis

Neagoe combines these two strands:
- The Old Testament gives the narrative of God's appointment of rulers and warnings about abuse of power
- The Constantinian model gives the Byzantine framework of the emperor as living image of divine rule
- The result: a Wallachian political theology that is both biblically grounded and Byzantinely sophisticated

The Ideal Ruler's Obligations

According to Neagoe's intertextual synthesis:
1. The ruler must exercise his role — royal authority is contingent on ruling, not merely possessing
2. The state of his soul in eternity depends on the honesty and sincerity of his steps
3. The king is behavioral model and source of wellbeing for those he rules
4. The king is completely dependent on exercising his role — idleness is not permitted

The Phrase "Să încep dar să încep"

The article notes Neagoe's characteristic use of the phrase "Să încep dar să încep" (Let me begin, but let me begin) — a rhetorical device suggesting both humility before the task and the solemnity of what follows. This phrase signals the beginning of a major section of moral instruction.

The Question of Sources

The Question of Sources

The article examines how much Neagoe drew directly from Matthew of Myra's Teachings for All Days versus other Byzantine sources. The intertextual relationship between Neagoe's Instructions and Matthew of Myra's Teachings is described in this article as a direct textual debt. However, this specific claim requires independent scholarly verification — both texts share the parenetic genre and Byzantine political theology tradition, but the specific debts, if any, are still being mapped by scholars. The article's characterization of the precise mechanisms of borrowing should be treated as contested interpretation pending verification.

Key Concepts

  • Byzantine political ideology — divine right monarchy in Byzantine tradition
  • Paranetic genre — parenetic/mirror of princes genre
  • Exemplarity — the ruler as moral model
  • Neagoe Basarab — Wallachian ruler, author of Instructions
  • Constantinian model — Christian emperor as warrior-legislator-defender of Orthodoxy

Bibliography

  • Neagoe Basarab, Învățăturile către Theodosie (c. 1512–1521)
  • Matthew of Myra, Învățăturile prește toate zilele — date and attribution require verification; Matthew of Myra is traditionally dated to the 4th–5th century, conflicting with a 1642 publication date
  • Eftimie of Tarnovo, Panegyric of Saints Constantine and Helena — specific attribution to Neagoe's source requires independent verification
  • Samuel/Kings (Old Testament)
  • Conference proceedings (unverified): "Sfaturile lui Matei al Mirelor," Editura Academiei Române, 2018

The precise intertextual debts (direct quotation vs. shared tradition vs. thematic borrowing) are described here as reported; scholars may disagree on the specific mechanisms of influence.

Status

Compiled from Romanian conference proceedings. This is the full Romanian version of the English academic article previously summarized in the KB. Provides detailed intertextual analysis of Neagoe's biblical and Byzantine sources.