Byzantine Kb
Compiled knowledge base — 37 articles
Sources
"For the Mind is the Standard of the Soul": The Mind in the Teachings of Neagoe Basarab to His Son Theodosius
This article by Anca Mihaela Sapovici analyzes the central role of the mind (Greek: nous; Romanian: minte) in one of the most important works of medieval Romanian culture: the Teachings of Neagoe Basa…
About
Etymology — tracing Greek word roots through Old Church Slavonic and Balkan Sprachbund layers
Byzantine KB
An academic knowledge base documenting Byzantine Greek loanwords in the Romanian language, compiled from Sapovici's research and historical sources.
Matthew of Myra's Teachings to Alexandru Iliaș: Themes, Rhetoric, Language
> Article based on: Anca Mihaela Sapovici, "Sfaturile lui Matei al Mirelor către Alexandru Iliaș: Tematică, Retorică, Limbaj," Revista de Istorie a Limbii Române (RITL), nr. 1–4, pp. 171–178, Bucureșt…
Neagoe Basarab and the Representations of the Monarchic Function
Studies Învățăturile lui Neagoe Basarab as a work of early post-Byzantine Balkan political thought. Neagoe created a prestige image of the monarchic function by imitating Byzantine imperial models. Th…
Neagoe Basarab Teachings — Intertextual Analysis
This article analyzes two fundamental sources Neagoe Basarab draws on in his Instructions to Theodosie:
Sapovici — Ceremonial și Exemplaritate în Texte Parenetice Bizantine și Postbizantine
This chapter analyses elements of ceremonial in Byzantine and post-Byzantine paraenetic texts (mirror of princes genre), and the intrinsic relationship between ceremonial and exemplarity. Sapovici arg…
Sapovici — Genealogia unei familii lexicale de soi
Traces the semantic evolution of the Romanian adjective soios (noble breed, good stock) from its Turkish etymon soy (race, lineage), borrowed into Romanian possibly via Greek intermediary. The word sh…
Sapovici — Lor Li S-a Dat și Legarea și Dezlegarea și Cheile Cerului, de Închid și Deschid
Sapovici analyzes the theme of legarea și dezlegarea — the priestly power to bind and loosen, to forgive or retain sins — in Matthew of Myra's Învățăturile prește toate zilele (Teachings for All Days)…
Sapovici — Mic Glosar de Cuvinte Expresive de Origine (Neo)Greacă
Micro-glossary of over 100 Romanian words borrowed from (Neo-)Greek that have undergone significant stylistic depreciation. Sapovici presents these entries alphabetically, analyzing each from both a s…
Sapovici — Note Etimologice: Agonisi, Ghiptui, Paragină
Three etymological notes on Romanian words of Byzantine/Neo-Greek origin:
Sapovici — Soarta Împrumuturilor Lexicale din Greacă în Limba Română Actuală
Companion article to sapovici-outcome-greek-loanwords. Studies how Greek lexical borrowings into Romanian suffered stylistic depreciation over time, specifically examining expressive (connotative) wor…
Sapovici — The Outcome of Greek Loanwords into Present-Day Romanian
This article examines Greek loanwords in Romanian, focusing on expressive words that underwent stylistic depreciation due to extra-linguistic factors. The study is a first step toward a monographic an…
Sapovici — Întemeierea și Funcția Instituției Monarhice în Învățăturile lui Neagoe Basarab
Analyses Învățăturile lui Neagoe Basarab către fiul său Theodosie (Instructions of Neagoe Basarab to his son Theodosie), a foundational political treatise of 16th-century Wallachia. Shows how Neagoe c…
The Foundation and Function of the Monarchical Institution in the Teachings of Neagoe Basarab
The Teachings attributed to neagoe-basarab-representations|Neagoe Basarab have been studied almost exclusively from the perspective of their authenticity and paternity, while their content was unjustl…
Concepts
Byzantine Greek Vocabulary in Romanian
Romanian contains a significant layer of vocabulary borrowed from Greek, reflecting centuries of political, religious, and commercial contact. The most significant period of borrowing was the Phanario…
Turkisms in Romanian
Turkish loanwords in Romanian. Distinct from Greek borrowings but often confused with them in Romanian linguistic consciousness. The two layers overlapped geographically and chronologically in the Ott…
People
Matthew of Myra (Matei al Mirelor)
Greek metropolitan of Moldavia and abbot of Dealu Monastery. One of the most important Greek intellectuals in the Romanian Principalities. Author of Invataturile prest TOATE ZILELE (Teachings for All …
Melchisedec of Peloponnese
Greek monk and abbot of the Dormition Monastery in Campulung. Translated Matthew of Myra's Teachings for All Days from Greek to Romanian, printed in 1642.
Neagoe Basarab
Author of Invataturile catre fiul sau Theodosie (Instructions to his son Theodosie) — one of the most important works of early Romanian political thought. Draws on Old Testament kingship and Byzantine…
Culture
Deponent Verbs
In Greek grammar, deponent verbs (ἀποθετικά) are verbs with a passive form but an active meaning. In Romanian etymology, deponent verbs are one source of apparent Greek borrowings — Greek deponent ver…
Exemplarity
The principle that the ruler must constitute himself as a moral model for his subjects. The ruler's conduct — both public and private — must embody the virtues he presides over. This obligation derive…
Parenetic / Paranetic Genre
The parenetic or paranetic genre (Greek: παραινετικόν, from παραινέω — to advise) is a form of rhetoric addressed to rulers, offering counsel on the conduct of power. Also called "mirror of princes" (…
Romanian-Greek Bilingualism
The condition of Greek-Romanian bilingualism in the Romanian Principalities, particularly during the Phanariot period. Greek was the language of administration, court, commerce, and high culture. Roma…
Stylistic Depreciation
The process by which loanwords lose prestige connotation and become marked as colloquial or pejorative. In Romanian, Greek borrowings shifted after the Phanariot period ended (1821).
Empire
Balkan Linguistic Union
The Balkan Linguistic Union: Romanian, Greek, Albanian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian, and Turkish share structural features due to prolonged contact. Greek exerted strong influence on Romanian durin…
Byzantine Political Ideology
Byzantine political ideology rested on the concept of the emperor (basileus) as God's representative on earth, charged with defending and governing the Christian commonwealth (oikumene).
Constantinian Model
The political theology inaugurated by Emperor Constantine the Great. Emperor as God's chosen ruler, warrior, and defender of Orthodoxy, governing in harmony with the Church (symphonia).
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
Seat of the Eastern Orthodox Church in Constantinople. During the Phanariot period, administrative authority for all Orthodox Christians in the Ottoman Empire, including Romania.
Frontier Christianity
Romania as a variable and bloodied frontier of Christendom. The border zone between Christendom and Islam shaped Romanian political theology — the prince as defender of Orthodoxy.
Mirror of Princes
Genre of literature offering counsel to rulers. Latin: speculum principis. Greek: parenetic. Romanian: invataturile domnilor.
Moldavia
One of the two Romanian Principalities under Ottoman suzerainty. Ruled by Greek-speaking Phanariot princes from 1711 to 1821.
Neo-Greek (Νέα Ελληνικά)
Neo-Greek: the Greek language from the 15th century onward. In Romanian linguistics, refers to Greek of the Phanariot period. Source of the major layer of Greek borrowings in Romanian.
Phanariot Period
The Phanariot period refers to the era when the Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia were governed by rulers (hospodars) drawn from the Greek Phanariot families of Constantinople. Named after the …
Post-Byzantine Period
Period following the fall of Constantinople (1453). Orthodox culture spread through the Balkans, including Romania. Greek remained the dominant literary and ecclesiastical language.
Three Pillars of Byzantine Monarchy
The three obligations of the ideal Byzantine ruler (after Zonaras):
Wallachia
One of the two Romanian Principalities under Ottoman suzerainty. Ruled by Greek-speaking Phanariot princes from 1716 to 1821. Center of Byzantine political theology transmission.