Byzantine Intellectuals Having Fun in Justinianic Constantinople, lecture by Alexander Alexakis (University of Ioannina), Byzantine Dialogues from the Gennadius Library via Zoom, February 2, 2021, 7:00 pm (Greece) / 12:00 pm (ET)

Despite Procopios’ bleak impression of the Justinianic period (first half of the 6th century) the intellectuals of Constantinople seemed to have led vigorous intellectual and social lives. Among them a certain poet, historian, and lawyer named Agathias has left a testimony to the modus operandi and vivendi of these circles. For part of them, Agathias has presented a scathing outline, describing their “academic” transactions with a great sense of irony and an apparent disdain. "Interestingly, this circle of pretentious ignoramuses has contributed, through their dilettantish preoccupation with philosophy and theology, to the spread of a rumor concerning the erudition of the Persian king Chosroes I (531-579) that persists today." Another part of them, Agathias’ circle of friends and poets, devoted their social life to luxurious banquets in which they recited their epigrams. These epigrams (to which a sizable part of this webinar is devoted) are short displays of literary connoisseurship that allude to/echo both Greek and Latin authors and poets (such as Callimachus and Catullus). In these epigrams we glimpse a persistent dedication to Aphrodite and the sufferings (both lamentable and laughable) that love brings. 

Alexander Alexakis is Professor of Byzantine Philology at the University of Ioannina.

Advance registration required.