Discussion Pages

Hexagram: Silver coin introduced by Heraclius, lit. “six grams,” 12 to a nomisma. Although issued...

Pronouncements on Christ’s nature of Patriarch Cyril of Alexandria, endorsed by the council of Ch...

Monothelitism: (from monos and thelein ‘to will’) doctrine recognising the existence of one ‘will...

Kommerkiarioi: Fiscal officials responsible for state-supervised commerce and the taxes thereon. ...

Psychika: Gifts made to monasteries in exchange for the monks’ commemoration of the donors and/or...

Armeniakoi: one of the earliest themes; based in northern Anatolia with headquarters at Euchaita.

Aktemon: A peasant with no property, no oxen or plough.

True Cross: wooden cross on which Christ was crucified, or fragments – relics – supposedly from it.

Boukellarioi: theme formed in the later eighth century in north-west Asia Minor, taking its name ...

Illustris: Until the middle of the 6th century the highest grade of senatorial rank.

Christian sacrament in which the body and the blood of Christ are conveyed to believers in the fo...

Thrakesioi: one of the earliest themes, based in western Anatolia with headquarters at Chonai.

despot (despot ¯ es) ‘lord, master’: High imperial title in the Palaiologan period, generally res...

Autokrator: Greek equivalent of the Latin imperator, emperor, used especially after the 7th centu...

Turkmen (Turkoman, Turcoman): Turkish nomadic tribesmen from Central Asia who streamed into Anato...

Circus factions: associations that staged circus games; fervent supporters’ associations of one o...

Egyptian population who spoke the Coptic language; after Egypt’s mid-seventh-century conquest by ...

Normans: people from north-west France, originally of Scandinavian origin; in the eleventh centur...

Iconoclasm: Rejection of the honoring of sacred images as a form of idolatry. Condemned as a here...

Arians: followers of a heresy (named after its main proponent, the third century theologian Arius...