Introduction; 1. Byzantium in exile; 2. 'The Holy Land, my mother Anatolia'; 3. 'I was brought up as usual for a royal child'; 4. Pursuit of learning; 5. Power-sharing; 6. Friends, foes, and politics; 7. Elena and the embassy of the Marquis; 8. Sole emperor of the Romans; 9. The philosopher; 10. The proponent of Hellenism; Epilogue; Appendix I: the chronology of the works of Theodore Laskaris; Appendix II: chronology of the letters; Appendix III: the mystery illness; Appendix IV: the manuscript portraits; Appendix V: the burial sarcophagus.
Tells the story of Theodore Laskaris, a thirteenth-century Byzantine emperor, imaginative philosopher, and ideologue of Hellenism.
Dimiter Angelov is Dumbarton Oaks Professor of Byzantine History at Harvard University, Massachusetts. His publications include Imperial Ideology and Political Thought in Byzantium, 1204–1330 (Cambridge, 2007) and Church and Society in Late Byzantium (edited, 2009).
'Theodore Laskaris may be the only figure of Byzantine history for
whom it is possible to produce a full-scale biography. This Dimiter
Angelov has brought to a triumphant conclusion, thanks not only to
his mastery of the sources, but also because he has been able to
recover Theodore Laskaris's viewpoint. This offers a fresh
perspective on Byzantine faith, culture, and history. The figure
that emerges from these pages is not at all like the Byzantine
emperor in the standard accounts of the period. This is a tribute
to the author's refusal to make his protagonist conform to some
pre-conceived model of a Byzantine ruler. The result is a fresh and
original work.' Michael Angold, University of Edinburgh
'… has much to offer any reader of medieval history and culture.'
Mike Markowitz, The NYMAS Review
'This work of great scholarship stylishly illuminates a complex but
fascinating era.' A. J. Papalas, Choice
'… [The Byzantine Hellene] is a deeply impressive piece of work
demonstrating a detailed grasp of the surviving sources. It is
elegantly and engagingly written, blending a strong sense of
narrative progression and geopolitical context with the life and
works of this remarkable individual … this book is in the happy
situation of possessing both the authority of a major scholarly
monograph and the accessibility of a work of history suitable for
the general reader.' Nicholas Morton, Nottingham Medieval
Studies
'This book, which is based on an in-depth reading of the works of
Theodore Laskaris, will certainly be an indispensable reference for
all specialists in the Empire of Nicaea. It will also be of
interest to all those who wish to reflect on the renewal of
historical biography, insofar as the very erudite method used
culminates in a remarkable dive into personal and intellectual
intimacy with the world of a thirteenth-century Byzantine.'
Marie-Hélène Blanchet, Revue des études byzantines
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