About:

Christopher Sprecher

Position:

Ordinary Member

Node:

Communication and Mobility

TWG:

Elite Multilinguality

Diversity, Identification and Distinction

 

 

Westward Gazes on Eastern Rome: South Caucasus Perspectives on Byzantine Mobility

In this project, I am investigating textual and material sources from medieval Armenia and Georgia to determine how these Christian peoples of the South Caucasus perceived and commented on—or indeed, if they did not do so—various forms of migration and mobility in the Byzantine Empire. Under the looking glass are historical chronicles, theological texts and sermons, and various forms of material culture (primarily manuscripts and relics) from ca. AD 550–1450. At this early stage of the project, interesting differences in terms of engagement with the theme of Byzantine migration, how the East Romans were named, and what socio-cultural elements are perceived to experience such movement have emerged between the Armenian and Georgian sources, leading to further questions for continued research which will also be mentioned on the poster in hopes of leading to lively discussion and new insights gained from workshop interactions.