An approximation to the byzantine society of the XII century, through moralizing lessons of Nicetas Choniates
Keywords:
Bizantium, Choniates, Manuel I, Komnenos, Stratiota, PronoiarioAbstract
Among the main Byzantine sources of the XII and XIII centuries, the work of Nicetas Choniates seems to be one of the most valuable testimonies in order to understand the changes that affected the imperial society once the thematic system had collapsed. The VI Book, one of the many books that the mentioned author dedicates to the reign of Emperor Manuel Comneno (1143-1180), is overly revealing in this aspect. However, through a much deeper and detailed reading, it is possible to get extremely opposed interpretations to those which emerge from a first approximation. Resorting to other passages and even to information provided by substitute sources, we will try to discover which of them adjust better to reality and why. All this will help us to precise the real degree of social inequality of Bizantium of the XII century.
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