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“Do Thou Nothing without Counsel”: Political Assemblies and the Ideal of Good Government in the Thought of Theodore Palaeologus and Theodore Metochites1

“Do Thou Nothing without Counsel”: Political Assemblies and the Ideal of Good Government in the... In the fourteenth century, a mounting crisis was faced by the Byzantine Empire. This study considers the reactions during the reign of Andronicus II of two courtiers, Theodore Palaeologus and Theodore Metochites, who can be argued to be key figures in late medieval political thought. Central to the debate that developed between these individuals was the issue of the appropriateness of introducing in Constantinople “constitutional” reforms modelled upon practices established in the city-states of northern Italy–practices that emphasised the importance of consultative rule as an ideal and insisted upon the role of conciliar or parliamentary institutions. 1An early version of this article was delivered as a paper at the International Medieval Conference at Leeds University in the summer of 2006, while further research was conducted during tenure of the Hannah Seeger Davis Post-Doctoral Fellowship in the Program of Hellenic Studies at Princeton University. The argument presented in these pages is intended as a preliminary study with a view to the eventual publication of a translation and commentary of the De regimine principis of Theodore Palaeologus. For their comments and encouragement, the author is grateful to Peter Brown, David Gwynn, Jonathan Shepard and Maurizio Viroli. It should be noted that, unless otherwise indicated, all translations of the primary sources given in this piece are my own. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Al-Masaq: Journal of the Medieval Mediterranean Taylor & Francis

“Do Thou Nothing without Counsel”: Political Assemblies and the Ideal of Good Government in the Thought of Theodore Palaeologus and Theodore Metochites1

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“Do Thou Nothing without Counsel”: Political Assemblies and the Ideal of Good Government in the Thought of Theodore Palaeologus and Theodore Metochites1

Abstract

In the fourteenth century, a mounting crisis was faced by the Byzantine Empire. This study considers the reactions during the reign of Andronicus II of two courtiers, Theodore Palaeologus and Theodore Metochites, who can be argued to be key figures in late medieval political thought. Central to the debate that developed between these individuals was the issue of the appropriateness of introducing in Constantinople “constitutional” reforms modelled upon practices established in...
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Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Copyright
Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN
1473-348X
eISSN
0950-3110
DOI
10.1080/09503110701823593
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

In the fourteenth century, a mounting crisis was faced by the Byzantine Empire. This study considers the reactions during the reign of Andronicus II of two courtiers, Theodore Palaeologus and Theodore Metochites, who can be argued to be key figures in late medieval political thought. Central to the debate that developed between these individuals was the issue of the appropriateness of introducing in Constantinople “constitutional” reforms modelled upon practices established in the city-states of northern Italy–practices that emphasised the importance of consultative rule as an ideal and insisted upon the role of conciliar or parliamentary institutions. 1An early version of this article was delivered as a paper at the International Medieval Conference at Leeds University in the summer of 2006, while further research was conducted during tenure of the Hannah Seeger Davis Post-Doctoral Fellowship in the Program of Hellenic Studies at Princeton University. The argument presented in these pages is intended as a preliminary study with a view to the eventual publication of a translation and commentary of the De regimine principis of Theodore Palaeologus. For their comments and encouragement, the author is grateful to Peter Brown, David Gwynn, Jonathan Shepard and Maurizio Viroli. It should be noted that, unless otherwise indicated, all translations of the primary sources given in this piece are my own.

Journal

Al-Masaq: Journal of the Medieval Mediterranean – Taylor & Francis

Published: Mar 1, 2008

Keywords: Byzantium–late Byzantine period; Fourteenth century; Theodore Palaeologus, Marquis of Montferrat; Theodore Metochites, Byzantine Grand Logothete; Politics–political thought; Politics–medieval parliaments

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