The Armenian-Byzantine Frontier

The Byzantine expansion into eastern Anatolia in the tenth century presented a challenge both to the imperial conquerors and their Armenian subjects. Until Byzantine withdrawal under Seljuk pressure in the twelfth century, the contested frontier region was a social and cultural space within which imperial and local identities were repeatedly negotiated and articulated. Drawing on epistolary, apocalyptic, eschatological, hagiographical and historical texts, AnnaLinden Weller demonstrates how a variety of actors, from elite diplomats and princes to those living in the region, used narratives, interpersonal connections and storytelling to create authoritative - though sometimes conflicting - claims of universal empire. Across several historical case studies, Weller applies the methodologies of narratology (how narratives are formed) and network theory (the study of connections between individuals and groups) to bring together a nuanced exploration of the cultural capabilities and limitations of medieval empires. This unique book is essential reading for Byzantinists and Armenianists, as well as anyone with an interest in medieval frontier societies.