oa Diplomatie en hofceremonieel in het oostelijke Middellandse Zeegebied, ca. 900-1200

Diplomacy and court ceremonial in the Eastern Mediterranean, c. 900-1200. Ritual receptions in comparative perspective

This article investigates a group of ritual receptions that took place in the tenth-century eastern Mediterranean imperial and caliphal courts. Descriptions of these receptions reveal a series of similarities, such as the role of viziers and logothetes in orchestrating events and regulating access to the ruler, as well as the presentation of the court as a microcosmos of the empire, with the ruler as a semi-divine figure at the top of the hierarchy. This shared language of power evolved amidst frequent interactions and competitive political dynamics, yet was likely also influenced by local traditions and conceptions of rulership. Diplomatic ceremonial proves a fruitful starting ground for further comparative research on the conception and communication of monarchial power.