MEDIEVAL GREEK EAST AND LATIN WEST

The course offers a reappraisal of the European Middle Ages based on a central question: what does the Middle Ages become when the Byzantine world is fully taken into account?
Through the study of medieval sources—chronicles, letters, polemical texts, and political and religious documentation—it examines the relationships between the Byzantine Empire and Latin powers, the dynamics of the Crusades, the controversies between the Churches, and the various forms of contact and mediation between the two traditions.
In this perspective, Byzantium is considered an integral part of medieval European history. Its inclusion allows for a reconsideration of established categories such as “East” and “West,” highlighting their historical and constructed character.
Particular attention is devoted to the concrete contexts in which Latin and Greek encounter one another—diplomatic, theological, and military—and to the ways in which linguistic, religious, and cultural differences are defined, negotiated, and at times radicalized.
The course aims to provide students with the tools to understand the Middle Ages as a plural space, shaped by relations, conflicts, and exchanges, in which cultural and religious boundaries are continuously redefined.

By the end of the course, students will have acquired:
A) Knowledge and understanding
• An advanced knowledge of the main historical contexts in which the Latin and Greek worlds interact in the Middle Ages, with particular attention to the role of the Byzantine Empire in European history
• An understanding of the political, religious, and cultural dynamics that shape relations between the two traditions
• Awareness of the historical and constructed nature of the categories “East” and “West”
B) Tools for analysis and interpretation
• The ability to analyse critically different types of sources (chronicles, letters, polemical texts, documents), identifying their context of production and purposes
• The ability to relate texts to their contexts, recognizing the role of writing in shaping identities and conflicts
• The ability to compare different perspectives (Latin and Greek) on the same historical phenomenon
C) Independent critical thinking and communication
• The ability to discuss complex historical problems critically, using appropriate disciplinary language
• The ability to construct independent arguments based on the analysis of sources and bibliography
• The ability to present a structured and coherent analysis, both orally and in writing

A basic knowledge of medieval history and classical culture is useful but not essential. The course is designed to provide students with the tools necessary to approach the study of relations between the Latin and Greek worlds in the Middle Ages, including those who have not previously taken courses in Byzantine studies.
Knowledge of classical languages is not required. Students who know Greek and/or Latin are encouraged to work with texts in the original language; for others, analysis will be based on texts in translation, with particular attention to interpretative issues.

The course approaches the European Middle Ages through the joint analysis of Latin and Greek sources, focusing on historical contexts in which the two traditions come into direct contact.
Teaching is based on the guided reading of texts in translation (and, where possible, in the original language), organized around specific historical situations: diplomatic relations, theological controversies, the Crusades, cultural exchanges, and attempts at mediation.
Through these case studies, the course examines how the two traditions perceive, describe, and define one another, showing how categories such as “East” and “West,” “Latin” and “Greek,” emerge from historical and textual practices rather than constituting fixed identities.
Particular attention is devoted to the relationship between political and religious dimensions, highlighting how conflicts, alliances, and negotiations are closely intertwined with the discursive production that accompanies and interprets them. In this perspective, relations between Latin and Greek may also be understood in terms of networks, contacts, and spheres of interaction rather than as rigidly separated systems.
Authors and texts examined may include, for example, Liutprand of Cremona, Anna Komnene, Niketas Choniates, chronicles and letters of the First Crusade (Gesta Francorum, Fulcher of Chartres), polemical texts related to Latin–Greek controversies (Photios, Anselm of Havelberg), as well as documentation concerning diplomatic contacts and attempts at ecclesiastical union.
The course includes moments of discussion and further study, including short presentations or assignments on selected texts, with the aim of developing students’ ability to analyse sources critically and to interpret them independently.
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Main topics
• A polycentric Middle Ages
Rethinking medieval space by including Byzantium
• Encountering the Byzantine Empire
Embassies, missions, and political relations between Constantinople and the Latin West (e.g. Liutprand of Cremona)
• Competing narratives
Narrating the same events from different perspectives (e.g. Anna Komnene and Latin chronicles)
• Christians against Christians?
The Crusades and the problem of intra-Christian conflict (1095–1204)
• Polemics and difference
Theological controversies (filioque, azymes) and the construction of dissent
• Translating and negotiating
Circulation of texts and practices of mediation between the two traditions
• Constructing division
Political, religious, and cultural processes that produce the divide between East and West
• Rethinking division
Historiographical interpretations and the use of the category “East/West”

During the course, key readings will be indicated in order to guide students through the main issues addressed, including:
• Berschin, Walter, Medioevo greco-latino. Da Gerolamo a Niccolò Cusano, Naples, 1989
• Neocleous, Savvas, Heretics, Schismatics, or Catholics? Latin Attitudes to the Greeks in the Long Twelfth Century, Toronto, 2019
• Stathakopoulos, Dionysios, A Short History of the Byzantine Empire, London, 2014
• Chadwick, Henry, East and West: The Making of a Rift in the Church, Oxford, 2003
• Demacopoulos, George E. – Papanikolaou, Aristotle, Orthodox Constructions of the West, Oxford, 2013
• Shepard, Jonathan – Frankopan, Peter (eds.), Revisiting the Byzantine Commonwealth: Nodes, Networks, and Spheres, Oxford, 2025
Further bibliographical guidance will be discussed during the course, in relation to specific topics and texts.

The final grade is based on:
• oral examination (70%)
• research assignment (30%)
Research assignment
Students may choose between:
• a short oral presentation (10–15 minutes) on an agreed text or topic
or
• a short written paper (approximately 3,000 words)
The assignment forms an integral part of the final assessment.
It aims to develop:
• the ability to analyse and interpret sources
• a critical and informed use of bibliography
• the ability to formulate and discuss a research question
Students who know Greek and/or Latin are encouraged to work with texts in the original language; for others, the work will be based on texts in translation.
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Oral examination
The oral examination covers the course contents, the texts analysed, and the reference materials, and assesses:
• the ability to interpret sources in their historical context
• understanding of the main issues addressed in the course
• the ability to construct an independent and well-founded argument

oral

The lecturer has a duty to ensure that the rules regarding the authenticity and originality of exam tests and papers are respected. Therefore, if there is suspicion of irregular conduct, an additional assessment may be conducted, which could differ from the original exam description.

Oral examination
• 18–24/30 → basic knowledge, with difficulties in framing issues and argumentation
• 25–26/30 → adequate understanding, but limited analytical autonomy
• 27–28/30 → clear and well-structured presentation, good interpretative ability
• 29/30 → solid and independent argumentation, ability to connect texts and contexts
• 30/30 → full command of the subject and good critical ability
• 30/30 cum laude → particularly refined and independent analysis, strong capacity for problematization
Research assignment
• 18–24/30 → predominantly descriptive work, limited analytical ability
• 25–26/30 → clear work, but limited depth
• 27–28/30 → solid analysis, good interpretative skills
• 29/30 → well-developed work with independent interpretations
• 30/30 → in-depth analysis and effective use of critical tools
• 30/30 cum laude → original work with advanced interpretative ability

The course combines lectures and discussion, with particular emphasis on the guided analysis of sources.
Classes are organized around historical contexts and interpretative problems, aiming to relate texts, political practices, and religious dimensions. A significant part of the course is devoted to the reading and commentary of sources in translation (and, where possible, in the original language), considered as tools for understanding relations between the Latin and Greek worlds.
Students are expected to participate actively through short presentations or contributions on agreed texts, developing skills in analysis, discussion, and argumentation.

Attendance, while not compulsory, is strongly recommended.
International students may take the oral examination in English.

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "International cooperation" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development