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dc.contributor.author
Tzimou, Georgia
en
dc.date.accessioned
2016-05-05T14:13:07Z
dc.date.available
2016-05-06T00:00:33Z
dc.date.issued
2016-05-05
dc.identifier.uri
https://repository.ihu.edu.gr//xmlui/handle/11544/14477
dc.rights
Default License
dc.title
The Byzantine-Türk alliance from 563 to 628: Political and Economic repercussions on the Balkan and Middle Eastern frontiers of Byzantium
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heal.type
masterThesis
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heal.secondaryTitle
Political and Economic repercussions on the Balkan and Middle Eastern frontiers of Byzantium
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heal.creatorID.dhareID
g.tzimou@ihu.edu.gr
heal.generalDescription
Byzantine-Türk alliance, silk, Avars, Sassanid Empire, Zemarchus
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heal.classification
History
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heal.keywordURI.LCSH
Byzantine Empire--Foreign relations--Turkey
heal.keywordURI.LCSH
Byzantine Empire--Foreign relations--527-1081
heal.keywordURI.LCSH
Byzantine Empire--History--527-1081
heal.language
en
el
heal.access
free
el
heal.license
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
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heal.recordProvider
School of Humanities, MA in Black Sea & Eastern Mediterranean Studies
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heal.publicationDate
2016-03-17
heal.abstract
Abstract
During the sixth century the Byzantines were engaged in long, protracted wars against the Persians. The peace treaties were precarious and violated by both parties. Thus, the Byzantines forged allies with people in the east in order to gain an advantage in warfare with Persia. The appearance of the Türks as potential allies in 560s was a welcomed opportunity for the Byzantines, since they could exploit the Türks’ enmity towards the Persians, who had acquired common boundaries after their joint attack on the Hephthalite Empire. Despite their coalition, the Türk- Persian relations collapsed when the Persians refused to co-operate with them in silk trade, afraid of losing the monopoly of it. Consequently, the Türks having under their control the northern silk route proposed the Byzantines a silk trade agreement and a political alliance regarding their common enemies, namely the Persians.
The Byzantine-Türk alliance had practical results not only in the Middle East but also in the Balkans, against another common enemy, the Avars. The latter provoked the Türk enmity not only because they fled away from the Türk yoke but also because they dwelt near the western frontiers of the Türk Khanate. On the part of the Byzantines, the Avars shattered the balance of power along the northern border of the Empire since they subdued the people who lived there and launched devastating attacks on the Balkan provinces.
Thus, the particular Master thesis aims at providing a thorough description, explanation and understanding of Byzantium’s relations with the Türks. It focuses on analyzing the importance of the Türk tribal confederation (Khanate) in the decision making and strategy planning of Constantinople, as regards its stance towards the Persian Empire and the Avar Khanate. Another parallel objective of no less significance is to explore the economic dimensions of that alignment with regard to the regional trade network to the north of the Black Sea not only in the Balkans but also in the Middle East, where the key factor in Byzantium’s plans, was Sassanid Persia. Additionally, it is examined how the Türk Khanate affected balances, both in the Balkan and the Middle Eastern frontier, what influences it exerted on the mortal struggle between the Avar Khanate and Byzantium in the Balkans and to what extent it affected the way the last Byzantine-Persian war evolved, given the total collapse of the Sassanid Empire and its inability to demonstrate resistance to Arab Muslim armies.
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heal.tableOfContents
Contents
Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………………..……..... iii
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. iv
Preface…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……… vi
Contents……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..… viii
Primary sources………………………………………………………………………………………………………. xi
Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. xiv
Introduction
1. Note on the usage of the terms Türk, Turkic…..………………………………………..…… 1
2. The rise of the Türk tribe………………………………………………………..………………………. 3
Chapter 1
Eastern Roman Sources on the Türk Khanate
1. Note on Eastern Roman Sources on the Türk Khanate
1.1. Medieval Greek Sources………………………………………………….……………………..……. 6
1.1. a. Menander Protector…………………………………………………………………………. 6
1.1. b. Theophylactus Simocatta………………………………………………….………………. 7
1.1. c. Theophanes Confessor…………………………….…………………………………………. 7
1.1. d. Theophanes Byzantius………………………..…….…………………………….…………. 8
1.2. Medieval Syriac Source..……………………………...…………………………………….………. 8
1.2.a. John of Ephesus……………………………………………………………………………………………… 8
1.3. Medieval Armenian Source …………………….…….…………...………………………………. 9
1.3. a. Moise de Calankatouts or Movses Dasxuranci………………………….………………...... 9
Chapter 2
The Byzantine- Türk diplomatic exchanges
2.1 The 563 embassy of Kermichíōnes……………………………………………………………..……… 10
(According to Theophanes Byzantius and Theophanes Confessor)
2.2 The 567 Türk embassy to Byzantium…………………………..…………………………..…………. 17
(According to Menander Protector)
2.3 The 568 Byzantine Embassy to the Türks………………………………………………….………… 23
(According to Menander Protector)
2.4 Embassies between Byzantines and Türks until 576………………………….…….….………. 31
(According to Menander Protector)
2.5. The 576 Byzantine embassy to the Türks and the brief breach of the Byzantino-Türk
alliance…………………………………………………………………..………………………………………… 34
(According to Menander Protector)
2.6. Possible Byzantine embassy to the Türks in 579 ………………………………………..……….. 44
2.7. Possible Byzantine embassy to the Türks in 584………………………………………………… 46
(According to John of Ephesus)
2.8. The letter of the Türk khagan to emperor Maurice………….…………………………………. 48
(According to Theophylactus Simocatta)
2.9. Brief note on the origins and the appearance of the Khazars in the Eurasian
steppes…………………………………………………………………………………………………….……. 53
2.10. Byzantine contacts with the Türks until 626 and its final (victorious phase)……….. 56
(Military alliance against the Persians, through the Khazars)
Chapter 3
The political and economic repercussions of the Byzantine- Türk alliance
3.1 Brief note on Byzantine Diplomacy……………………………………………………………………….. 64
3.2 Repercussions on Economy………………………………………………......…………………………….. 65
3.3 Political Repercussions on the Balkan front………………………………………..………….…….. 71
3.4 Political Repercussions on the Middle Eastern front…………………………….……………….. 75
Conclusions……………………………….……………………………………….……..………………… 80
Maps ………………….………………………..……………………………………………..……….………… 83
Primary sources
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heal.advisorName
Stavrakos, Christos
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heal.committeeMemberName
Kordosis, Stephanos
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heal.committeeMemberName
Antonopoulos, Panagiotis
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heal.academicPublisher
IHU
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heal.academicPublisherID
ihu
el
heal.numberOfPages
120
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