History

The Aeginetan odes constitute a special category of Pindaric epinicia. The prominent citizens
of Aegina based their claims to aristocratic status on wealth derived from maritime trade
rather than from land ownership. It was this wealth that allowed them to practice traditionally
aristocratic pursuits such as participation in Panhellenic games (though not in the prestigious
chariot races, since the island’s poor land resources were unfavourable to horse-breeding).
Although they could not claim glorious mythic or heroic ancestry, they are nonetheless
praised by Pindar for their phya, a quality capacious enough to include often, as we have
seen, the ability for lavish expenditure or even the (honourable but hardly ennobling) spatial
vicinity with a god. Aeginetan phya is also connected with xenia in ways which are not
always clear but which involve the transmission of certain ‘excellences’ from the guest-friend
to his host’s offspring, and so can be brought into a sort of causal relationship with phya.
Thus, two typical aristocratic qualities, namely phya and xenia, are deftly manipulated in
order to become applicable to a commissioning audience consisting of non-traditional
aristocrats. The wealth of the Aeginetans was the reason they could exercise the habits of
traditional aristocrats.
Deprived as they were of the most important symbols of aristocracy (land,
inheritance, and horses), the Aeginetans participated in the Panhellenic Games as a way of
establishing their ‘aristocratic’ credentials, not only for local audiences, but also for
Panhellenic ones. A victory in the Panhellenic games was an excellent opportunity for
prominent citizens of Aegina to promote themselves, as well as their oikos, and their island
community as proper aristocrats.

Titolo in greco: Το «ζήτημα των ελλήνων στρατιωτών του Bergamo». Οι πολιτικές προεκτάσεις μιας «εκκλησιαστικής υπόθεσης» (1622-1624)
La natura del caso dei soldati di Bergamo è apparentemente ecclesiastica: il locale inquisitore e i vari esponenti della chiesa cattolica, guidati dalla Sacra Congregazione, cercarono ripetutamente di convertire al dogma cattolico i soldati mercenari ortodossi della regione. I soldati greci ricorsero, tramite il loro sacerdote, alle autorità veneziane rivendicando il diritto alla libertà di culto che avevano guadagnato con le loro preziose prestazioni in campo di battaglia. Due volte il Senato si mobilitò emettendo risoluzioni a difesa degli ortodossi. Le inchieste e gli sviluppi politici rivelarono progressivamente che l’attività papale nella regione mirava a creare una crisi locale, che gli Spagnoli potessero sfruttare in caso di estensione della guerra con Venezia. Culmine dello scontro romano-veneziano fu la scoperta dell’esistenza di una bolla segreta contro gli eretici, sulla quale Paolo Sarpi espresse l’opinione che avesse come bersaglio l’impedimento della formazione di un’alleanza antispagnola.
Il caso dei soldati Greci di Bergamo si svolge in un periodo di importantissimi rivolgimenti politici e sociali in campo europeo, che giustificano il tardivo interesse di Venezia per gli ortodossi. Anche se tutto l’affare fu definito come problema essenzialmente ecclesiastico, assunse tuttavia importanti estensioni politiche, che condussero ad un’aspra contrapposizione Venezia e la Santa sede per più di un triennio (1622-1624). Il complesso dei dati qui raccolti ha condotto alla revisione dei fatti storici relativi a questo problema, ma anche all’adduzione di preziose informazioni sui gruppi dei mercenari ortodossi che si ammassarono in questa regione fin dalla prima metà del XVΙI secolo.

Μετά από νέες έρευνες και συνδυασμό ανέκδοτων πηγών, εξετάζονται με μεγαλύτερη λεπτομέρεια: η πολισχιδής δράση του Ιωάννη Πλουσιαδηνού στον επισκοπικό θρόνο της Μεθώνης και οι πολιτικοκοινωνικές συνθήκες εντός και εκτός της βενετικής κτήσης, ελάχιστο χρόνο πριν από την τουρκική κατάκτηση. Ενδιαφέρον παρουσιάζει  η ταύτιση μνημείων που αναφέρονται στις αρχειακές πηγές, με έγινε με τη βοήθεια της 26ης Εφορείας Βυζανινών Αρχαιοτήτων Νομού Μεσσηνίας.

Παρουσιάζονται δύο σημαντικά  τεκμήρια για το φρούριο της Μεθώνης: Κατά πρώτον, δυο ανέκδοτα ημερολόγια πολέμου, τα οποία καταγράφουν λεπτομερώς την πολιορκία της πόλης από τους Βενετούς τού Francesco Morosini το καλοκαίρι του 1686• ακολούθως, δίδεται μια επίσης ανέκδοτη δικογραφία από το Κρατικό Αρχείο της Βενετίας, η οποία σχηματίστηκε από τα βενετικά δικαστικά όργανα μετά την παράδοση του φρουρίου στους Τούρκους, τον Αύγουστο του 1715.

The paper deals with the prosopography of the greek military commander in the venetian fleet Antonio Eudemonogiannis through his presence in Crete. Behind his efforts to obtain a fief in the region of Souda, emerge the process of new social allies' recruitment followed by the Venetian rulers as well as the terms of a simmering social tension on the island, during the last decades of the 16th century.

The historical phenomenon of the "stradioti", the light-armed mercenary cavalry of the venetian army, has not yet being properly percived in its long-term prospect by the Greek and foreign historiography. This article focuses on the stradioti connection to the land they received by the venetian authorities at the Ionian islands, in order to provide their military services regarding their social status (military governors, small-holding and/or middle ranged soldiers).
[in greek]

[= εκδ. Ελληνικό Ινστιτούτο Βυζαντινών και Μεταβυζαντινών Σπουδών Βενετίας, Αθήνα-Βενετία 2012, σσ. 430 / ed. Istituto Ellenico di Studi Bizantini e Postbizantini di Venezia, Atene-Venezia 2012, pp. 430.]
The book uncovers the legal position of the Greek community of Venice during the "formation" period (1558-1601) and the hardly achieved internal social balances through the records of its administrative organs' assemblies (elections and decisions). [Prologue and summaries in greek, text in italian].

[= εκδ. Ελληνικό Ινστιτούτο Βυζαντινών και Μεταβυζαντινών Σπουδών Βενετίας, Αθήνα-Βενετία 2013, σσ. 498 / ed. Istituto Ellenico di Studi Bizantini e Postbizantini di Venezia, Atene-Venezia 2013, pp. 498. ]
Following the previous "formation" period, the second book continues to record the elections and decisions taken by the administrative organs of the Greek Community of Venice (1601-1618). It is a crucial period for the Venetian history during which the priorities of Venice were translated in manifesting broader support,  on behalf of the authorities to the Community, a condition which enabled a more active greek presence.

The scarce information that we find in the Venetian sources concerning the social status of paroikoi (villeins, parici) during the Venetian occupation of Cyprus (15th-16th c.) paints a dark picture of the Venetian administration’s aims and measures for the island. It is an undisputed fact that the personal status of parici in Cyprus worsened in comparison to that of the former Luzinian period.
This paper closely examines a compelling attempt by Cypriot villeins to point the finger at corrupted administrative officers and to press charges against the feudatari (feudatories). We discuss the social status of this group a few years before the war of 1570-1 and compare this status to that of small landholders on the Venetian mainland within the wider framework of contemporary religious disputes, revolts and the spread of Humanism. Furthermore, we examine the central government’s response alongside the measures taken to protect Venice’s second largest colony against Turkish threats, on the one hand and on the other, in relation to Spanish promises. Cyprus’ economic potential is discussed as well as the position taken by other Cypriot social groups on the villein matter.
This research focuses on the humiliating treatment of a social class forced into submission, a state that eventually became implicit for the villeins. This state was characterized by endless drudgery and humiliation based on an anachronistic sense of human life. However, enforced obedience proved inefficient in preventing individual defections to the enemy, the desertion of entire villages and, on occasion, even more violent reactions from the oppressed. Despite being confined to Europe’s corner, the social phenomenon of the human distress of Cyprus’ parici was analogous to similar events in the heart of the continent. In the end, this phenomenon bore the signs not only of a distress of the Venetian regime itself, but of the distress of a whole socio-political system based upon the human bondage.

Με αφορμή νέα στοιχεία που εντοπίστηκαν για δύο επιφανείς βορειοηπειρώτες, τους Ματθαίο Παπαγιάννη και Πάνο Στόλικο, επιχειρούμε να συμβάλουμε στη συνολική εικόνα της ευρύτερης περιοχής Αργυροκάστρου τον 16ο αιώνα και ιδίως για την πολιτική δραστηριότητα του ελληνικού πληθυσμού την περίοδο της τουρκοκρατίας.

On the occasion of new data found in the Venetian National Archive concerning two prominent Northern Epirus subjects, Matthew Papagiannis and Panos Stolikos, we aim to contribute to capture the overall image of the region of Gjirokaster in the 16th century and particularly to describe the political activity of the Greek population during the first centuries of the Ottoman occupation.
(Article written in greek)

Αντικείμενο της εισήγησης είναι το δικαιικό ποινικό φαινόμενο στα Επτάνησα του 16ου αιώνα βάσει δικογραφιών που εντοπίστηκαν στα βενετικά αρχεία: η ισχύς των πηγών του δικαίου• τα δικαιοδοτικά όργανα και η δικονομία• οι αρχές σχηματισμού της δικανικής κρίσης• ο χαρακτήρας της απονεμόμενης δικαιοσύνης• ο τρόπος λειτουργίας των δικαιοδοτικών θεσμών. Η προσέγγιση του εγκληματικού φαινομένου χωρεί παράλληλα με την εξέταση των μηχανισμών κοινωνικού ελέγχου που αναπτύχθηκαν ως απάντηση σε αυτό και κυρίως με το σύστημα της βενετικής ποινικής δικαιοσύνης.
The presentation’s aim is to describe and evaluate the Venetian system of criminal justice as it was developed in the Ionian Islands during the 16th century, based on case files found in the Venetian archives: the validity of the sources of law; courts, judicature and criminal procedure· principles forming the judgment; the nature of justice; the functioning of judicial institutions.

Στην κορυφή του προσφυγικού κύματος που δημιούργησε η απώλεια του Ναυπλίου και της Μονεμβασιάς το 1540 εντοπίζεται η οικογένεια Μούρμουρη (Μόρμορη, για τους Βενετούς), η οποία κατέληξε στο νησί της Κρήτης. Η μελέτη της οικογένειας Μούρμουρη και της εξέλιξής της δεν περιορίζεται στη γενεαλογική περιγραφή. Μέσα από την ανακατασκευή του βίου και της πολιτείας των μεμονωμένων μελών της αναδύονται όψεις των κοινωνικών, οικονομικών και πολιτικών μεταβολών που συντελέστηκαν στο νησί στα τέλη του 16ου αιώνα. / The Mourmouri family (Mormori for the Venetians) is mentioned among the refugees who came to the island of Crete during the refugee wave created by the loss of Napoli di Romania (Nafplio) and Malvasia (Monemvasia) in 1540. The study of Mourmouri family and its evolution are not limited to plain genealogical description. Through the reconstruction of life and deeds of its individual members, are emerging different aspects of social, economic and political changes that took place on the island in the late 16th century.

The archbishop of Philadelphia enjoyed absolute jurisdiction over the Orthodox clergy and monks, who in turn had the so called "privilegium fori". However, his jurisdiction was also extended to the Orthodox laymen who applied to the archbishop of Philadelphia in order to solve their private disputes, which concerned family law (especially matrimonial law). This paper is about the specific jurisdiction of the archbishop of Philadelphia and mainly its exercise as far as the arbitration is concerned.

Lo studio presenta una biografia del noto avvocato e benefattore della Conraternità Greca di Venezia Tommaso Flangini, basata principalmente su materiale inedito trovato nell'Archivio di Stato di Venezia e nell'Archivio dell'Istituto Ellenico di Studi Bizantini e Post-Bizantini di Venezia, combinato con materiale già pubblicato.

    Η μελέτη παρουσιάζει μια βιογραφία του γνωστού δικηγόρου και ευεργέτη της Ελληνικής Αδελφότητας Βενετίας Θωμά Φλαγγίνη, βασισμένη σε ανέκδοτο κυρίως υλικό, που εντοπίστηκε στο Κρατικό Αρχείο Βενετίας και στο Αρχείο του Ελληνικού Ινστιτούτου Βυζαντινών και Μεταβυζαντινών Σπουδών Βενετίας, το οποίο συνδυάστηκε με δημοσιευμένο υλικό.