The thirteen papers in this volume were delivered at the international symposium held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art May 23-25, 1997, in the context of "The

Byzantium was one of the longest-lasting empires in history. Throughout the millennium of its existence, the empire showed its capability to change and develop

Publicly performed rituals and ceremonies form an essential part of medieval political practice and court culture. This applies not only to western feudal socie

Byzantine art has been an underappreciated field, often treated as an adjunct to the arts of the medieval West, if considered at all. In illustrating the richne