Spectacles
The
Byzantines
were
particularly
fond
of
entertainment
and
spectacles, whether
performed in
theatres
and
hippodromes
or
in
city
streets
and
squares
on the occasion of fairs.
The main sources of attraction and entertainment were
jesters, jugglers, tightrope
walkers, acrobats
and
animals, such as dogs and monkeys trained to do various tricks in the streets
and taverns. People of the time
also
seem
to
have
taken a keen interest
in tamed bears and wild animals put on show at the
hippodrome.
They were likewise extremely impressed by physically
unusual individuals, like giants, dwarfs and conjoined twins, who would be led
around the streets and markets if they had not already been cast out of cities as bad omens.
Constantinople had at least four theatres in the 5th century,
the most important of which was the Grand Theatre (theatrum maius) close to the
palace, founded by Septimius Sevirus and occasionally used for classical
repertory performances. The main form of entertainment was mime theatre, on
themes deriving from mythology, everyday life and even Christian mysteries.
Mime troupes consisted of both men and women. Their primary medium of
expression was the face, and especially the eyes, hence mimes in Byzantium did not wear
masks, but had special hairstyles. Though some of them lived in luxury and were
invited to weddings, banquets and formal imperial dinners, most were considered
disreputable and deemed equivalent to prostitutes and pimps. The
majority came from the lower classes and were held to be of questionable morals.
Work for mimes seems to have gradually declined after the 7th century.
Although
the
question
as to
whether
the theatre
existed
in
middle
and
late
Byzantium
remains
unresolved, it
would seem
that
a
kind
of
folk
theatre
did
appear
occasionally
at
festivals
and
fairs, where
semi-professional
actors
or mimes performed. Another
kind
of
learned
theatre also
seems
to
have
existed
as
part of religious education. Surviving texts
are
religious
dramas
written
entirely
in
the form of dialogue. Rather than original works, these were a potpourri of elements
from ancient tragedies and sacred texts, the main aim being to raise religious
awareness among the audience. Works for religious theatre also included
sketches by anonymous
writers. These were incorporated into
orthodox
liturgy
as
stage
representations
of
sacred
events, such
as the Washing of the Feet
on Holy
Thursday.
Glossary (0)
Information Texts (1)
The city:
Constantinople, the capital city of the Byzantine
Empire, was built on the site of the ancient Greek colony of Byzantium, on the
triangular peninsula formed by the Golden Horn,
the Bosporus and the Sea
of Marmara. This was an excellent location that controlled trade
routes linking the Aegean to the Black Sea. Emperor Constantine founded Constantinople
in 330 AD as a city to rival Rome
in splendour, wealth and power. The city grew fast, leading to problems of
space and facilities, so Theodosius I extended it to the west by building new
strong walls that protected Constantinople
until the end of the Byzantine Empire.
The
city was laid out after Rome.
A main road, the Mese Odos, linked the palace to the Golden
Gate. On this road was the Forum, a circular plaza with a statue
of Constantine
mounted on a column, surrounded by public buildings. Theodosius I and Arcadius later
built more forums decorated with their own statues.
Following
the Nika riots in the 6th century, Justinian adorned Constantinople
with magnificent edifices, palaces, baths and public buildings. This time also
saw the construction of Agia Sophia (the Holy Wisdom), the church which served
as the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate throughout the Byzantine period.
During
the 7th and 8th centuries Constantinople faced
major problems that threw it into disarray: attacks by the Avars (a siege in
674) and Arabs (attacks in 674 and 717-718); natural disasters (a powerful,
destructive earthquake in 740); and epidemics (plague in 747). Limited building
activity resumed in the 8th and 9th century, mainly concentrated on
strengthening the city's fortifications.
With
the recovery of the Byzantine Empire from the
9th to the 11th century, Constantinople became
the most populated city in Christendom; the majority of inhabitants were
Greek-speaking, but many other ethnic groups lived alongside them, such as
Jews, Armenians, Russians, Italians merchants, Arabs and mercenaries from Western Europe and Scandinavia. Many public, private and church-owned buildings were erected at the time, with
an emphasis on establishing charitable institutions such as hospitals, nursing
homes, orphanages and schools. Higher education flourished, thanks to the care
of the state and the emergence of important scholars. This renaissance lasted
until the mid-11th century, when economic problems due to poor management set
in, compounded by the adverse outcome of imperial operations beyond the borders.
The
Crusaders left Constantinople entirely
unscathed when first passing through, but in the Fourth Crusade of 1204 the
Franks conquered and ransacked the city, slaughtering those inhabitants they
did not take prisoner or drive out. In 1261 the city was retaken by Michael
VIII Palaeologus, who rebuilt most of the monuments and the walls but proved
unable to restore the city to its former splendour and glory. Enfeebled as it
was, the empire was incapable of checking the advance of the Ottomans, and in
1453 Constantinople finally fell into their
hands.
The fall signalled the end of the empire. Nevertheless, the Byzantine intellectual
tradition remained significant, as many scholars settled in the Venetian dominions
of Crete and the Peloponnese,
as well as in European countries, conveying Greek learning to the West.
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