Revue des études byzantines

Revue des études byzantines is a French academic journal devoted to the study of Byzantium and the Byzantine world, founded in the late 19th century and published continuously through the 20th and 21st centuries. It has published articles on historical, philological, artistic, theological, and legal topics related to Constantinople and the broader Eastern Roman Empire, attracting contributions from scholars associated with institutions such as the Collège de France, the École française d'Athènes, the Sorbonne, and the École pratique des hautes études.

History

The journal was established in the context of renewed European interest in medieval and classical studies during the Third French Republic, arising alongside contemporaneous enterprises like the French School at Athens and the British School at Athens, and within scholarly networks that included figures associated with the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, the Bibliothèque nationale de France, the Institut de France, and the University of Paris. Its founding mirrored broader historiographical shifts connected to debates about the legacy of Constantine I, the study of Justinian I, and comparative work on Late Antiquity that intersected with research by scholars linked to the University of Vienna, the University of Berlin, the University of Oxford, and the University of Cambridge. Over successive decades the journal reflected methodological changes comparable to those seen in publications such as Byzantinische Zeitschrift, Dumbarton Oaks Papers, and Speculum, and it engaged with the careers of scholars connected to the École des Chartes, Humboldt University of Berlin, and the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Scope and content

The journal publishes research on Byzantine political history, hagiography, liturgy, iconography, law, and numismatics, treating subjects from Heraclius to the Palaiologos dynasty and addressing interactions with the Sasanian Empire, the Abbasid Caliphate, the Ottoman Empire, the Crusader states, and medieval Western polities such as the Kingdom of Sicily and the Papacy. Articles examine primary sources including chronicles of Theophanes the Confessor, legal compilations like the Corpus Juris Civilis, theological writings by John of Damascus, liturgical texts associated with Photios I, and material culture uncovered at sites such as Hagia Sophia, Mount Athos, Constantinople, Ravenna, Thessaloniki, and Antioch. The journal features philological analyses of Greek manuscripts preserved in collections like the Vatican Library, the Bodleian Library, the Bibliothèque nationale de France, and monastic libraries on Mount Athos, and it publishes studies intersecting with archaeology conducted by teams from institutions like the École française d'Athènes, the German Archaeological Institute, and the American School of Classical Studies at Athens.

Publication and editorial information

Printed by established French academic presses and distributed through scholarly networks tied to Parisian universities, the journal has been issued under the auspices of editorial boards composed of professors and researchers from the Collège de France, the Sorbonne, the École pratique des hautes études, and the Centre national de la recherche scientifique. Its editorial practice aligns with standards used in journals such as Journal of Hellenic Studies, Speculum, and Byzantinische Zeitschrift, including peer review, critical apparatus, and bibliographical notes referencing archives like the Archivio di Stato di Venezia, the St Petersburg State Archive, the Ottoman Archives in Istanbul, and the Vatican Secret Archives. Over time the journal adapted to bibliographic changes tied to indexing services and library systems at institutions such as the Bibliothèque nationale de France, the British Library, the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek, and the Library of Congress.

Indexing and reception

Scholarly reception of the journal places it among leading periodicals for Byzantine studies alongside Byzantinische Zeitschrift, Dumbarton Oaks Papers, and Speculum; it is cited in monographs on topics ranging from the reigns of Basil II and Alexios I Komnenos to studies of Byzantine diplomacy with the Khazars, Pechenegs, and Bulgars. The journal is indexed in bibliographies and databases used by researchers at institutions such as the École française d'Athènes, the Dumbarton Oaks Research Library, the Institute for Advanced Study, the University of Oxford, and the University of Cambridge, and it informs lectures and seminars delivered at venues like the Collège de France, Princeton University, Harvard University, and the University of Chicago. Reviews and citation patterns show engagement from scholars affiliated with the University of Vienna, the Russian Academy of Sciences, the German Archaeological Institute, and the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies.

Notable articles and contributors

Contributors to the journal have included leading Byzantinists and related scholars associated with the Sorbonne, the Collège de France, the École des Chartes, and international centers such as Dumbarton Oaks, Harvard University, Oxford University, and the University of Cambridge. Important articles have treated figures such as Constantine I, Justinian I, Heraclius, Basil II, Alexios I Komnenos, Michael VIII Palaiologos, and scholars like Photios I, John of Damascus, Anna Komnene, and Nicholas Mesarites, and they have engaged primary texts including the Chronographia, the Alexiad, and imperial chrysobulls. The journal has published research by and about scholars connected to institutions and projects such as the École française d'Athènes, the British School at Athens, the German Archaeological Institute, the Vatican Library, the Bibliothèque nationale de France, the St Petersburg State Library, and the Institute for Advanced Study, influencing subsequent studies on Byzantine law, liturgy, iconography, and diplomatic correspondence with Venice, Genoa, the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, and the Crusader principalities.

Category:Byzantine studies journals