Lost Capital Of Byzantium: The History Of Mistra And The Peloponnese

STEVEN RUNCIMAN LOST CAPITAL OF BYZANTIUM THE HISTORY OF MISTRA AND THE PELOPONNESE Lost Capital:Layout 1 20/03/2009 11:29 ‘One comes away from this book certainly a great deal better informed – but also filled with a longing to see once again the view from the Pantanassa – and feel the centuries of violence settling into their grave.’ Dilys Powell, Sunday Times ‘Mistra is one of the most romantic of the medieval cities of Europe. Sir Steven Runciman, the most elegant of Byzantine historians, has encapsulated its history, topography and personalities in a masterpiece of compressed learning.’ C. M. Woodhouse, Observer ‘It is a history rich with political intrigue, dynastic ambition and petty battles. It is also a history of Byzantine complexity. With the eloquence, learning and love of his subject that we have come to expect from him, Sir Steven demonstrates how Mistra is one of the tangled main roots to our golden past.’ Philip Howard, The Times ‘. . . deep learning and graceful style . . .’ Bulletin of the Institute of Archaeology Tauris Parke Paperbacks is an imprint of I.B.Tauris. It is dedicated to publishing books in accessible paperback editions for the serious general reader within a wide range of categories, including biography, history, travel and the ancient world. The list includes select, critically acclaimed works of top quality writing by distinguished authors that continue to challenge, to inform and to inspire. These are books that possess those subtle but intrinsic elements that mark them out as something exceptional. The Colophon of Tauris Parke Paperbacks is a representation of the ancient Egyptian ibis, sacred to the god Thoth, who was himself often depicted in the form of this most elegant of birds. Thoth was credited in antiquity as the scribe of the ancient Egyptian gods and as the inventor of writing and was associated with many aspects of wisdom and learning. Lost Capital:Layout 1 20/03/2009 11:29 LOST CAPITAL OF BYZANTIUM The History of Mistra and the Peloponnese Steven Runciman Foreword by John Freely Lost Capital:Layout 1 20/03/2009 11:29 Sir Steven Runciman (1903–2000) was the most acclaimed and influential historian of the Byzantine era. From 1942 to 1945 he was Professor of Byzantine Art and History at Istanbul University, where he began research on what would lead to his most famous work, the three-volume A History of the Crusades. He wrote several other highly-praised works, including Byzantine Civilisation, The Sicilian Vespers, The Fall of Constantinople and A Traveller’s Alphabet. Lost Capital:Layout 1 Page 4 20/03/2009 11:29 Job: 55446_ Reprinted in 2010 by Tauris Parke Paperbacks an imprint of I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd 6 Salem Road, London W2 4BU 175 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10010 www.ibtauris.com This new edition first published in 2009 by Tauris Parke Paperbacks First published as Mistra by Thames and Hudson Ltd in 1980 Copyright © 1980, 2009 Steven Runciman Foreword copyright © 2009 John Freely Cover image: Hagios Nikolaos, Mistra © Vanni Archive/CORBIS The right of Steven Runciman to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by The Estate of Steven Runciman in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or any part thereof, may not be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. ISBN: 978 1 84511 895 2 A full CIP record for this book is available from the British Library Printed and bound in Great Britain by CPI Antony Rowe, Chippenham Lost Capital:Layou