Late Medieval Monastic Peregrinations and the Bonds of the Orthodox Commonwealth

We regret to inform you that this event has been postponed.

During the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the patriarchate of Constantinople was drawn into a series of explosive rows with the church hierarchy in Moscow, culminating in the refusal of Grand Prince Vasilii II to accept the Union of Florence. Study of this period has tended to focus on these well-documented events, highlighting the hostilities between the states. Yet a wealth of neglected material reveals another side to relations among lower-ranking monks, who engaged in frequent bi-lateral visits and collaborations independently of the intrigues in the patriarchal court.

This lecture will explore the nature and extent of these interactions, and the implications of the relevant sources for the larger picture of late Byzantine relations with Rus.

Organised by the Hellenic Centre and the Society for the Promotion of Byzantine Studies