Post by Patrinos on Mar 7, 2009 13:45:29 GMT -5
Because lately I realized that many of our neighbors have some huge gaps in their knowledge of Greek history…and especially the Byzantine one… I think that some things must be written. One man that I suppose is suitable to give some answers about what the “Byzantine” people thought about themselves, their heritage, their name is a Byzantine Emperor himself, Emperor of Nicaea John III Doukas Vatatzes (c. 1192, Didymoteicho – November 3, 1254, Nymphaeum). I quote down my translation of a Vatatzes’ letter-response to Pope Gregorius the 9th who has previously asked the first to stop claiming Constantinoupolis back from the Franks:
The letter starts:
“Ioannis in the name of Christos the God faithfull king and emperor of the Romans the Dukas to the holy pope of old Rome Gregorius” –“Ioannis en Christo to Theo pistos vasileus kai autokrator Romaion o Dhoukas to agiotato papa tis presviteras Romis Grigorio”
and he continues:
“I,as king, consider incongruous what you’ve written me and I didn’t want to believe that it was your letter, but a result of the despair of someone who is near you, and has his soul full of badness and audacity. Your holiness is graced with wisdom and differs in proper judgment from many others. That’s why I found it very difficult to believe that it was your letter even if it was sent to me.
…
…
So you write in your letter that in our race(genos) of the Greeks(ton Hellenon) wisdoms reigns…that from our race(genos) wisdom flourished and its benefits were spread and to the other people, that’s true . But how it happens to ignore, or if you don’t ignore ,how did you suppress it, that along with the royal(vasilevousa) Konstantinoupolis and the kingship in this world was given to our race from Konstantinos the Great, who accepted the call from Christos and ruled with decency and honesty. Is there anyone who doesn’t know that his succession(Konstantinos’) passed to our race(genos) and we are his heirs and inheritors?
You demand from us not to ignore your privileges. And we, too , have the similar request from you to see and recognize our right to rule the state of Constantinoupolis, that started from the age of Constantinos the Great and lasted one thousand years until it reached our reign. The patriarchs(genarches) of my kingship, from the families of Doukas and Komnenos, not to mention the others, come from the Greek race(apo hellenika geni). So these fellow countrymen for many centuries had Constantinoupolis in their authority. And them the Church of Rome and their principals called Emperors of the Romans(Autokratores Romaion). So we declare to your holiness and to all Christians that never shall we stop fighting and struggle against the conquerors of Constantinoupolis. It was like we disrespect the laws of nature, and the institutions of our fatherland, and the graves of our fathers and the holy temples of God, if we didn’t fight with all our power. We have with us the righteous God, who helps those who are wronged and oppose to the wrongful…”
It was firstly published in Vakalopoulos’ book,Piges tou Neou Hellenismou,v.A,p.50-53,Thessaloniki 1965.
Any questions?
The letter starts:
“Ioannis in the name of Christos the God faithfull king and emperor of the Romans the Dukas to the holy pope of old Rome Gregorius” –“Ioannis en Christo to Theo pistos vasileus kai autokrator Romaion o Dhoukas to agiotato papa tis presviteras Romis Grigorio”
and he continues:
“I,as king, consider incongruous what you’ve written me and I didn’t want to believe that it was your letter, but a result of the despair of someone who is near you, and has his soul full of badness and audacity. Your holiness is graced with wisdom and differs in proper judgment from many others. That’s why I found it very difficult to believe that it was your letter even if it was sent to me.
…
…
So you write in your letter that in our race(genos) of the Greeks(ton Hellenon) wisdoms reigns…that from our race(genos) wisdom flourished and its benefits were spread and to the other people, that’s true . But how it happens to ignore, or if you don’t ignore ,how did you suppress it, that along with the royal(vasilevousa) Konstantinoupolis and the kingship in this world was given to our race from Konstantinos the Great, who accepted the call from Christos and ruled with decency and honesty. Is there anyone who doesn’t know that his succession(Konstantinos’) passed to our race(genos) and we are his heirs and inheritors?
You demand from us not to ignore your privileges. And we, too , have the similar request from you to see and recognize our right to rule the state of Constantinoupolis, that started from the age of Constantinos the Great and lasted one thousand years until it reached our reign. The patriarchs(genarches) of my kingship, from the families of Doukas and Komnenos, not to mention the others, come from the Greek race(apo hellenika geni). So these fellow countrymen for many centuries had Constantinoupolis in their authority. And them the Church of Rome and their principals called Emperors of the Romans(Autokratores Romaion). So we declare to your holiness and to all Christians that never shall we stop fighting and struggle against the conquerors of Constantinoupolis. It was like we disrespect the laws of nature, and the institutions of our fatherland, and the graves of our fathers and the holy temples of God, if we didn’t fight with all our power. We have with us the righteous God, who helps those who are wronged and oppose to the wrongful…”
It was firstly published in Vakalopoulos’ book,Piges tou Neou Hellenismou,v.A,p.50-53,Thessaloniki 1965.
Any questions?