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<p>[QUOTE="Only a Poor Old Man, post: 5245302, member: 111037"]Geopolitics can be a troublesome thing. Today's friend is tomorrow's enemy, yesterday's rival is today's trade partner. This is certainly true of our times and perhaps was even truer in the ancient world. When it comes to forming complicated alliances the Byzantine Empire is among the first to come to mind, with its biggest frienemy Venice a close second. Their relationship has always been a very complex one, and my latest arrivals, one silver coin from the Byzantine capital and another one from the watery Italian city-state will allow me to research their monetary and cultural connections to some degree of detail. The coinage of these two empires shares many common characteristics and these two coins are no exception despite that they were minted a few centuries apart:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1218329[/ATTACH] </p><p><i>(Tran. Legends: OBV=Jesus Christ conquers, REV= John emperor king of the Romans)</i></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1218331[/ATTACH] </p><p><i>(Legends: OBV=RAGENO S.M.VENETI, REV= IC XC)</i></p><p><br /></p><p>My only silver coins up to this point were from ancient Greece, so I was happy to finally get my hands on some different examples. And these two are particularly interesting as they both were quite innovative for their time. The Byzantines for reasons unknown were not really using much silver for their coinage prior to around the 8th-9th centuries. The early miliaresia were rare and many believe they only served a ceremonial purpose or were special coronation issues. One wonders why is that, as there is a big value gap between the gold solidi and the low value copper follis. It is naturally to expect that silver coinage would be used for daily middle value trading, but only around the time of my coin there is evidence that they were in significant circulation. This possibly happened in order to compete with the similar in size arabic dirham which was common in middle eastern trade. Many dirhams that ended up in Byzantine hands were actually transformed into miliaresia as some overstrikes show.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1218332[/ATTACH] </p><p><i>Reniero Zeno (detail from Oratorio dei Crociferi painting - Wikimedia Commons)</i></p><p><br /></p><p>The Venetian Grosso on the other hand dates from a couple of centuries later, but nevertheless was a fairly new coin type for its time. Prior to the times of Enrico Dandolo a couple decades earlier, the Venetians didn't make quality silver coins for high value trade and they actually didn't make many coins of their own to begin with. Up until that time they were quite happy to use Byzantine coins for their international trade. However the economic decline of Byzantium during the 11th century and the debasement of its coinage meant that it gradually lost its appeal so the Grosso and other denominations were introduced by the Venetians. Another reason could have been the need for Venice to be more independent economically from Constantinople during a period where their relationship was far from stable. Even if that was the case and the idea was to distance themselves from Byzantium, the Byzantine influence in the coin's design could not have been more obvious. The image of Jesus right down to the chosen artistic style comes straight from the Byzantine themes that had been familiar to everyone in the region for the past few centuries. At over 98% it was the purest silver coin of its time in Europe and it played a great part in the Venetian success story. </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1218333[/ATTACH] </p><p><i>The coronation of John Tzimiskes (from the Madrid Skylitzes - Wikimedia Commons)</i></p><p><br /></p><p>There is an abundance of fascinating history about the times of these coins, either about Ioannes Tzimiskes and his remorse of killing his predecessor Nikephoros Phokas or about the Byzantine/Venetian conflicts either side of the sack of Constantinople of 1204. However as I now own a Venetian coin and I am not planning on getting another one any time soon, I would like to mention a little known aspect of that shared history, the mass Exodus of Byzantine scholars to Venice and other Italian cities and how it kick-started the period that is now known to history buffs as the 'Renaissance'.</p><p><br /></p><p>As Venice and Byzantium had been trading partners for centuries there had always been minority populations of each other in both Venice and Constantinople. There was a well established familiarity and tolerance of the opposing culture, language and traditions so if a Byzantine wanted to seek their fortune outside the empire, Venice and Italy would be considered as a safe bet. Mass immigration usually comes in waves, and the Byzantine wave peaked around the 14th century when people of means and education could see and predict that the Byzantine empire was on a slippery slope of decline and eventual collapse. In times of prosperity it is the merchant classes that usually emigrate, but in difficult times we see what is commonly known as the brain-drain, and this is exactly what happened as anyone that could afford it and had the foresight to flee, did so.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1218335[/ATTACH] </p><p><i>Cardinal Bessarion (Wikimedia Commons)</i></p><p><br /></p><p>The newly-arrived Greeks brought with them two very valuable resources. Their language and their knowledge of ancient Greco-Roman history and ideas. Probably not a big surprise, but the past hadn't survived that well in medieval western Europe (it was called the Dark Ages for a reason). Ancient texts that were painstakingly copied by Byzantine monks over the centuries were re-introduced to the Latins and that led to a revival in Greco-Roman studies, a movement that is known as the Renaissance humanism. The Byzantine empire has the reputation of being a theocratic one, but the reality was that it was a lot more progressive than the Latin world. Classical Greek studies were a permanent fixture in higher education while the Latin societies were quite puritanical and, well, medieval! The rediscovery of Greek Platonic and Aristotelian philosophical ideology combined with a modern Byzantine interpretation and approach caused a stir in the intellectual circles of Venice, Rome and Florence. This became even more evident while scholars and ideas kept arriving from the east. Many of them ended up holding prominent positions in Italian universities. Some of the most important names are Cardinal Bessarion of Trebizond (1403-1472), Ioannes Argyropoulos (1415-1487) and of course Dimitrios Chalkokondyles of Athens (1424-1511) who published the first printed versions of Homer and Isocrates. We have a recorded opinion of one of Dimitrios' students which shows the respect that he enjoyed in the Italian circles (<i>Patterson, The History of Education, 2008</i>):</p><p><br /></p><p>"<i>A Greek has just arrived, who has begun to teach me with great pains, and I to listen to his precepts with incredible pleasure, because he is Greek, because he is an Athenian, and because he is Demetrius. It seems to me that in him is figured all the wisdom, the civility, and the elegance of those so famous and illustrious ancients. Merely seeing him you fancy you are looking on Plato; far more when you hear him speak.</i>"</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1218336[/ATTACH] </p><p><i>Dimitrios Chalkokondyles (Fresco, Santa Maria Novella - Wikimedia Commons)</i></p><p><br /></p><p>Of course not every immigrant was a scholar. There were thousands of Byzantines that ended up as successful traders and workers. There were more than 4 thousand Byzantines in Venice alone by the late 1400s and they established a strong community in the Castelo area. The Orthodox rites were initially banned in Venice, but eventually the Greeks were allowed to build their own Orthodox church in 1573, San Giorgio dei Greci which not only I visited when I was in Venice but attended Sunday mass as well. it contains some Byzantine icons that was brought by Anna Notaras just before the sacking of Constantinople in 1453. And talking about icons it is worth mentioning the Cretan school of Orthodox icon painting that eventually re-located to Venice in the 16th-17th centuries with prominent artists like Emmanuel Tzanes, Michael Damaskenos and of course El Greco. </p><p><br /></p><p>Before I finish, and congratulations if you had the patience to read my badly articulated write-up, let me make a few comments on Venice as a tourist destination. I absolutely loved it and always vowed to return which now I will do taking into account my new historical and numismatic interests. There are some tourist traps to avoid, but with only a little preparation it should not be a problem doing so. Firstly avoid going during the summer and other high season periods like the carnival. I visited in early December and it was delightfully empty. It is also fresh calamari season which will translate into excellent culinary experiences. But you should avoid regular restaurants especially in tourist hot-spots. Food in Venice is expensive and the quality can be indifferent, but the city is full of little osterias and bacaros (similar to sandwich and tapas bars) which the locals frequent. You will always find excellent local specialties there plus homemade pasta and oven dishes. And you should stay at least 4 nights, especially if you like museums and history. There is plenty to explore and see, and Venice will not disappoint. </p><p><br /></p><p>The following article provides an eloquent and detailed account of Byzantine influence in Renaissance Italy:</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://the-orb.arlima.net/encyclop/late/laterbyz/harris-ren.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://the-orb.arlima.net/encyclop/late/laterbyz/harris-ren.html" rel="nofollow">https://the-orb.arlima.net/encyclop/late/laterbyz/harris-ren.html</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Show me any of your coins you think may be relevant <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie50" alt=":happy:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Only a Poor Old Man, post: 5245302, member: 111037"]Geopolitics can be a troublesome thing. Today's friend is tomorrow's enemy, yesterday's rival is today's trade partner. This is certainly true of our times and perhaps was even truer in the ancient world. When it comes to forming complicated alliances the Byzantine Empire is among the first to come to mind, with its biggest frienemy Venice a close second. Their relationship has always been a very complex one, and my latest arrivals, one silver coin from the Byzantine capital and another one from the watery Italian city-state will allow me to research their monetary and cultural connections to some degree of detail. The coinage of these two empires shares many common characteristics and these two coins are no exception despite that they were minted a few centuries apart: [ATTACH=full]1218329[/ATTACH] [I](Tran. Legends: OBV=Jesus Christ conquers, REV= John emperor king of the Romans)[/I] [ATTACH=full]1218331[/ATTACH] [I](Legends: OBV=RAGENO S.M.VENETI, REV= IC XC)[/I] My only silver coins up to this point were from ancient Greece, so I was happy to finally get my hands on some different examples. And these two are particularly interesting as they both were quite innovative for their time. The Byzantines for reasons unknown were not really using much silver for their coinage prior to around the 8th-9th centuries. The early miliaresia were rare and many believe they only served a ceremonial purpose or were special coronation issues. One wonders why is that, as there is a big value gap between the gold solidi and the low value copper follis. It is naturally to expect that silver coinage would be used for daily middle value trading, but only around the time of my coin there is evidence that they were in significant circulation. This possibly happened in order to compete with the similar in size arabic dirham which was common in middle eastern trade. Many dirhams that ended up in Byzantine hands were actually transformed into miliaresia as some overstrikes show. [ATTACH=full]1218332[/ATTACH] [I]Reniero Zeno (detail from Oratorio dei Crociferi painting - Wikimedia Commons)[/I] The Venetian Grosso on the other hand dates from a couple of centuries later, but nevertheless was a fairly new coin type for its time. Prior to the times of Enrico Dandolo a couple decades earlier, the Venetians didn't make quality silver coins for high value trade and they actually didn't make many coins of their own to begin with. Up until that time they were quite happy to use Byzantine coins for their international trade. However the economic decline of Byzantium during the 11th century and the debasement of its coinage meant that it gradually lost its appeal so the Grosso and other denominations were introduced by the Venetians. Another reason could have been the need for Venice to be more independent economically from Constantinople during a period where their relationship was far from stable. Even if that was the case and the idea was to distance themselves from Byzantium, the Byzantine influence in the coin's design could not have been more obvious. The image of Jesus right down to the chosen artistic style comes straight from the Byzantine themes that had been familiar to everyone in the region for the past few centuries. At over 98% it was the purest silver coin of its time in Europe and it played a great part in the Venetian success story. [ATTACH=full]1218333[/ATTACH] [I]The coronation of John Tzimiskes (from the Madrid Skylitzes - Wikimedia Commons)[/I] There is an abundance of fascinating history about the times of these coins, either about Ioannes Tzimiskes and his remorse of killing his predecessor Nikephoros Phokas or about the Byzantine/Venetian conflicts either side of the sack of Constantinople of 1204. However as I now own a Venetian coin and I am not planning on getting another one any time soon, I would like to mention a little known aspect of that shared history, the mass Exodus of Byzantine scholars to Venice and other Italian cities and how it kick-started the period that is now known to history buffs as the 'Renaissance'. As Venice and Byzantium had been trading partners for centuries there had always been minority populations of each other in both Venice and Constantinople. There was a well established familiarity and tolerance of the opposing culture, language and traditions so if a Byzantine wanted to seek their fortune outside the empire, Venice and Italy would be considered as a safe bet. Mass immigration usually comes in waves, and the Byzantine wave peaked around the 14th century when people of means and education could see and predict that the Byzantine empire was on a slippery slope of decline and eventual collapse. In times of prosperity it is the merchant classes that usually emigrate, but in difficult times we see what is commonly known as the brain-drain, and this is exactly what happened as anyone that could afford it and had the foresight to flee, did so. [ATTACH=full]1218335[/ATTACH] [I]Cardinal Bessarion (Wikimedia Commons)[/I] The newly-arrived Greeks brought with them two very valuable resources. Their language and their knowledge of ancient Greco-Roman history and ideas. Probably not a big surprise, but the past hadn't survived that well in medieval western Europe (it was called the Dark Ages for a reason). Ancient texts that were painstakingly copied by Byzantine monks over the centuries were re-introduced to the Latins and that led to a revival in Greco-Roman studies, a movement that is known as the Renaissance humanism. The Byzantine empire has the reputation of being a theocratic one, but the reality was that it was a lot more progressive than the Latin world. Classical Greek studies were a permanent fixture in higher education while the Latin societies were quite puritanical and, well, medieval! The rediscovery of Greek Platonic and Aristotelian philosophical ideology combined with a modern Byzantine interpretation and approach caused a stir in the intellectual circles of Venice, Rome and Florence. This became even more evident while scholars and ideas kept arriving from the east. Many of them ended up holding prominent positions in Italian universities. Some of the most important names are Cardinal Bessarion of Trebizond (1403-1472), Ioannes Argyropoulos (1415-1487) and of course Dimitrios Chalkokondyles of Athens (1424-1511) who published the first printed versions of Homer and Isocrates. We have a recorded opinion of one of Dimitrios' students which shows the respect that he enjoyed in the Italian circles ([I]Patterson, The History of Education, 2008[/I]): "[I]A Greek has just arrived, who has begun to teach me with great pains, and I to listen to his precepts with incredible pleasure, because he is Greek, because he is an Athenian, and because he is Demetrius. It seems to me that in him is figured all the wisdom, the civility, and the elegance of those so famous and illustrious ancients. Merely seeing him you fancy you are looking on Plato; far more when you hear him speak.[/I]" [ATTACH=full]1218336[/ATTACH] [I]Dimitrios Chalkokondyles (Fresco, Santa Maria Novella - Wikimedia Commons)[/I] Of course not every immigrant was a scholar. There were thousands of Byzantines that ended up as successful traders and workers. There were more than 4 thousand Byzantines in Venice alone by the late 1400s and they established a strong community in the Castelo area. The Orthodox rites were initially banned in Venice, but eventually the Greeks were allowed to build their own Orthodox church in 1573, San Giorgio dei Greci which not only I visited when I was in Venice but attended Sunday mass as well. it contains some Byzantine icons that was brought by Anna Notaras just before the sacking of Constantinople in 1453. And talking about icons it is worth mentioning the Cretan school of Orthodox icon painting that eventually re-located to Venice in the 16th-17th centuries with prominent artists like Emmanuel Tzanes, Michael Damaskenos and of course El Greco. Before I finish, and congratulations if you had the patience to read my badly articulated write-up, let me make a few comments on Venice as a tourist destination. I absolutely loved it and always vowed to return which now I will do taking into account my new historical and numismatic interests. There are some tourist traps to avoid, but with only a little preparation it should not be a problem doing so. Firstly avoid going during the summer and other high season periods like the carnival. I visited in early December and it was delightfully empty. It is also fresh calamari season which will translate into excellent culinary experiences. But you should avoid regular restaurants especially in tourist hot-spots. Food in Venice is expensive and the quality can be indifferent, but the city is full of little osterias and bacaros (similar to sandwich and tapas bars) which the locals frequent. You will always find excellent local specialties there plus homemade pasta and oven dishes. And you should stay at least 4 nights, especially if you like museums and history. There is plenty to explore and see, and Venice will not disappoint. The following article provides an eloquent and detailed account of Byzantine influence in Renaissance Italy: [URL]https://the-orb.arlima.net/encyclop/late/laterbyz/harris-ren.html[/URL] Show me any of your coins you think may be relevant :happy:[/QUOTE]
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