Social criticism in late Byzantium voiced under the veil of biblical teachings: The example of Alexios Makrembolites

Abstract

The paper strives to highlight the interpretation of text 'A Dialogue Between the Rich and the Poor' written by Alexios Makrembolites, and hence the contribution of source texts to the understanding of Byzantine reality and literature in the fourteenth century. Although he is vaguely defined by his life epopee, his modest biography and inspiring words enabled Makrembolites to point out that the hardships of late Byzantium - civil war and social injustice - had been inflicted upon him, with the corollary of his own literary consciousness being shaped by the noxious effects of these predicaments. Even though the 14th-century Byzantine literature abounds in social themes, the distinctiveness of a Dialogue Between the Rich and the Poor is to be found in its bitter tone against social inequality and biased sympathy for the poorer fellow citizens to whom the author himself belonged. The dynamic historical course and segregation of Romaioi were viewed, in his case, through the lens of wise teachings derived from the Bible, wherewith the latent criticism of the state system became veiled in votive messages. Given the period and conditions under which he wrote, such a 'historical drama' can only be understood as a historiosophical interpretation of events. As such, it could only stem from the Holy Scripture. In this way Makrembolites emphasises a handful of didactic biblical moments and 'canons of conduct' the rich should adhere to, so that the kingdom could survive on the foundations of charity and philanthropy.

Keywords

• Alexis Makrembolites
• Byzantium
• Holy Scripture
• civil war
• social criticism