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Arguing it Out: Discussion in Twelfth-Century Byzantium
In this book the author contendsand this is not a very widely held viewthat Byzantium deserves to be considered an influential part of the broader development of Europe, even though its borders also reached out to the vast territories of Anatolia and the Caucasus, and to the eastern Mediterranean.
- GenresHistory
252 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2016
14 people want to read
About the author
Averil Cameron
63 books33 followersDame Averil Millicent Cameron, Professor of Late Antique and Byzantine History at the University of Oxford.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 21, 2023
Averil Cameron has produced many important texts in the field of Byzantine Studies, so I was looking forward to reading this text on discussion and argument in Byzantium. Unfortunately, Cameron was unable to live up to her own legacy. This text was shallow, too wide ranging, sometimes polemical towards others in the field, and incredibly disappointing.
On the good side, the idea of the work was incredibly interesting. A study of how Byzantines debated, argued, the contents of debates, and whatnot is compelling. To be sure, there was a section or two dedicated to that and it was really well done. The intricate formal structure of Byzantine arguments was carefully constructed by Cameron. It was humorous to read how a Byzantine would lambast others for using syllogism/ Aristotelian logic while employing it themselves. Obviously a lot of our texts from the period pertain to religion but I appreciate Cameron's decision to not separate the theological from the secular in her analysis. Her analysis of these texts was insightful, rich, and well worth reading.
Unfortunate, Cameron spent far too much time arguing from a defensive position. Rather than simply explore argument in Byzantium, she spent too much time justifying her position or simply restating things already fairly known/ common in the humanities. A specific section, in particular, where she labors over the idea that these texts are constructions, rather than live records of debates, and thus tell us something about the Byzantines and their attitudes as well. Perhaps might be necessary but the constant attention given to it was exhausting. Another major critique is the constant appearance of the West and their attitudes to others, Jews and Muslims in particular. Both of those chapters had extensive comparisons to western attitudes; it made me wonder who this work was for? Is it a study of Byzantine argument or a study of 12th century arguments in the Mediterranean world? As a study of Byzantium, I came to the conclusion that this would have been much more valuable as an article rather than a book length study on its own.
There is simply too much time discussing Latins (broadly speaking), methodology, and cultural/ identify problems for this to have been considered anything other than phenomenally disappointing. Then there is the odd polemical wording against other historians in the field. Her jab (might be harsh but it was more than a critique) at Anthony Kaldellis stands out in particular but in general there did seem to be a kind of animosity towards others in the Byzantine field. Perhaps I read too much into that but it was disappointing to come across.
On the good side, the idea of the work was incredibly interesting. A study of how Byzantines debated, argued, the contents of debates, and whatnot is compelling. To be sure, there was a section or two dedicated to that and it was really well done. The intricate formal structure of Byzantine arguments was carefully constructed by Cameron. It was humorous to read how a Byzantine would lambast others for using syllogism/ Aristotelian logic while employing it themselves. Obviously a lot of our texts from the period pertain to religion but I appreciate Cameron's decision to not separate the theological from the secular in her analysis. Her analysis of these texts was insightful, rich, and well worth reading.
Unfortunate, Cameron spent far too much time arguing from a defensive position. Rather than simply explore argument in Byzantium, she spent too much time justifying her position or simply restating things already fairly known/ common in the humanities. A specific section, in particular, where she labors over the idea that these texts are constructions, rather than live records of debates, and thus tell us something about the Byzantines and their attitudes as well. Perhaps might be necessary but the constant attention given to it was exhausting. Another major critique is the constant appearance of the West and their attitudes to others, Jews and Muslims in particular. Both of those chapters had extensive comparisons to western attitudes; it made me wonder who this work was for? Is it a study of Byzantine argument or a study of 12th century arguments in the Mediterranean world? As a study of Byzantium, I came to the conclusion that this would have been much more valuable as an article rather than a book length study on its own.
There is simply too much time discussing Latins (broadly speaking), methodology, and cultural/ identify problems for this to have been considered anything other than phenomenally disappointing. Then there is the odd polemical wording against other historians in the field. Her jab (might be harsh but it was more than a critique) at Anthony Kaldellis stands out in particular but in general there did seem to be a kind of animosity towards others in the Byzantine field. Perhaps I read too much into that but it was disappointing to come across.
November 21, 2017
Four stars for being a clarion call to the field actually to study 12th c. dialogues and for being highly readable, but unfortunately it otherwise covers too much ground too quickly and is rather diffuse as a result.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews