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Journals / Uludağ Üniversitesi Fen-Edebiyat Fakültesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 27 Sayı: 52

Michael VIII Palaiologos and His Portrait in a Manuscript (Gr. 118, National Library of Russia, St. Petersburg)

VIII. MİKHAEL PALAİOLOGOS VE BİR EL YAZMASINDAKİ PORTRESİ (GR. 118, RUSYA ULUSAL KÜTÜPHANESİ, ST. PETERSBURG)

İlkgül Kaya(YOZGAT BOZOK ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0001-8106-656X
Pages
1385–1408
Publication Date
2026-09-30
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

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⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

This article examines the reign of Michael VIII and his depiction in the Gr. 118, aiming to show the relationship between historical context and visual representation.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:Michael VIII Palaiologos (1259-1282), who restored the Byzantine Empire by recapturing its former capital, Constantinople, from the Latins in 1261, was one of the most important figures of the Palaiologan period due to his military and diplomatic achievements.
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Key Findings & Data:The Union of Lyons between the Eastern and Western Churches in 1274 was one of his major political successes.
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Conclusion & Impact:This article examines the reign of Michael VIII and his depiction in the Gr. 118, aiming to show the relationship between historical context and visual representation.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:VIII. Mikhael Palaiologos · Bizans Sanatı · Bizans resimli el yazmaları

Abstract

Michael VIII Palaiologos (1259-1282), who restored the Byzantine Empire by recapturing its former capital, Constantinople, from the Latins in 1261, was one of the most important figures of the Palaiologan period due to his military and diplomatic achievements. The Union of Lyons between the Eastern and Western Churches in 1274 was one of his major political successes. In foreign policy, especially because of his close relations with the Western Church, Michael VIII faced opposition within Byzantine court and was described by Byzantine authors as a “Latinophron”. A portrait of Michael VIII appears in a tetraevangelion (Gr. 118, f.22r) preserved in the National Library of Russia. In this image, the emperor is depicted not in the traditional Byzantine imperial manner, but in the style of a Western nobleman. A similar portrait can be found in the manuscript (Sinait. Gr. 2123, f.30r) kept at the Monastery of St Catherine at Sinai. These unique depictions, which appeared about two centuries after Michael’s death and can be linked to his Latinophron identity, are particularly striking. This article examines the reign of Michael VIII and his depiction in the Gr. 118, aiming to show the relationship between historical context and visual representation.

Özet

Bizans İmparatorluğu’nun eski başkenti Konstantinopolis’i 1261 yılında Latinlerden geri alarak imparatorluğu yeniden hayata geçiren VIII. Mikhael Palaiologos (1259-1282), askerî ve diplomatik başarılarıyla Palaiologoslar Dönemi’nin en önemli figürlerinden biri olmuştur. 1274 yılında Doğu ve Batı Kiliseleri arasında Lyons Birliği’nin sağlanması, onun en önemli siyasi başarılarından biridir. Özellikle Batı Kilisesiyle kurduğu yakın ilişkiler nedeniyle çevresinin muhalefetiyle karşılaşan Mikhael, Bizanslı yazarlar tarafından “Latin yanlısı” (Latinophron) olarak nitelendirilmiştir. VIII. Mikhael’in Rusya Ulusal Kütüphanesi’nde korunan tetraevangelion’da (Gr. 118, f. 22r) bir portresi bulunmaktadır. Bu tasvirde imparator, Bizans geleneksel imparator portrelerinden farklı olarak Batılı bir soylu gibi betimlenmiştir. Benzer bir portre, Sina’daki Ekaterini Manastırı’nda bir el yazmasında (Sinait. gr. 2123, f. 30r) yer alır. Mikhael’in ölümünden yaklaşık iki yüzyıl sonra ortaya çıkan ve Latin yanlısı kimliğiyle ilişkilendirilebilecek bu ünik tasvirler dikkat çekicidir. Bu makalede, VIII. Mikhael’in hükümdarlık dönemi ve Gr. 118’deki tasviri incelenmektedir. Bu çalışma, tarihsel bağlam ile görsel temsil arasındaki ilişkiyi ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır.

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Cite This Article

Kaya, İ. (2026). Michael VIII Palaiologos and His Portrait in a Manuscript (Gr. 118, National Library of Russia, St. Petersburg). Uludağ Üniversitesi Fen-Edebiyat Fakültesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, Cilt: 27 Sayı: 52, 1385–1408. https://doi.org/10.21550/sosbilder.1934298

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