Alexander the Great and Alexios III of Trebizond: Culture as Politics
Arts
HAVC-Independent Study Course
Abstract: The Greek Alexander Romance Codex Gr. 5 of the Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies in Venice is one of the finest examples of Byzantine illuminated manuscripts. It recounts the saga of Alexander the Great (323-356 C.E.) and was commissioned for Emperor Alexios III (1349-90) of Trebizond in the 14th century. Trebizond, which was once a small outpost of the Byzantine empire, became an independent empire in 1204. Alexios III (1349-90) was an astute political operator; he understood the precarious position of his rule and Trebizond’s existence as an independent empire. Codex Gr.5 acted as a tool of diplomatic and imperial propaganda meant not only to promote and legitimize Alexios III as a great and powerful emperor but also to establish him as heir to an ancient empire. The analysis of select miniatures and iconographic elements presented in the manuscript along with key historical details supports the thesis that Codex Gr.5 is more than a gift of courtly splendor; it is also an artistic instrument of imperial propaganda employed to create the illusion of power.
