Books by Dimitrios Kalpakis
The present volume is a first attempt to depict the presence of the Athonites outside the peninsu... more The present volume is a first attempt to depict the presence of the Athonites outside the peninsula of Athos throughout the Byzantine era. It is a macroscopic view of the whole phenomenon, focusing primarily on its spatial aspect.
In any case, it does not intend to be any kind of an Athonic cadaster for the Byzantine era; that would be impossible after all. Neither could it settle on searching only for the official “metochia”, as the term mostly refers to the administrative centers of the estates.
The aim was the creation of some kind of a registry for the “totality” of those estates, as they are referred within the original sources, and depict them on a map towards a holistic view of the whole phenomenon, which could point out its major aspects.
Publishing of the surviving administrative documents stored at the monastery's Archive (transcrip... more Publishing of the surviving administrative documents stored at the monastery's Archive (transcription, description, epitomes/summaries, notes etc), from the Post-Byzantine era up to the early 20th century (in some specific documents' groups). [ forthcoming ]
The founding and evolution of the monastic estates outside the Athonic peninsula is a peculiar ph... more The founding and evolution of the monastic estates outside the Athonic peninsula is a peculiar phenomenon, linked directly to the history of Athos itself. The thesis is a macroscopic approach to that phenomenon, focusing mainly on its geographical aspect. It has three volumes, as follows: - Text - Catalogue of the Athonic estates - Brief presentation of the Athonic monasteries, quantifications and geographical analysis. The thesis, defines a strict methodology for the whole approach, then proceeding to the data-entry and the quantifications of all available data within the sources for those estates. The quantifications lead to sets of statistical graphs and maps, while the discussion deals with the whole issue within a framework of various aspects, such as: economy, geography, environment, networks, defense, demography etc.
Η ίδρυση και επέκταση του ζωτικού αθωνικού χώρου μέσω κτήσεων και μετοχίων συνιστά ένα ιδιαίτερο φαινόμενο το οποίο σχετίζεται άμεσα με τη διαμόρφωση της αθωνικής φυσιογνωμίας και ιστορίας. Η διατριβή αποτελεί μια μακροσκοπική προσέγγιση του συνόλου του φαινομένου κατά τη Βυζαντινή περίοδο, με έμφαση στη γεωγραφική του συνιστώσα. Το έργο αποτελείται από τρεις τόμους οι οποίοι περιέχουν: - Κυρίως κείμενο - Κατάλογο αθωνικών κτήσεων- Παρουσίαση των αθωνικών μονών, επιμέρους ποσοτικοποιήσεις της καταγραφής και γεωγραφική ανάλυση. Το έργο, θέτοντας μία ενιαία μεθοδολογική βάση για την καταγραφή των κτήσεων από τις σωζόμενες πηγές, προχωρά στην τυπολογική τους κατάταξη και την παραγωγή ποσοτικοποιήσεων, προκειμένου για την απόδοση του φαινομένου στο χώρο και το χρόνο, που συνιστούν κύρια κριτήρια της ιστορικο-γερωγραφικής ανάλυσης, μέσω γραφημάτων και πρωτότυπων χαρτογραφικών αποδόσεων. Η Συζήτηση, τέλος, θέτει το όλο ζήτημα σε ένα ευρύτερο πλαίσιο ανάλυσης με ειδικότερες παραμέτρους, όπως: οικονομία, γεωγραφία, περιβάλλον, χωροταξία, δίκτυα, άμυνα, δημογραφία κ.ά
Nicopolis: Revealing the Octavian's victory city (by: Zachos K., Kalpakis D., Kappa ch., Kyrkou T... more Nicopolis: Revealing the Octavian's victory city (by: Zachos K., Kalpakis D., Kappa ch., Kyrkou Th.)
ISBN: 978-960-87073-2-0
Papers by Dimitrios Kalpakis
The Athonic landownership was given great importance within the socio-economic framework of the B... more The Athonic landownership was given great importance within the socio-economic framework of the Byzantine countryside, particularly around the major urban centers. On the other hand, due to the prestige of the royal monasteries of Athos, it became a critical factor of geopolitics in regional and local level as well.
During the troubled Late Byzantine era, the northern Greek territories became a theatre of geopolitical struggle and rivalries among many powers, either domestic or foreign. From this point of view, the Athonic estates, spread-out in those regions, turned to a basic means for political management and manipulation, revealing the interaction among them all.
This article aims to outline the framework of this interaction, based on preserved archival material from Athos. The first attempt is to organize and classify all the relevant documents in broad categories and then to create a “typology” of the landownership changes, always under the spectrum of the official management and politics applied by the state to the monasteries.
A more thorough examination reveals particular cases of shifts and changes, beyond the main categories where the office politics is clearer (adelphata, pronoiai, granting abandoned state lands etc.) which in turn pose some interesting questions.
Last, a final look on the documents redraws the limits of the whole political scenery at the end of the Late Byzantium, especially by focusing on those cases, where “rushed” political initiatives (mass donations of either state or private lands before the conquest) reveal the occurring transition to the new, Ottoman reality.
Η μοναστηριακή γαιοκτησία -και δη η αθωνική εν προκειμένω- αποτέλεσε σημαντικότατο παράγοντα διαμ... more Η μοναστηριακή γαιοκτησία -και δη η αθωνική εν προκειμένω- αποτέλεσε σημαντικότατο παράγοντα διαμόρφωσης οικονομικών σχέσεων και ισορροπιών στην υστεροβυζαντινή ύπαιθρο, στην ευρύτερη περιοχή των μεγάλων αστικών κέντρων. Παράλληλα δε, ακριβώς λόγω αυτού του ρόλου της αλλά και της μεγάλης κοινωνικής ισχύος των μονών, κατέστη εξίσου κρίσιμος παράγοντας διαμόρφωσης και άσκησης πολιτικής σε περιφερειακό επίπεδο.
Στην ιδιαίτερα ταραχώδη περίοδο του Ύστερου Βυζαντίου ο βορειοελλαδικός χώρος, που αποτελεί και τον στενό κύκλο του αθωνικού ζωτικού χώρου, καθίσταται θέατρο πολιτικών ανταγωνισμών και συσχετισμού δυνάμεων.
Υπό την έννοια αυτή, οι κτήσεις των αθωνικών μονών αναδείχθηκαν σε καταλυτικούς παράγοντες στο πλαίσιο αυτής της δυναμικής, λειτουργώντας ως ένα από τα βασικά εργαλεία σε μια ευρύτερα νοούμενη γεωπολιτική οπτική.
Το άρθρο έχει ως στόχο τη σκιαγράφηση αυτού του πλαισίου, όπως αναδεικνύεται και υποστηρίζεται από τις αρχειακές μαρτυρίες.
Η ΑΞΙΟΠΟΙΗΣΗ ΤΩΝ ΨΗΦΙΑΚΩΝ ΤΕΧΝΟΛΟΓΙΩΝ ΣΤΗΝ ΕΡΕΥΝΑ ΤΩΝ ΒΥΖΑΝΤΙΝΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΜΕΤΑΒΥΖΑΝΤΙΝΩΝ ΜΝΗΜΕΙΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΚΕΙΜΗΛΙΩΝ, 2024
[ ISBN: 978-960-656-246-4 ]
Essential management requires thorough knowledge and sufficient asset... more [ ISBN: 978-960-656-246-4 ]
Essential management requires thorough knowledge and sufficient assets
control; and assets control, in turn, requires proper documentation. When
dealing with monuments, one cannot overlook the fact that their documentation still goes through a long period of challenges, caused -to an extent- and supported by a constant emergence of relevant digital ools.
Using the above admission as a starting point, the article examines the issue of monuments’ documentation focusing mostly on digital mapping. Using a brief retrospection on relevant initiatives, it brings out the crucial managerial aspect, with reference to geography as well. The latter finally emerges as a critical nodal point in the whole network of documentation concept and processes; beyond innovative and fascinating digital tools and platforms, actual and effective documentation is finally useless without proper geographical reference.
Φῶς Ἱλαρόν - ΑΦΙΈΡΩΜΑ ΣΤΗ ΜΝΗΜΗ ΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΟΥ ΠΑΛΙΟΥΡΑ, 2024
The sharp demographic increase in Athos after the second half of the 10th century made it clear t... more The sharp demographic increase in Athos after the second half of the 10th century made it clear that the rough, mountainous landscape of the peninsula could never be enough to cover the vital needs of the monastic community. Therefore, the founders of the new monasteries, being concerned about the viability of their institutions long after their death, endowed them with land property of a considerable scale. As those
lands were mainly intended for direct exploitation, the founders preferred the area just outside the athonic borderline, however more regions in Chalkidiki and Thessaloniki were eligible as well, thus formatting the Athos’ physical extension. Soon, this area evolved to what could be called an athonic vital space, covering the whole peninsula of Chalkidiki, and a territory from Thessaloniki up to Strymon valley, also including
the islands of Lemnos and Sporades to the south.
This area expanded in “circles” throughout time, towards mostly the NW or NE, depending on the historical background. While the maintenance of that core space was linked mostly with the vital needs of the monasteries and its founder’s providence, the expansion of that area beyond its initial limits was a phenomenon linked mainly to the practice of donation and the emergence of a new generation of benefactors and donors. State and private land donations of various scales took place in the period after the establishment of the great monasteries, during the Late Byzantine period and especially in the 14th and early 15th centuries. Although the background of donors as well as the motivations, the size and the terms of the donations vary so much, the donation, as a practice, seems to be the basic means for the expansion of the athonic space and the spreading of its spirit throughout the Byzantine world. The following
centuries after the Ottoman occupation simply confirm that scheme, as the monasteries, in order to respond to the new economic challenges of the Ottoman reality (especially after the so-called confiscation of the monastic properties by Selim II, 1568/9) had to attract a new wave of donations, especially from the rich Danuban hegemonies, thus putting the whole issue of monastic land ownership on a new basis almost up to the
modern times.
Ιστορία - Κοινωνία - Πολιτισμός. Ερευνητικά ζητήματα και προκλήσεις (Αφιερωματικός τόμος για τα 30 χρόνια του Τμήματος Ιστορίας και Εθνολογίας), 2022
Το ζήτημα των αθωνικών κτήσεων κατά τη Βυζαντινή εποχή, ως παραγωγικών πρωτίστως μονάδων, δεν είχ... more Το ζήτημα των αθωνικών κτήσεων κατά τη Βυζαντινή εποχή, ως παραγωγικών πρωτίστως μονάδων, δεν είχε μέχρι πρόσφατα ερευνηθεί στην έκταση και στο βάθος που του αναλογεί. Ομοίως και γενικότερα η περίοδος του Ύστερου Βυζα- ντίου, όπου το ενδιαφέρον μονοπωλούσαν κυρίως η πολιτική ιστορία και η τέ- χνη. Τα τελευταία χρόνια, και υπό το πρίσμα μιας γενικότερης διεπιστημονικής προσέγγισης, σημαντικός αριθμός σχετικών μελετών έχει αρχίσει να ρίχνει φως στις ιδιαίτερες πτυχές των γνωστικών αυτών αντικείμενων. Ωστόσο, και πάλι, η μεταξύ των δύο σχέση δεν έχει αναδειχθεί επαρκώς. Στόχος του παρόντος πονήματος είναι να αποδώσει αδρομερώς το πλαίσιο συνάφειας των δύο αυτών θεμάτων και να δώσει έναυσμα για ερωτήματα και προεκτάσεις. Εντάσσεται δε σε μία ευρύτερη έρευνα που βρίσκεται σε εξέλιξη και η οποία, με αφορμή τη γεωγραφία, επιχειρεί αφενός καταγραφές, ποσοτικοποιήσεις και θεματικές κα- τατάξεις στοιχείων που αφορούν τις κτήσεις καθαυτές, και αφετέρου συνδέσεις με πολλαπλούς τομείς του ιστορικού υποβάθρου, σε τοπικό και γενικότερο επί- πεδο (άμυνα, δίκτυα, δημογραφία, κοινωνική οργάνωση κ.λπ.). Δεδομένων των περιορισμών, στο παρόν πόνημα αποδίδονται τα κύρια απλώς στοιχεία του λει- τουργικού πλαισίου (θεσμοί, ιστορικό υπόβαθρο κ.λπ.) ενώ, προσπερνώντας τις ποσοτικοποιήσεις καθαυτές, επιχειρείται η συνοπτική περιγραφή του φαινομέ- νου των κτήσεων (ίδρυση, λειτουργία, επέκταση, στόχοι, μοτίβα, προοπτικές), όπως αυτό τοποθετείται μέσα στην περίοδο μελέτης. Σε αυτήν ακριβώς την πε- ρίοδο, όπου ακόμα η οικονομία στηρίζεται πρωτίστως στην αγροτική παραγω- γή, οι αθωνικές κτήσεις επηρεάζουν έντονα την οργάνωση της βυζαντινής (και, εν προκειμένω, της ύστερης) υπαίθρου, με όρους οικονομικούς αλλά όχι μόνο. Κυριαρχώντας στον τοπικό οικονομικό χώρο, οι κτήσεις αυτές καθίστανται πυ- ρήνες οικιστικής και κοινωνικής οργάνωσης, συμβάλλοντας στην πνευματική κίνηση και λειτουργώντας ευεργετικά σε πολλά επίπεδα.
MONASTIC ECONOMY ACROSS TIME: WEALTH MANAGEMENT, PATTERNS, AND TRENDS, 2021
The founders of the great athonic monasteries endowed them with landed properties, a “detail” tha... more The founders of the great athonic monasteries endowed them with landed properties, a “detail” that became a basic element of monasticism, despite the fact that property would conflict with a basic monastic principal that is penury.
The athonic estates evolved into spiritual and social nodes, apart from their crucial economic role in the countryside. That evolution, though with gaps and periods of silence within the sources, can be totally reflected on space, thus depicted on maps. Controlling and organizing the scattered information throughout a variety of documents was not an easy task. For, the first bet was not the actual data-entry stage but rather setting a common basis for that.
The whole study had a macroscopic view, offering the desirable distance in order to get the big picture. The vital space of Athos was set by the estates of each one of its monasteries, which had its own history and special circumstances under which those estates got acquired and flourished.
However, the study deals with the whole thing as a single phenomenon, as it does have a common base: ways of acquisition, regions of foundation, types and functions, patterns of expansion, managing “protocols” and so on.
Furthermore, the estates do have some more common attributes, in a spatial sense, that is the way they influenced the countryside, not only in terms of economy, but also of landscape planning, networks, defense and demography, thus making a strong impact on the Byzantine rural society.
ΜΟΥΣΕΙΑΚΟΙ ΧΩΡΟΙ ΣΤΟΝ ΕΙΚΟΣΤΟ ΠΡΩΤΟ ΑΙΩΝΑ. ΠΡΑΚΤΙΚΕΣ ΔΙΑΔΡΑΣΗΣ, 2018
ABSTRACT
The endless space-time, being conceived within the limits of the human existence, forms ... more ABSTRACT
The endless space-time, being conceived within the limits of the human existence, forms a close –almost tight- frame, in which (only) the human drama of life and death, of creation and disaster, of the civilization itself is performed.
The space-time is historical by nature, according to its linear conception, which our culture has defined as the most functional. Therefore, space-time keeps the keys for its own interpretation.
The museum narrative is the main means for the promotiοn and study of the historical space-time. However, modern trends lead it to a rationalization, so it could respond to its “globalized” audience. The way to achieve this, is a deformation of the elliptical (thus, problematic) speech of history itself. Nevertheless, abolishing the emblems or the context cause a mutilation of the historical space-time itself, as only “politically correct” interpretation is then accepted.
The historical space-time has to be seen as a genuine product of its related historical societies; and all semantics must be included in the interpretation process. Only this way the demand for self or collective references –dramatically strong in our modern world- could be fullfilled.
ΠΕΡΙΛΗΨΗ
Στὰ πεπερασμένα ὅρια τοῦ ἀνθρώπινου βίου, ὁ διαρκὴς χωροχρόνος, παρὰ τὴν ψευδαίσθηση τοῦ ἀπείρου, ἀποτελεῖ τὸ κλειστό –σχεδὸν ἀσφυκτικό- πλαίσιο, μέσα στὸ ὁποῖο –μόνο- ἐκτυλίσσεται τὸ σύνθετο ἔργο τῆς ζωῆς καὶ τοῦ θανάτου, τῆς δημιουργίας καὶ τῆς καταστροφῆς, τοῦ ἴδιου τοῦ πολιτισμοῦ.
Ὁ χωροχρόνος εἶναι ἐκ φύσεως ἱστορικός, τουλάχιστον στὴ γραμμικὴ σύλληψή του, ποὺ ὁ πολιτισμός μας ἔχει ὁρίσει ὡς τὴν πλέον εὔληπτη καὶ λειτουργική. Καὶ ὡς τέτοιος, κρατᾶ ὁ ἴδιος τὰ κλειδιὰ τῆς ἑρμηνείας του.
Ἡ μουσειακὴ ἀφήγηση ἀποτελεῖ ἕνα ἀπὸ τὰ κύρια μέσα προβολῆς, ἀνάδειξης καὶ μελέτης τοῦ ἱστορικοῦ χωροχρόνου. Ὡστόσο, οἱ σύγχρονες τάσεις τὴν ὁδηγοῦν σὲ μιὰν αὐτοεκλογίκευση, προκειμένου νὰ εἶναι σὲ θέση νὰ καλύψει τὶς ἀπαιτήσεις τοῦ παγκοσμιοποιημένου κοινοῦ της. Γιὰ νὰ τὸ πετύχει αὐτό, προχωρεῖ συχνὰ σὲ μιὰν ἀποδόμηση τοῦ -οὔτως ἢ ἄλλως, ἐλλειπτικοῦ καὶ ἄρα προβληματικοῦ- (μονο)λόγου τῆς ἱστορίας. Ἀλλὰ ἡ κατάργηση τοῦ ἐμβληματικοῦ συμφραζόμενου τείνει νὰ ἀκρωτηριάσει τὸν ἱστορικὸ χωροχρόνο, καταλήγοντας ἔτσι μόνο -ἢ κυρίως- σέ «πολιτικῶς ὀρθές» ἑρμηνεῖες.
Ὁ ἱστορικὸς χωροχρόνος πρέπει νὰ ἰδωθεῖ ὡς γέννημα τῶν κοινωνιῶν ποὺ γέννησε, κουβαλώντας μαζί του ὅλο τὸ ἀνάλογο σημειολογικὸ βάρος. Μόνον ἔτσι εἶναι δυνατὴ ἡ ἱκανοποίηση τοῦ ζητούμενου τῆς ἀτομικῆς καὶ συλλογικῆς ἀναφορᾶς, ἰδιαίτερα ἔντονου στὸ σύγχρονο κόσμο.
ΙΣΤΟΡΙΚΟΓΕΩΓΡΑΦΙΚΑ 16-17 - HISTORICOGEOGRAPHICA 16-17 | "ΤΑΥΤΟΤΗΤΕΣ ΤΗΣ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΚΗΣ ΓΕΩΓΡΑΦΙΑΣ - IDENTITIES OF HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY", Jun 2018
It’s a key-axiom that in pre-modern societies the rural space is amongst the primary –if not the ... more It’s a key-axiom that in pre-modern societies the rural space is amongst the primary –if not the main- fields for economic action.
If seen from the financial point of view, the space looks either being unified, or fragmented, linked or isolated, and always much more than just the framework for human action, but rather a basic factor for history itself.
Our paper examines the relationship of Church with the rural space, with agriculture and economy in general, within a period from the Fourth Crusade and the Restoration of the Byzantine State at 1261 to the middle of the 16th century and the specific event of the confiscation of the monastic estates by Selim II (1568/69).
By the term “Church” here, we mean the great monasteries, which, apart from any other characteristic, became powerful landowners, functioning as serious economic and social factors of their time.
Given that we try here a geographical approach, the aim is to define the framework of the phenomenon and reach to general -if possible- conclusions, regarding the economy of that period its relations to the space itself.
The aim of the presentation is to express some methodological views and concerns, within the fram... more The aim of the presentation is to express some methodological views and concerns, within the framework of a wider study of geographic nature.
It is a fact that the contribution of the monastic dependencies to the overall character of the monasticism is being seriously taken into account. Especially in what deals with the Holy Mount (Athos), whose vital space was always limited, rather being considered as inadequate for the needs of its community.
Without overlooking the many parameters of the issue, the economic factor is of special interest, functioning as its operative event as well as the most effective element of its development.
Although the main study has a limited horizon, both geographic and temporal (13rd – 16th c.), in this case the “metochia” are being examined in total, through a macroscopic view. The issues arising have their starting point from matters of methodology and content, e.g. the potentiality of a thorough classification by type, or their role within the whole economic structure, taking always into account wider transformations in the historical background.
The Programme of the Conference
One-day Conference at the University of Ioannina, Greece.
Topics: Geopolitics, Cartography, Netwo... more One-day Conference at the University of Ioannina, Greece.
Topics: Geopolitics, Cartography, Networks, Man and Space, Art.
Sept. 23rd, 2015.
ΒΥΖΑΝΤΙΝΑ SΥΜΜΕΙΚΤΑ 24 (2014), pp. 29-66 (www.byzsym.org), 2014
The quest for the sources of the Nile had been -already since the antiquity- a major issue regard... more The quest for the sources of the Nile had been -already since the antiquity- a major issue regarding the exploration of Africa by both locals and foreigners. This makes no surprise, if the importance of the river is taken into account, not only from a strictly economical point of view but also from a political, historical and cultural one.
Since Ptolemy introduced the Mountains of the Moon, the whole issue got a more stable basis; the quest had a specific aim from then on. Those mountains, either existing or product of a false translation tantalized the researchers for ages. On the other hand, the difficulties of such a risky expedition helped the Ptolemaic authority remain unchanged within the cartographic depictions long after the Age of Discovery.
This paper aims only to outline the framework of this great issue, highlighting also a few points and proposing answers to questions which, though not of high priority, are really important: Did Ptolemy himself have first-hand geographic knowledge of that area? Did the ancient people of that part of Africa have adequate knowledge of such a complicated hydrological phenomenon? Was the Ptolemaic text in its original form when Planoudis discovered it, or had it got updated with fresh geographic knowledge through the ages?
Δρακούλης, Δ.Π., - Τσότσος, Γ.Π. (επιμ.), Ιστορική, Κοινωνική και Πολεοδομική Ανάλυση του Χώρου, Αφιέρωμα στον καθηγητή Ευάγγελο Π. Δημητριάδη, Θεσσαλονίκη: Εκδ. Σταμούλη, σσ. 117-131., 2014
ABSTRACT: A critical element for the conceptualization of historical landscapes is the trinity “s... more ABSTRACT: A critical element for the conceptualization of historical landscapes is the trinity “space-time-man”.
Speaking strictly for Greece, the major type of historical landscapes is considered to be the numerous archaeological sites, spread all over the country. Their protection and restoration is governed by a wide range of official instructions and rules for good practice.
However, as international cultural heritage is increasingly considered to be shared and common, there is a great demand for the intense promotion of these sites, thus leading to an extroversion, which sometimes surpasses the durability of the sites themselves, as well as the capabilities of their managers and receivers. Therefore, while a site gets its “historical” identity through numerous parameters -like time and decay, its “reconstructed” version often seems to be unmoving and detached from its rich past.
The problem is mainly theoretical, however with an immediate real impact, as it relates to the historical interpretation and the limits of intervention as well. The aim is to start a creative discussion which would lighten the whole issue, proposing both realistic and inspired solutions.
The educational role of a museum is an axiom. However, many factors must be taken into account fo... more The educational role of a museum is an axiom. However, many factors must be taken into account for the achievement of such a goal, and the available options seem to be numerous. Our case deals with the archaeological museums and especially with the “past-studying process”, which is one of its main functions, according to its above-mentioned educational role.
This article aims to highlight the contribution of cartography (critical but rather ignored) to this process, expressed through the mapping of historical content. The second part of the article is consisted by a brief presentation of some maps drawn for the core exhibition of the Archaeological Museum of Ioannina (Greece), as part of the whole narrative.
Proceedings of the COLLOQUIUM "After Actium: New Archaeological Finds from Roman Greece", British... more Proceedings of the COLLOQUIUM "After Actium: New Archaeological Finds from Roman Greece", British Museum, November 12th-14th, 2003 (unpublished)
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Books by Dimitrios Kalpakis
In any case, it does not intend to be any kind of an Athonic cadaster for the Byzantine era; that would be impossible after all. Neither could it settle on searching only for the official “metochia”, as the term mostly refers to the administrative centers of the estates.
The aim was the creation of some kind of a registry for the “totality” of those estates, as they are referred within the original sources, and depict them on a map towards a holistic view of the whole phenomenon, which could point out its major aspects.
Η ίδρυση και επέκταση του ζωτικού αθωνικού χώρου μέσω κτήσεων και μετοχίων συνιστά ένα ιδιαίτερο φαινόμενο το οποίο σχετίζεται άμεσα με τη διαμόρφωση της αθωνικής φυσιογνωμίας και ιστορίας. Η διατριβή αποτελεί μια μακροσκοπική προσέγγιση του συνόλου του φαινομένου κατά τη Βυζαντινή περίοδο, με έμφαση στη γεωγραφική του συνιστώσα. Το έργο αποτελείται από τρεις τόμους οι οποίοι περιέχουν: - Κυρίως κείμενο - Κατάλογο αθωνικών κτήσεων- Παρουσίαση των αθωνικών μονών, επιμέρους ποσοτικοποιήσεις της καταγραφής και γεωγραφική ανάλυση. Το έργο, θέτοντας μία ενιαία μεθοδολογική βάση για την καταγραφή των κτήσεων από τις σωζόμενες πηγές, προχωρά στην τυπολογική τους κατάταξη και την παραγωγή ποσοτικοποιήσεων, προκειμένου για την απόδοση του φαινομένου στο χώρο και το χρόνο, που συνιστούν κύρια κριτήρια της ιστορικο-γερωγραφικής ανάλυσης, μέσω γραφημάτων και πρωτότυπων χαρτογραφικών αποδόσεων. Η Συζήτηση, τέλος, θέτει το όλο ζήτημα σε ένα ευρύτερο πλαίσιο ανάλυσης με ειδικότερες παραμέτρους, όπως: οικονομία, γεωγραφία, περιβάλλον, χωροταξία, δίκτυα, άμυνα, δημογραφία κ.ά
ISBN: 978-960-87073-2-0
Papers by Dimitrios Kalpakis
During the troubled Late Byzantine era, the northern Greek territories became a theatre of geopolitical struggle and rivalries among many powers, either domestic or foreign. From this point of view, the Athonic estates, spread-out in those regions, turned to a basic means for political management and manipulation, revealing the interaction among them all.
This article aims to outline the framework of this interaction, based on preserved archival material from Athos. The first attempt is to organize and classify all the relevant documents in broad categories and then to create a “typology” of the landownership changes, always under the spectrum of the official management and politics applied by the state to the monasteries.
A more thorough examination reveals particular cases of shifts and changes, beyond the main categories where the office politics is clearer (adelphata, pronoiai, granting abandoned state lands etc.) which in turn pose some interesting questions.
Last, a final look on the documents redraws the limits of the whole political scenery at the end of the Late Byzantium, especially by focusing on those cases, where “rushed” political initiatives (mass donations of either state or private lands before the conquest) reveal the occurring transition to the new, Ottoman reality.
Στην ιδιαίτερα ταραχώδη περίοδο του Ύστερου Βυζαντίου ο βορειοελλαδικός χώρος, που αποτελεί και τον στενό κύκλο του αθωνικού ζωτικού χώρου, καθίσταται θέατρο πολιτικών ανταγωνισμών και συσχετισμού δυνάμεων.
Υπό την έννοια αυτή, οι κτήσεις των αθωνικών μονών αναδείχθηκαν σε καταλυτικούς παράγοντες στο πλαίσιο αυτής της δυναμικής, λειτουργώντας ως ένα από τα βασικά εργαλεία σε μια ευρύτερα νοούμενη γεωπολιτική οπτική.
Το άρθρο έχει ως στόχο τη σκιαγράφηση αυτού του πλαισίου, όπως αναδεικνύεται και υποστηρίζεται από τις αρχειακές μαρτυρίες.
Essential management requires thorough knowledge and sufficient assets
control; and assets control, in turn, requires proper documentation. When
dealing with monuments, one cannot overlook the fact that their documentation still goes through a long period of challenges, caused -to an extent- and supported by a constant emergence of relevant digital ools.
Using the above admission as a starting point, the article examines the issue of monuments’ documentation focusing mostly on digital mapping. Using a brief retrospection on relevant initiatives, it brings out the crucial managerial aspect, with reference to geography as well. The latter finally emerges as a critical nodal point in the whole network of documentation concept and processes; beyond innovative and fascinating digital tools and platforms, actual and effective documentation is finally useless without proper geographical reference.
lands were mainly intended for direct exploitation, the founders preferred the area just outside the athonic borderline, however more regions in Chalkidiki and Thessaloniki were eligible as well, thus formatting the Athos’ physical extension. Soon, this area evolved to what could be called an athonic vital space, covering the whole peninsula of Chalkidiki, and a territory from Thessaloniki up to Strymon valley, also including
the islands of Lemnos and Sporades to the south.
This area expanded in “circles” throughout time, towards mostly the NW or NE, depending on the historical background. While the maintenance of that core space was linked mostly with the vital needs of the monasteries and its founder’s providence, the expansion of that area beyond its initial limits was a phenomenon linked mainly to the practice of donation and the emergence of a new generation of benefactors and donors. State and private land donations of various scales took place in the period after the establishment of the great monasteries, during the Late Byzantine period and especially in the 14th and early 15th centuries. Although the background of donors as well as the motivations, the size and the terms of the donations vary so much, the donation, as a practice, seems to be the basic means for the expansion of the athonic space and the spreading of its spirit throughout the Byzantine world. The following
centuries after the Ottoman occupation simply confirm that scheme, as the monasteries, in order to respond to the new economic challenges of the Ottoman reality (especially after the so-called confiscation of the monastic properties by Selim II, 1568/9) had to attract a new wave of donations, especially from the rich Danuban hegemonies, thus putting the whole issue of monastic land ownership on a new basis almost up to the
modern times.
The athonic estates evolved into spiritual and social nodes, apart from their crucial economic role in the countryside. That evolution, though with gaps and periods of silence within the sources, can be totally reflected on space, thus depicted on maps. Controlling and organizing the scattered information throughout a variety of documents was not an easy task. For, the first bet was not the actual data-entry stage but rather setting a common basis for that.
The whole study had a macroscopic view, offering the desirable distance in order to get the big picture. The vital space of Athos was set by the estates of each one of its monasteries, which had its own history and special circumstances under which those estates got acquired and flourished.
However, the study deals with the whole thing as a single phenomenon, as it does have a common base: ways of acquisition, regions of foundation, types and functions, patterns of expansion, managing “protocols” and so on.
Furthermore, the estates do have some more common attributes, in a spatial sense, that is the way they influenced the countryside, not only in terms of economy, but also of landscape planning, networks, defense and demography, thus making a strong impact on the Byzantine rural society.
The endless space-time, being conceived within the limits of the human existence, forms a close –almost tight- frame, in which (only) the human drama of life and death, of creation and disaster, of the civilization itself is performed.
The space-time is historical by nature, according to its linear conception, which our culture has defined as the most functional. Therefore, space-time keeps the keys for its own interpretation.
The museum narrative is the main means for the promotiοn and study of the historical space-time. However, modern trends lead it to a rationalization, so it could respond to its “globalized” audience. The way to achieve this, is a deformation of the elliptical (thus, problematic) speech of history itself. Nevertheless, abolishing the emblems or the context cause a mutilation of the historical space-time itself, as only “politically correct” interpretation is then accepted.
The historical space-time has to be seen as a genuine product of its related historical societies; and all semantics must be included in the interpretation process. Only this way the demand for self or collective references –dramatically strong in our modern world- could be fullfilled.
ΠΕΡΙΛΗΨΗ
Στὰ πεπερασμένα ὅρια τοῦ ἀνθρώπινου βίου, ὁ διαρκὴς χωροχρόνος, παρὰ τὴν ψευδαίσθηση τοῦ ἀπείρου, ἀποτελεῖ τὸ κλειστό –σχεδὸν ἀσφυκτικό- πλαίσιο, μέσα στὸ ὁποῖο –μόνο- ἐκτυλίσσεται τὸ σύνθετο ἔργο τῆς ζωῆς καὶ τοῦ θανάτου, τῆς δημιουργίας καὶ τῆς καταστροφῆς, τοῦ ἴδιου τοῦ πολιτισμοῦ.
Ὁ χωροχρόνος εἶναι ἐκ φύσεως ἱστορικός, τουλάχιστον στὴ γραμμικὴ σύλληψή του, ποὺ ὁ πολιτισμός μας ἔχει ὁρίσει ὡς τὴν πλέον εὔληπτη καὶ λειτουργική. Καὶ ὡς τέτοιος, κρατᾶ ὁ ἴδιος τὰ κλειδιὰ τῆς ἑρμηνείας του.
Ἡ μουσειακὴ ἀφήγηση ἀποτελεῖ ἕνα ἀπὸ τὰ κύρια μέσα προβολῆς, ἀνάδειξης καὶ μελέτης τοῦ ἱστορικοῦ χωροχρόνου. Ὡστόσο, οἱ σύγχρονες τάσεις τὴν ὁδηγοῦν σὲ μιὰν αὐτοεκλογίκευση, προκειμένου νὰ εἶναι σὲ θέση νὰ καλύψει τὶς ἀπαιτήσεις τοῦ παγκοσμιοποιημένου κοινοῦ της. Γιὰ νὰ τὸ πετύχει αὐτό, προχωρεῖ συχνὰ σὲ μιὰν ἀποδόμηση τοῦ -οὔτως ἢ ἄλλως, ἐλλειπτικοῦ καὶ ἄρα προβληματικοῦ- (μονο)λόγου τῆς ἱστορίας. Ἀλλὰ ἡ κατάργηση τοῦ ἐμβληματικοῦ συμφραζόμενου τείνει νὰ ἀκρωτηριάσει τὸν ἱστορικὸ χωροχρόνο, καταλήγοντας ἔτσι μόνο -ἢ κυρίως- σέ «πολιτικῶς ὀρθές» ἑρμηνεῖες.
Ὁ ἱστορικὸς χωροχρόνος πρέπει νὰ ἰδωθεῖ ὡς γέννημα τῶν κοινωνιῶν ποὺ γέννησε, κουβαλώντας μαζί του ὅλο τὸ ἀνάλογο σημειολογικὸ βάρος. Μόνον ἔτσι εἶναι δυνατὴ ἡ ἱκανοποίηση τοῦ ζητούμενου τῆς ἀτομικῆς καὶ συλλογικῆς ἀναφορᾶς, ἰδιαίτερα ἔντονου στὸ σύγχρονο κόσμο.
If seen from the financial point of view, the space looks either being unified, or fragmented, linked or isolated, and always much more than just the framework for human action, but rather a basic factor for history itself.
Our paper examines the relationship of Church with the rural space, with agriculture and economy in general, within a period from the Fourth Crusade and the Restoration of the Byzantine State at 1261 to the middle of the 16th century and the specific event of the confiscation of the monastic estates by Selim II (1568/69).
By the term “Church” here, we mean the great monasteries, which, apart from any other characteristic, became powerful landowners, functioning as serious economic and social factors of their time.
Given that we try here a geographical approach, the aim is to define the framework of the phenomenon and reach to general -if possible- conclusions, regarding the economy of that period its relations to the space itself.
It is a fact that the contribution of the monastic dependencies to the overall character of the monasticism is being seriously taken into account. Especially in what deals with the Holy Mount (Athos), whose vital space was always limited, rather being considered as inadequate for the needs of its community.
Without overlooking the many parameters of the issue, the economic factor is of special interest, functioning as its operative event as well as the most effective element of its development.
Although the main study has a limited horizon, both geographic and temporal (13rd – 16th c.), in this case the “metochia” are being examined in total, through a macroscopic view. The issues arising have their starting point from matters of methodology and content, e.g. the potentiality of a thorough classification by type, or their role within the whole economic structure, taking always into account wider transformations in the historical background.
Topics: Geopolitics, Cartography, Networks, Man and Space, Art.
Sept. 23rd, 2015.
Since Ptolemy introduced the Mountains of the Moon, the whole issue got a more stable basis; the quest had a specific aim from then on. Those mountains, either existing or product of a false translation tantalized the researchers for ages. On the other hand, the difficulties of such a risky expedition helped the Ptolemaic authority remain unchanged within the cartographic depictions long after the Age of Discovery.
This paper aims only to outline the framework of this great issue, highlighting also a few points and proposing answers to questions which, though not of high priority, are really important: Did Ptolemy himself have first-hand geographic knowledge of that area? Did the ancient people of that part of Africa have adequate knowledge of such a complicated hydrological phenomenon? Was the Ptolemaic text in its original form when Planoudis discovered it, or had it got updated with fresh geographic knowledge through the ages?
Speaking strictly for Greece, the major type of historical landscapes is considered to be the numerous archaeological sites, spread all over the country. Their protection and restoration is governed by a wide range of official instructions and rules for good practice.
However, as international cultural heritage is increasingly considered to be shared and common, there is a great demand for the intense promotion of these sites, thus leading to an extroversion, which sometimes surpasses the durability of the sites themselves, as well as the capabilities of their managers and receivers. Therefore, while a site gets its “historical” identity through numerous parameters -like time and decay, its “reconstructed” version often seems to be unmoving and detached from its rich past.
The problem is mainly theoretical, however with an immediate real impact, as it relates to the historical interpretation and the limits of intervention as well. The aim is to start a creative discussion which would lighten the whole issue, proposing both realistic and inspired solutions.
This article aims to highlight the contribution of cartography (critical but rather ignored) to this process, expressed through the mapping of historical content. The second part of the article is consisted by a brief presentation of some maps drawn for the core exhibition of the Archaeological Museum of Ioannina (Greece), as part of the whole narrative.
In any case, it does not intend to be any kind of an Athonic cadaster for the Byzantine era; that would be impossible after all. Neither could it settle on searching only for the official “metochia”, as the term mostly refers to the administrative centers of the estates.
The aim was the creation of some kind of a registry for the “totality” of those estates, as they are referred within the original sources, and depict them on a map towards a holistic view of the whole phenomenon, which could point out its major aspects.
Η ίδρυση και επέκταση του ζωτικού αθωνικού χώρου μέσω κτήσεων και μετοχίων συνιστά ένα ιδιαίτερο φαινόμενο το οποίο σχετίζεται άμεσα με τη διαμόρφωση της αθωνικής φυσιογνωμίας και ιστορίας. Η διατριβή αποτελεί μια μακροσκοπική προσέγγιση του συνόλου του φαινομένου κατά τη Βυζαντινή περίοδο, με έμφαση στη γεωγραφική του συνιστώσα. Το έργο αποτελείται από τρεις τόμους οι οποίοι περιέχουν: - Κυρίως κείμενο - Κατάλογο αθωνικών κτήσεων- Παρουσίαση των αθωνικών μονών, επιμέρους ποσοτικοποιήσεις της καταγραφής και γεωγραφική ανάλυση. Το έργο, θέτοντας μία ενιαία μεθοδολογική βάση για την καταγραφή των κτήσεων από τις σωζόμενες πηγές, προχωρά στην τυπολογική τους κατάταξη και την παραγωγή ποσοτικοποιήσεων, προκειμένου για την απόδοση του φαινομένου στο χώρο και το χρόνο, που συνιστούν κύρια κριτήρια της ιστορικο-γερωγραφικής ανάλυσης, μέσω γραφημάτων και πρωτότυπων χαρτογραφικών αποδόσεων. Η Συζήτηση, τέλος, θέτει το όλο ζήτημα σε ένα ευρύτερο πλαίσιο ανάλυσης με ειδικότερες παραμέτρους, όπως: οικονομία, γεωγραφία, περιβάλλον, χωροταξία, δίκτυα, άμυνα, δημογραφία κ.ά
ISBN: 978-960-87073-2-0
During the troubled Late Byzantine era, the northern Greek territories became a theatre of geopolitical struggle and rivalries among many powers, either domestic or foreign. From this point of view, the Athonic estates, spread-out in those regions, turned to a basic means for political management and manipulation, revealing the interaction among them all.
This article aims to outline the framework of this interaction, based on preserved archival material from Athos. The first attempt is to organize and classify all the relevant documents in broad categories and then to create a “typology” of the landownership changes, always under the spectrum of the official management and politics applied by the state to the monasteries.
A more thorough examination reveals particular cases of shifts and changes, beyond the main categories where the office politics is clearer (adelphata, pronoiai, granting abandoned state lands etc.) which in turn pose some interesting questions.
Last, a final look on the documents redraws the limits of the whole political scenery at the end of the Late Byzantium, especially by focusing on those cases, where “rushed” political initiatives (mass donations of either state or private lands before the conquest) reveal the occurring transition to the new, Ottoman reality.
Στην ιδιαίτερα ταραχώδη περίοδο του Ύστερου Βυζαντίου ο βορειοελλαδικός χώρος, που αποτελεί και τον στενό κύκλο του αθωνικού ζωτικού χώρου, καθίσταται θέατρο πολιτικών ανταγωνισμών και συσχετισμού δυνάμεων.
Υπό την έννοια αυτή, οι κτήσεις των αθωνικών μονών αναδείχθηκαν σε καταλυτικούς παράγοντες στο πλαίσιο αυτής της δυναμικής, λειτουργώντας ως ένα από τα βασικά εργαλεία σε μια ευρύτερα νοούμενη γεωπολιτική οπτική.
Το άρθρο έχει ως στόχο τη σκιαγράφηση αυτού του πλαισίου, όπως αναδεικνύεται και υποστηρίζεται από τις αρχειακές μαρτυρίες.
Essential management requires thorough knowledge and sufficient assets
control; and assets control, in turn, requires proper documentation. When
dealing with monuments, one cannot overlook the fact that their documentation still goes through a long period of challenges, caused -to an extent- and supported by a constant emergence of relevant digital ools.
Using the above admission as a starting point, the article examines the issue of monuments’ documentation focusing mostly on digital mapping. Using a brief retrospection on relevant initiatives, it brings out the crucial managerial aspect, with reference to geography as well. The latter finally emerges as a critical nodal point in the whole network of documentation concept and processes; beyond innovative and fascinating digital tools and platforms, actual and effective documentation is finally useless without proper geographical reference.
lands were mainly intended for direct exploitation, the founders preferred the area just outside the athonic borderline, however more regions in Chalkidiki and Thessaloniki were eligible as well, thus formatting the Athos’ physical extension. Soon, this area evolved to what could be called an athonic vital space, covering the whole peninsula of Chalkidiki, and a territory from Thessaloniki up to Strymon valley, also including
the islands of Lemnos and Sporades to the south.
This area expanded in “circles” throughout time, towards mostly the NW or NE, depending on the historical background. While the maintenance of that core space was linked mostly with the vital needs of the monasteries and its founder’s providence, the expansion of that area beyond its initial limits was a phenomenon linked mainly to the practice of donation and the emergence of a new generation of benefactors and donors. State and private land donations of various scales took place in the period after the establishment of the great monasteries, during the Late Byzantine period and especially in the 14th and early 15th centuries. Although the background of donors as well as the motivations, the size and the terms of the donations vary so much, the donation, as a practice, seems to be the basic means for the expansion of the athonic space and the spreading of its spirit throughout the Byzantine world. The following
centuries after the Ottoman occupation simply confirm that scheme, as the monasteries, in order to respond to the new economic challenges of the Ottoman reality (especially after the so-called confiscation of the monastic properties by Selim II, 1568/9) had to attract a new wave of donations, especially from the rich Danuban hegemonies, thus putting the whole issue of monastic land ownership on a new basis almost up to the
modern times.
The athonic estates evolved into spiritual and social nodes, apart from their crucial economic role in the countryside. That evolution, though with gaps and periods of silence within the sources, can be totally reflected on space, thus depicted on maps. Controlling and organizing the scattered information throughout a variety of documents was not an easy task. For, the first bet was not the actual data-entry stage but rather setting a common basis for that.
The whole study had a macroscopic view, offering the desirable distance in order to get the big picture. The vital space of Athos was set by the estates of each one of its monasteries, which had its own history and special circumstances under which those estates got acquired and flourished.
However, the study deals with the whole thing as a single phenomenon, as it does have a common base: ways of acquisition, regions of foundation, types and functions, patterns of expansion, managing “protocols” and so on.
Furthermore, the estates do have some more common attributes, in a spatial sense, that is the way they influenced the countryside, not only in terms of economy, but also of landscape planning, networks, defense and demography, thus making a strong impact on the Byzantine rural society.
The endless space-time, being conceived within the limits of the human existence, forms a close –almost tight- frame, in which (only) the human drama of life and death, of creation and disaster, of the civilization itself is performed.
The space-time is historical by nature, according to its linear conception, which our culture has defined as the most functional. Therefore, space-time keeps the keys for its own interpretation.
The museum narrative is the main means for the promotiοn and study of the historical space-time. However, modern trends lead it to a rationalization, so it could respond to its “globalized” audience. The way to achieve this, is a deformation of the elliptical (thus, problematic) speech of history itself. Nevertheless, abolishing the emblems or the context cause a mutilation of the historical space-time itself, as only “politically correct” interpretation is then accepted.
The historical space-time has to be seen as a genuine product of its related historical societies; and all semantics must be included in the interpretation process. Only this way the demand for self or collective references –dramatically strong in our modern world- could be fullfilled.
ΠΕΡΙΛΗΨΗ
Στὰ πεπερασμένα ὅρια τοῦ ἀνθρώπινου βίου, ὁ διαρκὴς χωροχρόνος, παρὰ τὴν ψευδαίσθηση τοῦ ἀπείρου, ἀποτελεῖ τὸ κλειστό –σχεδὸν ἀσφυκτικό- πλαίσιο, μέσα στὸ ὁποῖο –μόνο- ἐκτυλίσσεται τὸ σύνθετο ἔργο τῆς ζωῆς καὶ τοῦ θανάτου, τῆς δημιουργίας καὶ τῆς καταστροφῆς, τοῦ ἴδιου τοῦ πολιτισμοῦ.
Ὁ χωροχρόνος εἶναι ἐκ φύσεως ἱστορικός, τουλάχιστον στὴ γραμμικὴ σύλληψή του, ποὺ ὁ πολιτισμός μας ἔχει ὁρίσει ὡς τὴν πλέον εὔληπτη καὶ λειτουργική. Καὶ ὡς τέτοιος, κρατᾶ ὁ ἴδιος τὰ κλειδιὰ τῆς ἑρμηνείας του.
Ἡ μουσειακὴ ἀφήγηση ἀποτελεῖ ἕνα ἀπὸ τὰ κύρια μέσα προβολῆς, ἀνάδειξης καὶ μελέτης τοῦ ἱστορικοῦ χωροχρόνου. Ὡστόσο, οἱ σύγχρονες τάσεις τὴν ὁδηγοῦν σὲ μιὰν αὐτοεκλογίκευση, προκειμένου νὰ εἶναι σὲ θέση νὰ καλύψει τὶς ἀπαιτήσεις τοῦ παγκοσμιοποιημένου κοινοῦ της. Γιὰ νὰ τὸ πετύχει αὐτό, προχωρεῖ συχνὰ σὲ μιὰν ἀποδόμηση τοῦ -οὔτως ἢ ἄλλως, ἐλλειπτικοῦ καὶ ἄρα προβληματικοῦ- (μονο)λόγου τῆς ἱστορίας. Ἀλλὰ ἡ κατάργηση τοῦ ἐμβληματικοῦ συμφραζόμενου τείνει νὰ ἀκρωτηριάσει τὸν ἱστορικὸ χωροχρόνο, καταλήγοντας ἔτσι μόνο -ἢ κυρίως- σέ «πολιτικῶς ὀρθές» ἑρμηνεῖες.
Ὁ ἱστορικὸς χωροχρόνος πρέπει νὰ ἰδωθεῖ ὡς γέννημα τῶν κοινωνιῶν ποὺ γέννησε, κουβαλώντας μαζί του ὅλο τὸ ἀνάλογο σημειολογικὸ βάρος. Μόνον ἔτσι εἶναι δυνατὴ ἡ ἱκανοποίηση τοῦ ζητούμενου τῆς ἀτομικῆς καὶ συλλογικῆς ἀναφορᾶς, ἰδιαίτερα ἔντονου στὸ σύγχρονο κόσμο.
If seen from the financial point of view, the space looks either being unified, or fragmented, linked or isolated, and always much more than just the framework for human action, but rather a basic factor for history itself.
Our paper examines the relationship of Church with the rural space, with agriculture and economy in general, within a period from the Fourth Crusade and the Restoration of the Byzantine State at 1261 to the middle of the 16th century and the specific event of the confiscation of the monastic estates by Selim II (1568/69).
By the term “Church” here, we mean the great monasteries, which, apart from any other characteristic, became powerful landowners, functioning as serious economic and social factors of their time.
Given that we try here a geographical approach, the aim is to define the framework of the phenomenon and reach to general -if possible- conclusions, regarding the economy of that period its relations to the space itself.
It is a fact that the contribution of the monastic dependencies to the overall character of the monasticism is being seriously taken into account. Especially in what deals with the Holy Mount (Athos), whose vital space was always limited, rather being considered as inadequate for the needs of its community.
Without overlooking the many parameters of the issue, the economic factor is of special interest, functioning as its operative event as well as the most effective element of its development.
Although the main study has a limited horizon, both geographic and temporal (13rd – 16th c.), in this case the “metochia” are being examined in total, through a macroscopic view. The issues arising have their starting point from matters of methodology and content, e.g. the potentiality of a thorough classification by type, or their role within the whole economic structure, taking always into account wider transformations in the historical background.
Topics: Geopolitics, Cartography, Networks, Man and Space, Art.
Sept. 23rd, 2015.
Since Ptolemy introduced the Mountains of the Moon, the whole issue got a more stable basis; the quest had a specific aim from then on. Those mountains, either existing or product of a false translation tantalized the researchers for ages. On the other hand, the difficulties of such a risky expedition helped the Ptolemaic authority remain unchanged within the cartographic depictions long after the Age of Discovery.
This paper aims only to outline the framework of this great issue, highlighting also a few points and proposing answers to questions which, though not of high priority, are really important: Did Ptolemy himself have first-hand geographic knowledge of that area? Did the ancient people of that part of Africa have adequate knowledge of such a complicated hydrological phenomenon? Was the Ptolemaic text in its original form when Planoudis discovered it, or had it got updated with fresh geographic knowledge through the ages?
Speaking strictly for Greece, the major type of historical landscapes is considered to be the numerous archaeological sites, spread all over the country. Their protection and restoration is governed by a wide range of official instructions and rules for good practice.
However, as international cultural heritage is increasingly considered to be shared and common, there is a great demand for the intense promotion of these sites, thus leading to an extroversion, which sometimes surpasses the durability of the sites themselves, as well as the capabilities of their managers and receivers. Therefore, while a site gets its “historical” identity through numerous parameters -like time and decay, its “reconstructed” version often seems to be unmoving and detached from its rich past.
The problem is mainly theoretical, however with an immediate real impact, as it relates to the historical interpretation and the limits of intervention as well. The aim is to start a creative discussion which would lighten the whole issue, proposing both realistic and inspired solutions.
This article aims to highlight the contribution of cartography (critical but rather ignored) to this process, expressed through the mapping of historical content. The second part of the article is consisted by a brief presentation of some maps drawn for the core exhibition of the Archaeological Museum of Ioannina (Greece), as part of the whole narrative.
Recent archaeological projects in the area –mostly through various EU initiatives- have set the historical geography of Epirus on a new basis. A key-point of all those projects is the belief that every cultural resource is part of an entire, common heritage which, thus, needs protection, preservation and promotion.
Our case studies, the archaeological sites of Kassope, Orraon and Nicopolis, are some of those in which similar projects were carried out over the last few years. A brief presentation of the actions that took place aims to outline the framework within which Applied Historical Geography can make essential proposals today. The latter, as being oriented to a deeper interpretation of the historical – cultural landscape, leads to its functional incorporation into the environment of the local communities and their developmental perspective.
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their serious management problems. Moreover, its visual attribution requires the support of various
specialties, as well as the creative synthesis of miscellaneous data.
The case of the archaeological site of Nicopolis is a typical sample. The first complete map
designed exclusively for this extended site followed the appropriate methodology in order to take
advantage of all available data, aiming to cover a wide range of needs, not only of administrative
but also of promotional and utilitarian nature.
178 10ο Εθνικό Συνέδριο Χαρτογραφίας “Η Χαρτογραφία της Ηπειρωτικής Περιφέρειας”, 12-14/11/2008
However, the general frame that define the cultural heritage (including the archaeological sites,
of course) a common property beyond national borders gets more and more strict. Thus, archaeological
sites are now being examined with a holistic view, as a field of interaction between various
elements which must be taken into account not only during research but also during documentation,
restoration and promotion procedures.
The specific mapping formed the basis for a later general proposal dealing with the idea of
transforming Nicopolis into an integrated archaeological park. Under this spectrum, contemporary
mapping of archaeological sites must comprise the end of a painful process for the exploitation of
any available information, and also produce valuable tools in order to cover the various needs of
the visitors."
Exhibition at the Archaeological Museum of Ioannina, entitled: "Archaeology of the Ioannina Basin".
Original size: 4 X 2 m.
Μ. Σ. Κορδώσης
Η ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΕΙΑ ΩΞΕΙΑΝΗ ΚΑΙ Η ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΤΙΚΗ ΠΟΛΗ ΣΤΗΝ AI-KHANOUM ΤΟΥ ΏΞΟΥ Από ελληνικές, λατινικές, αραβικές και κινεζικές πηγές
Ινστιτούτο Ελληνο-Απωανατολικών Σπουδών, Μικρές μονογραφίες Αρ. 1: Ιωάννινα 2015
M. Kordoses
ALEXANDRIA OXEIANA AND THE HELLENISTIC CITY AT AI-KHANOUN, OXUS, through Greek, Latin, Arab and Chinese sources
Institute for Greek-Far Eastern Studies, Minor Monographs No1: Ioannina 2015.
σσ. 70
περιοδική έκθεση στο Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Ιωαννίνων (21.04.2024 – 31.08.2024)
The exhibition -mainly photographic- also includes documents reproductions, original items dated back to that period, as well as video projections and original music. It was organized by both the University of Ioannina and the Ioaninna Ephorate of Antiquities.
Duration: October 5th 2016 - March 5th 2017
General Supervision: Prof. K. Liampi & Prof. N. Katsikoudis (University of Ioannina, School of Philosophy)
Museologic - Museographic - Artistic Supervision & General Coordination: D. Kalpakis (Ioannina Ephorate of Antiquities)
Dimitrios Kalpakis: Museography (along with Chris Tsakoumis) plus Graphics and Artistic Supervision in general.
Title: “Cultural Infrastructures at the Archaeological Museum of Ioannina”
Deliverables: Educational packages regarding:
- The archaeological site of Dodona
Contents: A 3d puzzle of the archaeological site, a pair of printed guides (teachers's and student's) originally illustrated, regarding the site and its history, plus a brief guide of the site for blind people ( in Braille ).
- The ancient children games as presented through Museum finds
Contents: A series of replicas of ancient toys found in children tombs, now being exhibits of the Museum, and a pair of printed guides (teachers's and student's) originally illustrated.
- The introduction of the Museum collections through a regional timeline
Contents: A full puppets' scene, a pair of printed guides (teachers's and student's) originally illustrated, regarding the Museum collections, a printed comic and a video game (for tablet devices), regarding the region and its history .
- Advisory services, Technical support and Artistic supervision of the International Congress entitled: “Numismatic History and Economy in Epirus during Antiquity” (Ioannina, 2007)
- Member of the Scientific and Organizing team of a 1-day Conference entitled: “Identities of Historical Geography” (Ioannina 2015)
(Mostly for “Pegasus Publishing Coproration”, Athens GR)
Translation from English or Spanish to Greek of sellected volumes of the following series:
- HISTORIA UNIVERSAL (Editorial Sol 90)
- DK EYEWITNESS TRAVEL
- WHITE STAR GUIDES - Archaeology
- GRANDES CIVILIZACIONES DE LA HISTORIA (Editorial Sol 90)
Public talk during a presentation at the Piraeus Society (Nov. 18th, 2019)
available for numerous approaches, no doubt. Among many things, those
estates are the dynamic extension of the monasteries' vital space, since their early days.
Many serious attempts have taken place so far, not only for the various
interpretations of this phenomenon, but even just for the discovering and
identification of those estates, being usually scattered in a vast
geographical area through the ages.
Regarding Byzantine Athos, the main sources for such efforts are the few
official documents of the era, stored in the Archives of those monasteries,
most of which are already -fortunately- published. However, this only
material we have, is quite problematic, not only in terms of adequacy of
the documents themselves but also regarding the adequacy of data and
their whole structure and interpretation. Yet, things get more serious when
we have to deal with the totality of the estates of this era.
The "bet" here was to put in order such scattered, heterogeneous and
often problematic information. However, this would not happen without
brave conventions towards a typological and conceptual unification of the
data. Such conventions had to take seriously into account the need for
actual data management, towards a thorough interpretation and further
future exploitation of them by the scientific community.
The project resulted a series of classifications, using basic common
denominators, such as: time sections, major areas, functional types and
sizes.
These classifications resulted then quantifications and statistics, depicted
both in graphics and on thematic maps, considered as basic tools for the
understanding of this whole phenomenon.
itself, a key function for both its existence and its interpretation as well.
Considered as an extension of the monastic vital space, an estate could have a complicated character, mostly based on its particular type.
Major rural estates turned to great pilgrimages, evolving from an actual
economic unit to a religious and cultural center of an entire area in the
countryside.
The estates of the Athonic monasteries became the massive productive space of Athos, outside its mountainous peninsula. Their importance and glamour
followed those of the great Athonic institutions themselves, which had an
important role to play in the Byzantine society, not only in financial or religious terms.
The framework and the particular conditions under which those estates
functioned, are of great importance towards interpreting and undrstanding not only the phenomenon of monasticism itself but also an entire era. What is really needed is an interdisciplinary approach, taking into account the interaction of many factors, such as the historical background, the acquisition ways and the legal status of those estates, the economic practices and perspectives, the interrelation with space and many more.
The aim of the presentation is to give an overal view of the phenomenon,
mostly in terms of History and Geography, trying to shed light to its framework, during the Byzantine era.
μάθημα: «Εφαρμογές Συστημάτων Γεωγραφικών Πληροφοριών (ΣΓΠ)»
Θ΄ εξάμηνο Προπτυχιακού
Τμήμα Αγρονόμων και Τοπογράφων Μηχανικών
Αριστοτέλειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θεσσαλονίκης
μάθημα: «ΕΜ10: Ιδεολογικά ρεύματα στη βυζαντινή και μεταβυζαντινή
Θράκη: Από το ύστερο Βυζάντιο στην πρώιμη νεωτερικότητα»
ΠΜΣ: «Σπουδές στην Τοπική Ιστορία − Διεπιστημονικές Προσεγγίσεις»
Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Εθνολογίας
Δημοκρίτειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θράκης
μάθημα: «ΕΜ06: Μνημειακή τοπογραφία και τοπική ιστορία»
ΠΜΣ: «Σπουδές στην Τοπική Ιστορία − Διεπιστημονικές Προσεγγίσεις»
Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Εθνολογίας
Δημοκρίτειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θράκης
μάθημα: «ΕΜ06: Μνημειακή τοπογραφία και τοπική ιστορία»
ΠΜΣ: «Σπουδές στην Τοπική Ιστορία − Διεπιστημονικές Προσεγγίσεις»
Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Εθνολογίας
Δημοκρίτειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θράκης
ΠΜΣ "Γεωγραφία και Εφαρμοσμένη Γεωπληροφορική".
Τμήμα Γεωγραφίας
Πανεπιστήμιο Αιγαίου