Byzantine university

Byzantine university refers to higher education during the era of the Byzantine empire.

The medieval Greek world had no autonomous and continuing institutions of higher learning comparable to the universities of the later Middle Ages in Western Europe, but higher education was provided by private teachers, professional groups and state appointed teachers.

In the early period Rome, Athens and Alexandria were the main centers of learning, but were overtaken in the 5th century by the Queen of cities, Constantinople. After the closing of the Academy in Athens in 529 due to its pagan teachings, and the conquest of Alexandria and Beirut by the Arabs in the mid seventh century, the focus of all higher learning moved to Constantinople.

After the foundation of Constantinople in 330 teachers were drawn to the new city and various steps were taken for official state support and supervision, however nothing lastingly formal in the way of state funded education emerged. However in 425 Theodosius II founded the "Pandidakterion", the first school of the Byzantine era,cite book|title=Rhetoric in Byzantium: Papers from the Thirty-Fifth Spring Symposium of Byzantine Studies |first=Elizabeth |last=Jeffreys |year=2003 |publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. |pages=pp39-43 |isbn=0754634531] establishing a clear distinction between teachers who were private, and those who were public and paid from imperial funds. These official teachers enjoyed privilege and prestige. There were a total of 31 teachers: 10 each for Greek and Latin grammar; 2 for law; 1 for philosophy; and eight chairs for rhetoric, with five taught in Greek and three in Latin. This system lasted with various degrees of official support until the 7th century. Byzantine rhetoric was the most important and difficult topic studied in the Byzantine education system, forming a basis for citizens to attain public office in the imperial service, or posts of authority within the Church.

In the 7th and 8th centuries Byzantine life went through a difficult period (sometimes called the Byzantine Dark Age). Continued Arab pressure from the south and the Slavs, Avars and Bulgars to the north led to dramatic economic decline and transformation of Byzantine life. However during this period higher education continued to receive some official funding, the details of which are not well known to scholars, but it is assumed the quality of the education was probably low.

With improving stability in the 9th century came measures to improve the quality of higher education. In 863 chairs of grammar, rhetoric and philosophy (includes mathematics, astronomy and music) were founded and given a permanent location in the imperial palace. These chairs continued to receive official state support for the next century and a half, after which the leading role in the provision of higher education was taken up the Church. During the 12th century the Patriarchal School was the leading center of education which included men of letters such as Theodore Prodromos and Eustathius of Thessalonica.

The capture of Constantinople in 1204 by Crusaders during the Fourth Crusade ended all support for higher education, although the government in exile in Nicaea gave some support to individual private teachers. After the restoration in 1261 attempts were made to restore the old system, but it never fully recovered and most teaching fell to private teachers and professions. Some of these private teachers include the diplomat and monk Maximos Planudes (1260-1310), the historian Nikephoros Gregoras (1291-1360), and the man of letters Manuel Chrysoloras, who taught in Florence and influence the early Italian humanists on Greek studies. In the 15th century many more teachers from Constantinople would follow in Chrysoloras' footsteps.

References

*Browning, Robert (1989). "Universities, Byzantine" in "Dictionary of the Middle Ages", volume 12, page 300.
*Harvard reference | Surname=Browning | Given=Robert | Title=The patriarchal school at Constantinople in the twelfth century | Journal=Byzantion | Volume=32 | Year=1962 | Page=167-202
*Harvard reference | Surname=Wilson | Given=N. G. | Title=Scholars of Byzantium | Publisher=Duckworth | Place=London | Year=1983 | ISBN=0715617052

Footnotes