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How did Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus promote scholarship and preserve information about the empire?
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Byzantine Empire
The Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child (centre), Justinian (left) holding a model of the Hagia Sophia, and Constantine (right) holding a model of the city of Constantinople; mosaic from the Hagia Sophia, 9th century.
Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus significantly advanced Byzantine scholarship through his own prolific writing and his active support of the intellectual community in Constantinople.
His efforts to preserve and document information included:
- Personal Authorship: Constantine authored several foundational works that serve as vital historical records. His De administrando imperio functions as a handbook on foreign policy, providing rare insights into Slavic and Turkic peoples. His work De ceremoniis aulae Byzantinae meticulously documented imperial ceremonies, offering a window into the Byzantine mentality and the state's efforts to project grandeur. Additionally, he compiled De thematibus to detail the development of the empire's provinces and wrote an apologetic biography of his grandfather, Basil I, to bolster his dynasty's legacy.1
- Institutional Support: He demonstrated great zeal in revitalizing the "university" of Constantinople. He actively recruited teachers and students to the court and prioritized scholars for public office, fostering an environment conducive to academic pursuit.1
- Encyclopedic Compilations: Under his direction, numerous voluminous, encyclopedic works were compiled, ensuring the preservation of knowledge from older sources.1