De administrando imperio

work by Constantine Porphyrogenitus

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June 25, 2026

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De administrando imperio is a significant work by Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, written in the 10th century. This handbook of foreign policy offers valuable insights into the Byzantine Empire's interactions with its neighbors, particularly the Slavic and Turkic peoples. It serves as a crucial source of information on these groups, for whom other historical records are scarce. The work also touches upon the elaborate ceremonies of the Byzantine court, highlighting the symbolic importance of the emperor. Constantine VII, known for his scholarly pursuits, compiled this and other works to preserve and disseminate knowledge about his empire.12

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Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus
De administrando imperio, a handbook of foreign politics, is perhaps his most valuable work, a storehouse of information on Slavic and Turkic peoples about whom little else is known except through archaeology.
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De administrando imperio, a handbook of foreign politics, is perhaps his most valuable work, a storehouse of information on Slavic and Turkic peoples about whom little else is known except through archaeology.
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Uralic languages
Hungarian
…VII (Porphyrogenitus; died 959) entitled De administrando imperio, lists the megyer as one of the Hungarian tribes, but, as was typical in early reports, the Hungarians were not distinguished from their Turkish allies.
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…VII (Porphyrogenitus; died 959) entitled De administrando imperio, lists the megyer as one of the Hungarian tribes, but, as was typical in early reports, the Hungarians were not distinguished from their Turkish allies.
Read More