A book and a crown: A Byzantine-Norman marriage project and its Hungarian aspects (Cod. Athon. Iviron 463 [Lambros 4583], corona graeca)

Abstract

Based on philological, linguistic, paleographic, codicological and iconographic examinations, this paper presents a hypothesis concerning the circumstances of the creation of the bilingual manuscript containing the Barlaam and Joasaph Romance (Iviron 463) and the questions related to the commissioner, also drawing attention to a possible Hungarian aspect. Namely, it is probable that the preparation of the manuscript of Iviron, as well as that of the lower part of the Hungarian Holy Crown, known as the corona graeca, can be linked to the same Byzantine-Norman marriage project, that which aimed to marry Constantine Doukas, son of Michael VII Doukas (crowned co-emperor shortly after his birth), to Olympias (Helene), daughter of Robert Guiscard. According to the hypothesis presented in the study, the two objects, the manuscript Iviron 463 (prepared in Constantinople and completed by the French translation, in all probability, in the same place and at the same time), as well as the corona graeca (which probably arrived around 1075 as a gift in Hungary) were both originally intended to be given to the Norman princess upon her arrival at Constantinople. In addition to detecting interesting iconographic elements the study proposes a new, more precise dating (1074/1078) for the Greek manuscript and the old French translation.