A Twelfth-Century Handbook of Byzantine Canon Law

Abstract

Abstract This article examines the twelfth-century manuscript BAV Vat. gr. 2198 and its contents in light of new research in the field of Byzantine legal history. This codex is most notable for containing a canon law collection known as the Synthesis of the Nomocanon, attributed to “the monk John, the son of the Sebastokrator.” After first introducing the physical details of the manuscript and its history of ownership, the article then lays out the evidence for the identification of John with Adrian Komnenos, nephew of the emperor Alexios I. It next provides a detailed study of the structure and purpose of the Synthesis of the Nomocanon, arguing that it was an attempt to create a practical handbook of canon law that would allow readers to quickly look up canons on particular themes while also being able to check the historical context in which the canons were issued. Lastly, it also surveys the contents of the manuscript’s extensive appendix and offers some general conclusions about the significance of John’s Synthesis within the broader landscape of Komnenian canon law scholarship.