The Age of Πειθανάγκη. A Note on Remembrance and Reinvention of Ancient Words under the Komnenoi

Abstract

The article focuses on the historical semantics of the Greek noun πeιθανάγκη. It is a postclassical creation with the earliest attestation in Polybius and the earliest conscious usage as an oxymoron in Cicero. In Late Antiquity and Early Byzantium it occurs rarely and means “coercion” or “extortion”—a device used by those in power to force their will under the pretense of giving their victims freedom of choice. This meaning became proverbial and found its way into modern dictionaries. After a long period of dormancy, the word became popular under the Komnenoi, but the shades of meaning changed drastically. Whereas initially the compound derived its meaning from its second part (ἀνάγκη), in the 12th century the stress shifted to the first element (πeιθ-) and the idea of a half-hinted-at threat of violence gave place to deception or bewitchment. As a practical device, some writers placed πeιθανάγκη within the domain of rhetoric; others, within that of syllogistic reasoning. In the rarest cases πeιθανάγκη was associated with the highest philosophy and Platonic truth. It is worth noting that these texts are specimen of Manuel I Komnenos’ imperial propaganda. The survey ends with a discussion of the subversive πeιθανάγκη as an essential characteristic of Emperor Andronikos Komnenos in Niketas Choniates’ History.