The Courts of Justice, the Court, and the Courtiers

Abstract

This chapter follows Michael Attaleiates in the world of the courts, where his professional career unfolded, and in the imperial court to which he eventually gained access. We discuss here the career path open to a person trained in the law, offering a plausible career trajectory for Attaleiates but also address a number of questions that are crucial to understanding Byzantium. What were the tensions between the republican origins of Roman law and ideas of imperial omnipotence? How did Rome’s legal tradition shape a judge’s view politics and life in Romania in general? Finally, stepping outside the realm of the law we examine Attaleiates’ trajectory from the courts to the imperial court, discussing ceremonial as a means of integration in the imperial taxis .