The positive representation of the diplomatic Byzantine ceremonial in the Western chronicles of the first four Crusades

Abstract

The period of the first crusades has been intensively debated in both Romanian and foreign literature, at its various levels : religious, economic, political, social, cultural and demographic. This epoch led to the intensification of relations between the West and the Byzantine and to the rediscovery of the Byzantine Empire by the Western nations. The meeting between the two cultures and civilizations and the manner of perceiving the other are highlighted particularly by the episode of the diplomatic receptions given by the Greek sovereign at the court of Constantinople. This study is based on the general assumption that diplomatic ceremonial, as full expression of imperial Byzantine ideology, becomes the meeting place between the splendor, opulence and diplomatic strategies characteristic to Easterners and the honor, chivalrous ideal and the simplicity characteristic for Westerners. The profound implications of this protocol are reflected in the divergent interests of the two sides. The acceptance or rejection of the diplomatic ceremonial by the Latin seniors represents a proof that they understood more or less the meaning and symbolism of these diplomatic meetings. This paper analyzes the main episodes in which the West appreciated positively the imperial protocol, thus contributing to effective collaboration with the Byzantines in the spirit of the ideal Christian brotherhood.