IMC 2014: Sessions
Session 609: Exploring 15th-Century Cyprus, II: Social Identities in Motion
Tuesday 8 July 2014, 11.15-12.45
| Sponsor: | University of Cyprus |
|---|---|
| Organiser: | Michalis Olympios, Department of History & Archaeology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia |
| Moderator/Chair: | Angel Nicolaou-Konnari, Department of History & Archaeology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia |
| Paper 609-a | Social Contacts and Cultural Identity on 15th-Century Cyprus (Language: English) Index terms: Crusades, Genealogy and Prosopography, Local History, Social History |
| Paper 609-b | 15th-Century Cypriot Nobles As Seen through Their Own Words (Language: English) Index terms: Crusades, Genealogy and Prosopography, Local History, Social History |
| Paper 609-c | From Feudal Nobility to a New 'Aristocracy': Social Mobility under the Last Lusignans (Language: English) Index terms: Crusades, Genealogy and Prosopography, Local History, Social History |
| Abstract | This is one of three sessions conceived under the general theme of 'Exploring 15th-Century Cyprus'. Issues of ethnic, religious, linguistic, and other identities have long been at the forefront of research on medieval Cypriot society. Certain important general trends have been identified, such as the rise to power of new social groups following the upheavals of the 14th century - the Black Death, war, and other calamities; the upward mobility of non-Latin individuals, primarily of Greek and Syrian origin; and a profound change in the self-fashioning of the upper classes, following on from the alteration of their ethno-religious composition. This fascinating social transformation occurred largely during the later 14th and 15th centuries. The three papers in this session aim to interrogate the textual record on the nature and self-image of the upper echelons of 15th-century Cypriot society, delving deeper into what, in many ways, is still largely uncharted territory. |