Nikolaos Oikonomides
Encyclopedia
Nikolaos or Nikos Oikonomides was a Greek
-Canadian Byzantinist, and one of the leading experts in the field of Byzantine administration.
.
He studied in the University of Athens from 1951 to 1956, under the tutelage of Byzantinist Dionysios Zakythinos
. After obtaining his degree, in 1958 he went to Paris
to pursue doctoral studies under Paul Lemerle
. His studies in Paris also introduced him to sigillography
, and led to the discovery of the so-called Escorial Taktikon
or Taktikon Oikonomides. The outcome of his work on Escorial Taktikon and the other Taktika (seating lists in Byzantine imperial banquets) was published in 1972, as the Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècle, containing a translation and commentary on the Taktika. Oikonomides returned to Greece, but the establishment of the dictatorial Regime of the Colonels in 1967 forced him to go to exile in Canada along with his wife, the Ottomanist Elizabeth Zachariadou. In July 1969, he accepted the chair of Byzantine history at Montreal University, a post he kept until 1989, when he returned to Athens. He died on 31 May 2000, and is survived by his wife and two daughters.
Besides the Listes de préséance, his major works include seven volumes of the Archives de l' Athos, a multi-volume work of the documents of the monasteries of Mount Athos
began by paul lemerle, as well as significant work on study and itemization of the extensive Dumbarton Oaks
collection of Byzantine seals. His work there led to the creation of a new scientific journal, the Studies in Byzantine Sigillography, which he edited.
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
-Canadian Byzantinist, and one of the leading experts in the field of Byzantine administration.
Biography
Oikonomides was born in AthensAthens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
.
He studied in the University of Athens from 1951 to 1956, under the tutelage of Byzantinist Dionysios Zakythinos
Dionysios Zakythinos
Dionysios A. Zakythinos or Zakythenos was a leading Greek Byzantinist.Zakythinos was born in Kefalonia in 1905. After graduating from the University of Athens in 1927, he went to the Sorbonne, which at the time was a major center of Byzantine studies with scholars like Charles Diehl and Ferdinand...
. After obtaining his degree, in 1958 he went to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to pursue doctoral studies under Paul Lemerle
Paul Lemerle
Paul Lemerle was a French Byzantinist.Lemerle taught at the École française d’Athènes , at the Faculté des Lettres of the University of Burgundy at Dijon , at the École Pratique des Hautes Études , at the Sorbonne and at the Collège de France...
. His studies in Paris also introduced him to sigillography
Sigillography
Sigillography is one of the auxiliary sciences of history. It refers to the study of seals attached to documents as a source of historical information. It concentrates on the legal and social meaning of seals, as well as the evolution of their design...
, and led to the discovery of the so-called Escorial Taktikon
Escorial Taktikon
The Escorial Taktikon , also known as the Taktikon Oikonomides after Nicolas Oikonomides who first edited it, is a list of Byzantine offices, dignities, and titles composed in Constantinople during the 970s...
or Taktikon Oikonomides. The outcome of his work on Escorial Taktikon and the other Taktika (seating lists in Byzantine imperial banquets) was published in 1972, as the Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècle, containing a translation and commentary on the Taktika. Oikonomides returned to Greece, but the establishment of the dictatorial Regime of the Colonels in 1967 forced him to go to exile in Canada along with his wife, the Ottomanist Elizabeth Zachariadou. In July 1969, he accepted the chair of Byzantine history at Montreal University, a post he kept until 1989, when he returned to Athens. He died on 31 May 2000, and is survived by his wife and two daughters.
Besides the Listes de préséance, his major works include seven volumes of the Archives de l' Athos, a multi-volume work of the documents of the monasteries of Mount Athos
Mount Athos
Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. A World Heritage Site, it is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the...
began by paul lemerle, as well as significant work on study and itemization of the extensive Dumbarton Oaks
Dumbarton Oaks
Dumbarton Oaks is the conventional name for the Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, situated on a historic property in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The institution is administered by the Trustees for Harvard University. Its founders, Robert Woods Bliss and his wife...
collection of Byzantine seals. His work there led to the creation of a new scientific journal, the Studies in Byzantine Sigillography, which he edited.
List of major works
- Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles, Paris, 1972
- Fiscalité et exemption fiscale à Byzance (IXe-XIe s.), Athens 1996 ISBN 960-7094-65-4
- Social and economic life in Byzantium, Aldershot, 2004
- 'Society, Culture and Politics in Byzantium, Aldershot, 2005