Судан и Большой Ближний Восток

345 Dimitrios G. Letsios. Leo VI the Wise and the Saracens... was the main concern of the Taktika , Prof. K. Bourdara has thoroughly investigated “le Modèle du bon souverain l’époque de Léon VI le sage”, a blueprint of the political theory, that stressed the power awarded to the Emperor by God, a model which is outlined in many literary products grouped together under the title “mirrors of princes”. 1 The image of an enemy who was expanding its realm exploiting the religious fervor was by the 10 th century fully shaped. Islam and the Muslims have had replaced the Persians as Byzantium’s main rival 2 and this political reality is the background reflected in the Taktika of Leo VI. Even if war is in principle an evil deed, the Orthodox believers are justified to defend themselves against the attacks of their enemies, spreading the false faith. 3 After the defeat at the Yarmuk River in 636, the reality of theMuslim threat had been acknowledged by every Byzantine emperor. Heraclius, like all Emperors fromJustinian until Leo VI, had personally confronted the enemy at the battle-field. As far as Leo VI is concerned, it comes so surprising, that a non-campaign emperor initiated the writing of a military manual. 4 M. Riedel answers this question by Leo’s will 1 Κ.Α.Bourdara, “LeModèledubonsouverain l’époquedeLéonVI le sage et la viede sainteEuphrosynè”, inΕὐψυχία—Mélanges offerts HéleneAhrweiler ( Byzantina Sorbonensia 16(1998), 109–117): Κ. Α. Μπουρδαρα, Επιλογή μελετών ιστορίας δικαίου (Ρωμαϊκό — Βυζαντινό —Μεταβυζαντινό δίκαιο και θεσμοί), Αθήνα2017, 11–23.Many other studies of the author, selected in this volume, refer to Leo VI and his law reform. Some central elements, outlined in the “mirror of princes”havebeendiscussedbyD.Letsios, “DievigilantiaCaesaris amBeispiel des "schlaflosen” Justinian”, in E. Chrysos and A. Fourlas, eds., Festgabe für Professor Johannes Straub , Athen 1989, 122–146. Cf. Idem, “Η ‘‘Έκθεσις κεφαλαίων παραινετικών’ του Διακόνου Αγαπητού”, Δωδώνη 14(1985) 175–202. 2 The Saracens’ threat and its comparison with the ancient enemy, the Persians, is several times stressed by Leo, e. g., Taktika , 18, 135, 690–692 (p. 488f.): “This people that borders on our commonwealth causes us no less trouble now than the Persian people of old did to former emperors”. 3 Takttika 18, 123, 599–606 (p. 482f.). Cf. Haldon, ACritical Commentary , 5: “Byzantium was not a warlike society… warfare was seen as an evil, often even by the soldiers most actively involved”. 4 M. Riedel, Leo VI and the Transformation of the Byzantine Christian Identity , Cambridge 2018, 2.