Ein Vortrag von Dr. Marianna Mazzola (München)/ A lecture by Dr Marianna Mazzola (Munich)
The Chronicle of Dionysius of Tell-Maḥre, a history in Syriac covering the years 582-842 AD, reflects the adaptation of Roman-Christian historiographical paradigms to the new cultural and political context of the Islamic Empire. Dionysius’ representation of the past as well as of contemporary events reveals socially and culturally conditioned ideas of Syriac ecclesiastical elites in the Abbasid age: he adapts former Roman-Christian notions on kingship to accommodate Islamic authorities and to conceptualise conditional acceptance of Islamic rule. He puts emphasis on conflicts resolution and patriarchal control within the Church in a period in which a generally nonchalant attitude of Islamic rulers contributed to the outbreaks of numerous internal schisms. His work goes beyond the traditional concept of Christian ecumene, expressing new geo-ecclesiastical concerns. Dionysius also situates himself in a competitive historiographical field, embedding Byzantine and Syriac models and sources into his work and editing them to convey his own vision of history in the new context of a non-Christian political setting.
