<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Byzantine Precursor to Machiavelli's The Prince
Review: Excellent translation, and notes, of this treatise on realpolitik written in the 10th century AD. The author, the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, ruled the most powerful European polity of the period and intended the treatise to be a guidebook for his son in dealing with the empire's neighbours. It is a manual on statecraft and diplomacy, as well as providing crucial historical and ethnographic information of the period it deals with. Byzantine foreign policy is clearly borne out and the ruthlessness of some of it's 'byzantine' recommendations put this treatise on a par with Machiavelli's The Prince in it's realpolitical nature. For instance, Constantine's recommendations on how to deal with different types of enemies extends to allies and friendly neighbours, should they be deemed enemies or dangerous at some point in the future. It is a definite 'eye-opener' and first hand account of the complicated world of a superpower's diplomatic and international relations in the medieval world five centuries before Machiavelli. The translation itself, with extensive and very helpful notes, is excellent and flows well - not clumsy, as some translated documents can be/seem. The preface is also useful, charting the history of the document and begs the very tantalising question of whether this treatise could have found it's way to early Renaissance Italy and Machiavelli. It is not as entertaining as Machiavelli's The Prince but it was written and intended solely as a manual on statecraft. It may also cause some difficulty for the general reader (from a Western perspective) in getting to grips with the historical, geographical and ethnographic details, as it deals with these issues extensively but Byzantine history is not that well known, on a general level, in the US and Western Europe outside of academic circles. Those familiar with Byzantine history and early East European history will find this an informative document. From an academic point of view it is an invaluable source for Byzantine history and the early history of international relations.
Rating: 
Summary: Lots of anecdotes, very little to be gleaned
Review: This text was written as a guide on effective governance from Constantine Porphyrogenitus to his son. As a guide qua the Byzantine Empire, it probably proved extremely useful. The book is full of detailed information about the demography and geography of the Byzantine lands and peoples. It includes cultural highlights and major occurrances and potential disputes within the empire. As such, it is a vital reference to an incoming emperor. To the modern reader, however, it serves as more of a historical document than a relevant guide. Unlike Machiavelli's works, which are also grounded in historical precedent, De Administrando Imperio includes little in the way of commentary. Machiavelli used historical anecdotes to illustrate a point he was making, following one with the other. Constantine, on the other hand, perhaps preferring the lighter touch with his legacy, simply allows the reader to draw thier own conclusions about the anecdotes. This is an admirable course for an instructor to take, but when one seeks the wisdom of a more experienced man, the light touch ends up being a little dissappointing. The side-by-side translation is useful for readers of Greek in case of controversial translation. Overall, the book is lively and engaging, but not terribly useful for purposes of enlightenment.
<< 1 >>
| 
