Erzähltechnik in den Dichtungen des Georgios Pisides

Wider research context / theoretical framework
In his panegyric and religious poetry, George of Pisidia (c. 580s–630s C.E.) combines classical tradition, Christian beliefs, and new religious and political concepts arising under the reign of Emperor Heraclius (reg. 610–641 C.E.). In his functions as a deacon of the church of St. Sophia and as a secular official of the
Byzantine state, George of Pisidia combines two spheres of professional activity which also form the ideological kernel of his poems.

Hypotheses / research questions / objectives
The following working hypothesis serves as the starting point for the literary analysis: George of Pisidia aims at legitimating the emperor’s reign by merging the cultural and literary heritage of pagan antiquity with Christian traditions and contemporary political concepts. In order to investigate this hypothesis, the project will explore four central subject matters: (1) the use of different literary genres, (2) the use of rhetorical techniques of persuasion and visual representation, (3) the use of narrative techniques to reflect the emperor’s political and spiritual agenda, and (4) the performative aspect of the poems that are designed to address a particular audience in a specific socio-cultural environment.
The objective of the project is to gain new insight into the function of poetry in the service of political agenda. The focus on a literary case study, rather than on the reconstruction of the historical events, promises to foster a deeper understanding of the narrative techniques of George’s poetry and of the historical and cultural environment during the transition from antiquity to the Middle Ages.

Approach / methods
By comparing George of Pisidia’s own works with both reference authors of Greek poetry and Greek rhetorical handbooks, the project seeks to highlight the influence of different literary genres and rhetorical techniques on his writing. As a second methodological approach, three categories of narratological analysis
—narrator, narratees and characters—should elucidate the secular and spiritual level of the narration.

Level of originality / innovation
With the exception of the editions and Italian translations of selected works by Pertusi (1959), Tartaglia (1998) and Gonnelli (1998), no other monograph was dedicated to George of Pisidia in the last 60 years. Therefore, the innovative aspect of this project lies in the choice of an author who has been largely
neglected in both classical and Byzantine studies.

Primary researchers involved
The primary researcher of the project will be Dr Nicole Kröll, who is the recipient of a Hertha Firnberg Programme grant from the Austrian Science Fund for the project Poetry - Character - Design. Narrative Strategies in the Dionysiaca of Nonnus of Panopolis (T-875). With the present project proposal on George of
Pisidia she aims at widening her field of research and completing her habilitation in the field of Greek studies.