LE CODE DES USAGES DE GHEORGAKI LE LOGOTHÈTE ET SES RAPPORTS AVEC LA LITTÉRATURE BYZANTINE DE CÉRÉMONIAL
Andrei Timotin
Institut d’Études Sud-Est Européennes
(Académie roumaine)
The Book of Ceremonies by Gheorgaki the Logotet and its Relationship to Byzantine Literaturе
Abstract: The author studies the Book of Ceremonies written in 1762 by Gheorgaki, a chancellor at the court of the prince of Moldavia Gregory Callimaki (1761-1764 and 1767-1769), a unique work in ancient Romanian literature, which describes the political and religious ceremonies of the Moldavian court. In order to design such a work, the Moldavian chancellor resorted to Byzantine models, especially to Pseudo-Kodinos’ De oficiis, who had a particular fortune in the Romanian Principalities. The Byzantine influence is present not only in the general architecture of the work, but also in the presentation of the elements of religious ceremonial, in which the prince and the high dignitaries take part. Gheorgaki also uses indigenous tradition and his own experience at the Moldavian court. It can nevertheless be concluded that the Byzantine works of ceremonial have sharpened his spirit of observation and have fashioned his view of Moldavian political and religious ceremonies.
Keywords: Ceremonial, Gheorgaki, Pseudo-Kodinos, Moldavia, Court