Sentinel
22nd October 2011, 08:03
Has anyone studied this interesting medieval event, that must be characterised as some kind of revolution? Being a history freak, and especially interested in the Roman and Byzantine empires I stumbled over a wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zealots_of_Thessalonica) about it, but would like to know more. It's especially interesting to read this stuff with the current Greek protests in mind. :)
During the last chaotic period of the medieval Roman, or Byzantine, empire before it was conquered by the Ottoman Turks, it seems like the people of Thessalonica got fed up by the ruling aristocracy and their privileges, and the exhausting wars they constantly dragged the people into. A movement known as the Zealots took control of the city in 1342, expropriated the aristocracy and redistributed the wealth.
Apparently little is known of their actual program, as history is written by the victors, and the city was retaken by the Empire in 1350. But these accounts are interesting:
Emperor Ioannes VI Kantakouzenos, their sworn enemy, writes: "... They roused up the people against the aristocracy, and for two or three days, Thessalonica was like a city under enemy occupation and suffered all the corresponding disasters. The victors went shouting and looting through the streets by day and by night, while the vanquished hid in churches and counted themselves lucky to be still alive. When order returned, the Zealots, suddenly raised from penury and dishonour to wealth and influence, took control of everything and won over the middle class of citizens, forcing them to acquiesce and characterizing every form of moderation and prudence as "Kantakouzenism"."
Demetrios Kydones, the Imperial prime minister had this to say: "...one after another the prisoners were hurled from the walls of the citadel and hacked to pieces by the mob of the Zealots assembled below. Then followed a hunt for all the members of the upper classes: they were driven through the streets like slaves, with ropes round their necks-here a servant dragged his master, there a slave his purchaser, while the peasant struck the strategos (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategos) and the labourer beat the soldier [the land-holding pronoiars (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pronoia)]."
During these years there was a devastating civil war going on in the Empire. The Zealots supported, at least nominally, Ioannes V Palaiologos who wasn't as associated with the interests of the aristocratic class as Ioannes VI.
From this it would seem that they lacked a plan to transform society more permanently (after all this was a few centuries before Marx!). However, according to the article, the city was in practice run as a 'commune' or 'people's republic' during the rebellion.
The Black Death swept over the city and weakened the rebels crucially, allowing Ioannes VI to finally capture the city in 1350. After that everything went back to normal medieval age business.
So, if we have other 'byzantinists' here, please share your knowledge and thoughts on this.
During the last chaotic period of the medieval Roman, or Byzantine, empire before it was conquered by the Ottoman Turks, it seems like the people of Thessalonica got fed up by the ruling aristocracy and their privileges, and the exhausting wars they constantly dragged the people into. A movement known as the Zealots took control of the city in 1342, expropriated the aristocracy and redistributed the wealth.
Apparently little is known of their actual program, as history is written by the victors, and the city was retaken by the Empire in 1350. But these accounts are interesting:
Emperor Ioannes VI Kantakouzenos, their sworn enemy, writes: "... They roused up the people against the aristocracy, and for two or three days, Thessalonica was like a city under enemy occupation and suffered all the corresponding disasters. The victors went shouting and looting through the streets by day and by night, while the vanquished hid in churches and counted themselves lucky to be still alive. When order returned, the Zealots, suddenly raised from penury and dishonour to wealth and influence, took control of everything and won over the middle class of citizens, forcing them to acquiesce and characterizing every form of moderation and prudence as "Kantakouzenism"."
Demetrios Kydones, the Imperial prime minister had this to say: "...one after another the prisoners were hurled from the walls of the citadel and hacked to pieces by the mob of the Zealots assembled below. Then followed a hunt for all the members of the upper classes: they were driven through the streets like slaves, with ropes round their necks-here a servant dragged his master, there a slave his purchaser, while the peasant struck the strategos (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategos) and the labourer beat the soldier [the land-holding pronoiars (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pronoia)]."
During these years there was a devastating civil war going on in the Empire. The Zealots supported, at least nominally, Ioannes V Palaiologos who wasn't as associated with the interests of the aristocratic class as Ioannes VI.
From this it would seem that they lacked a plan to transform society more permanently (after all this was a few centuries before Marx!). However, according to the article, the city was in practice run as a 'commune' or 'people's republic' during the rebellion.
The Black Death swept over the city and weakened the rebels crucially, allowing Ioannes VI to finally capture the city in 1350. After that everything went back to normal medieval age business.
So, if we have other 'byzantinists' here, please share your knowledge and thoughts on this.