Sovereignty in Byzantium: concepts and practices

Anthony Kaldellis

Chapter 3 in Research Handbook on the Law and Politics of Sovereignty, 2026, pp 40-57 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter deals with the idea of sovereignty as it developed in the east Roman empire, whose proper name was Romanía, challenging the notion that sovereignty is a western and modern construct. The chapter presents Romanía as a direct continuation of the ancient Roman state (“Byzantium” is a concept that emerged in the late nineteenth century). It already exhibited crucial elements of sovereignty: externally, through treaties that acknowledged equal states and defined borders, and internally, through a centralized administration and unified imperial power. While theology located ultimate authority in God, in practice sovereignty resided with the politeia – the Roman people collectively – who legitimized the emperor, influenced the succession, and shaped policy. In its concluding discussion, the chapter critiques the marginalization of Romanía in modern sovereignty debates, attributing this omission to Eurocentric assumptions and a distorted view of the eastern empire.

Keywords: Byzantium; Eastern Roman Empire; Romanía (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781803926346
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