The Byzantine community through the Expeditio Persica of George of Pisidia

Abstract

The Byzantine population of the early 7th century experienced a long-standing crisis. However, the assumption of Heraclius to power resulted in renewed hopes. The court poet, George of Pisidia, became the main spokesman for this new emperor. In his Expeditio Persica, the poet uses resources and strategies appropriate to the preferences and demands of the receiving public with the intention of legitimizing the new sovereign. Although we cannot start from the characteristics of an audience that we do not know, we can deduce, from the text, some particularities of this community. The purpose of this article is to analyze those resources that allow us to outline an approximate description of the public receiver of the text.