Reader’s Note

Italicized words

Italics are used for all book titles. Words in Latin and Greek are transliterated. Certain categories of transliterated Latin and Greek words are italicized, including titles and offices (except for several commonly used words such as Augustus and Caesar); coins; taxes; theological terms; the names of imperial edicts; law codes; and most words having to do with the church (and with church architecture). Otherwise, transliterated Latin and Greek words are mostly not italicized, except where the author judges differently, based on common usage among contemporary writers.

Transliteration of Greek Names

The transliteration of Greek names and terms can be done by two systems and variations thereof: one that latinizes the Greek and another that uses phonetic Modern Greek. Thus, the latinized Alexius Comnenus of the first system becomes Alexios Komnenos when transliterated into phonetic Modern Greek in the second system. With both systems one often finds familiar anglicized names unchanged (e.g., Constantine, Michael, John, Athens).

In this work the system chosen for dictionary entries is similar to that of the Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, since this work is the next logical resource for students seeking additional information about specific entries. There, traditional Latin and anglicized terms are used for Greek names and terms (e.g., Constantine, Michael, John, Nicaea), but otherwise Greek names and terms are transliterated as close to phonetic Modern Greek as possible. Thus, both systems are used. The only change I have made is to avoid all diacritical marks and accents in foreign words (e.g., in Armenian and Arabic) as much as possible so that the words are easier for students to write. For example, haceks in medieval names have been changed by adding an h (thus, Dushan for Dušan). The maps in the book use the latinized system. By learning to adjust to both systems, and variations thereof, the reader will gain a useful familiarity that is helpful when exploring the works listed in the bibliography, the titles of which require knowledge of both systems.

Dates

Dates are all A.D., unless specifically indicated as B.C.

Cross-Referencing

To facilitate the rapid and efficient location of information and to make this book as useful a reference tool as possible, extensive cross-references have been provided. Within individual entries terms that have their own entries are in boldface type the first time they appear. Further cross-referencing is shown through See and See also.