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The Prosopography of the Byzantine World (PBW) is a project to create a prosopographical database of individuals named in textual sources in the Byzantine Empire and surrounding areas in the period from 642 to 1265. The project is a collaboration between the British Academy and the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities.
The project was begun in the 1980s with the aim of completing the work on later Roman Empire and Byzantine prosopography begun by Theodore Mommsen in the 19th century and carried on by A.H.M. Jones and J. R. Martindale, which produced The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire (three volumes, Cambridge, 1971–1992), covering the period from 260 (the accession of Gallienus) to 641 (the death of Heraclius, marking the end of late Antiquity).
In 1993, the British Academy signed a collaboration agreement with the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy. The work is divided into three periods, 641–867 (Heraclian dynasty to the Amorian dynasty), 867–1025 (Macedonian dynasty up to the death of Basil II) and 1025–1261 (last Macedonians, the Komnenian period, and up to the recovery of Constantinople from the Latin Empire). The Palaiologan period, after 1261, is covered by the Prosopographisches Lexikon der Palaiologenzeit , launched by the Austrian Academy of Sciences under the direction of Erich Trapp and published between 1976 and 1991.
The first result was the Prosopographie der mittelbyzantinischen Zeit, Abteilung I: 641–867, edited by Friedhelm Winkelmann and Ralph-Johannes Lilie and published in five volumes between 1998 and 2002. A version of this database is hosted at Berlin-Brandenburg Academy. In 2001, the British Academy published a CD-ROM with its own Prosopography of the Byzantine Empire I (641–867), edited by John Robert Martindale, which is complementary to the German work. A section of the database covering the period 1025–1261 is hosted at King's College London and is freely accessible from the internet.
The project aimed to cover all named individuals in the Byzantine world in the period from 641, where The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire ends, to 1265. The geographical scope has since been extended to cover Jerusalem. As of 2006 the PBW itself covers the period 1025 to 1180, a total of some 10,000 individuals. The data is drawn from textual sources and also from sigillography which constitutes an important resource in Byzantine prosopography. Around 7500 seals are recorded. The project team estimate that, in printed form, the database would amount to some 1400 pages.
The project was chaired until 2005 by Dame Averil Cameron. The current chair is Professor Charlotte Roueché FSA, head of the Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies department at King's College London. The project has been funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
Basil I, called the Macedonian, was a Byzantine Emperor who reigned from 867 to 886. Born a simple peasant in the theme of Macedonia, he rose in the Imperial court. He entered into the service of Theophilitzes, a relative of Emperor Michael III, and was given a fortune by the wealthy Danielis. He gained the favour of Michael III, whose mistress he married on the emperor's orders, and was proclaimed co-emperor in 866. He ordered the assassination of Michael the next year. Despite his humble origins, he showed great ability in running the affairs of state. He was the founder of the Macedonian dynasty. He was succeeded upon his death by his son Leo VI.
Sermon was an early 11th-century voivode (duke) of Syrmia and a local governor in the First Bulgarian Empire, vassal of Bulgarian emperor Samuil. His residence was in Sirmium. He was described in Byzantine sources as: "ruler of Syrmia and brother of Nestongos".
Theodore Rshtuni, also spelled Theodoros Ṛštuni, equated with Pasagnathes (Πασαγνάθης), the "patrikios of the Armenians" from the chronicle of Theophanes the Confessor, was an Armenian nakharar, famous for resisting the first Arab invasions of Armenia. After the previous ishkhan (prince) David Saharuni was overthrown by other nakharars in 638 or 640, Theodore Rshtuni became the leading prince of Byzantine Armenia under the same title as his predecessor, "Prince of Armenia".
Helena Alypia was a Byzantine Empress consort as the wife of Byzantine Emperor Constantine VIII.
Nasar, originally baptized Basil, was a distinguished Byzantine military leader in the Byzantine–Arab conflicts of the latter half of the 9th century.
John Chryselios was a provincial magnate in late 10th-century Dyrrhachium, and the father-in-law of Tsar Samuel of Bulgaria.
Symbatios, variously also Sabbatios (Σαββάτιος) or Sambates (Σαμβάτης) in some sources, was the eldest son of the Byzantine emperor Leo V the Armenian. Soon after the coronation of his father, he was crowned co-emperor and renamed Constantine. He reigned nominally along with his father until the latter's deposition in 820, after which he was exiled to Prote, one of the Princes Islands, as a monk.
Abdallah ibn Qais was an Ummayad military leader active against the Byzantine Empire in the 670s. In ca. 672/673 he led a raid into Cilicia and Lycia, and wintered there before returning to Syria. In 674/675, by which time, according to al-Tabari, he was admiral-in-chief of the Ummayad navy, he led a raid against the island of Crete along with general al-Fadl ibn Ubaid.
Constantine Kontomytes or Contomytes was a Byzantine general and nobleman.
Theophylact or Theophylaktos was the eldest son of the Byzantine emperor Michael I Rangabe and grandson, on his mother's side, of Nikephoros I. He was junior co-emperor alongside his father for the duration of the latter's reign, and was tonsured, castrated, and exiled to Plate Island after his overthrow, under the monastic name Eustratius.
Leo Chamodrakon or Chamaidrakon was a senior Byzantine palace official, holding the post of protovestiarios during the reign of Theophilos. He is mentioned early in Theophilos' reign as participating in the proceedings against the murderers of Leo V the Armenian, and again later, when he defended Manuel the Armenian from accusations of treason.
John Chaldos was a Byzantine general under Basil II.
Perbundos was a 7th-century king of the Rhynchinoi, a Slavic group in Macedonia. In ca. 675 he was taken prisoner by the Byzantine Empire due to his hostile intentions towards Thessalonica, and transported to Constantinople. Perbundos managed to escape, but was recaptured and executed, whereupon the Slavic tribes of Macedonia rose up and laid siege to Thessalonica.
Basiliskianos, also Basiliskos (Βασιλίσκος) or Basilikinos (Βασιλικῖνος), was a Byzantine courtier and companion of emperor Michael III.
Bardas Kontomytes was a member of the Amorian Dynasty of the Byzantine Empire.
Damian was a senior Byzantine eunuch official during the reign of Emperor Michael III (842–867), serving as the head chamberlain (parakoimomenos) to the emperor.
Michael Kourtikios was a senior Byzantine military commander and a partisan of Bardas Skleros during the latter's rebellion against Basil II.
Constantine was a prince of the Byzantine Empire. He appears in his father's coins bearing the title despotes, although it's possible that he was crowned emperor soon after, as his relatives Anna, Anastasia and the future Michael III were also crowned shortly after their birth.
Ralph-Johannes Lilie is a German Byzantinist.
Symbatios or Sabbatios, surnamed the Armenian was a senior Byzantine aristocrat and official in the mid-860s.
