| Summary: | This thesis examines mimesis and intertextuality in twelfth-century Byzantium through the close study of the writings of Theodore Prodromos. Chapter One focuses on Prodromos' sequel to Lucian’s satire Philosophies for Sale. Analysing Prodromos’ appropriation of ancient literary personae (from Homer to Euripides to Hippocrates), I argue that Prodromos highlights the positive impact of classical literature on his occassional writings. Chapter Two investigates Prodromos’ philosophical writings. As well as investigating Prodromos’ criticism of ancient philosophical authorities, I draw attention to literary strategies that Prodromos deploys to showcase his excellence as a teacher of philosophy. Chapter Three studies Prodromos in his capacity of a panegyrist. I discuss the rise of military ideology in the Comnenian period and argue that Prodromos achieved his success as a court poet through reviving the Homeric hexameter. Chapter Four investigates Prodromos’ subversion of the Comnenian political system. I identify three major strategies of subversion (endorsement of disgraced aristocrats, allegory and classical imitation) and single out the recurrent themes of Prodromos' criticism. Chapter Five discusses how Prodromos reconciled his classical aspirations with his Christian faith. I focus on the poorly studied collection of epigrams on the Old and New Testament, and demonstrate how Prodromos rewrites Scripture according to the conventions of classical literature. Chapter Six showcases originality of the epigrams’ poetics by highlighting carnivalesque elements, which were earlier identified in other writings by Prodromos. Having evaluated my evidence, I come to the conclusion that mimesis and intertextuality were essential for achieving success in classroom, court circles and literary salons.
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