<論説>ミカエル三世と「従者団」 : 九世紀中盤ビザンツ帝国の皇帝と支配構造

Abstract

ドイツのビザンツ研究者である H. G. Beck は、ビザンツ帝国の社会の特色を説明するにあたって社会的流動性の高さを重要なファクターとして考え、「従者団」という概念を導入して説明を行なった。それに対して本稿では始めに、Beck がその例としてあげた九世紀中盤の皇帝、ミカエル三世の「従者団」について分析し、「従者団」が実際には祉会的上昇の手段としては利用されてはおらず、その成員はミカエル三世と共に政治の実務を行なっていた高官たちであったことを囲らかにした。 事実、ミカエル三世の時代には、ビザンツ帝国を取り巻く状況の変化に伴なって中央行政機構の中枢にいた高官たちがきわめて大きな政治的発言力を有するようになっていた。それゆえ本稿ではさらに、ミカエル三世時代はこのような状況下でいかにして自らの政治的裁量権を確保したかを考察した。ミカエル三世の「従者団」は高官に対して発言力を獲得するためのミカエル三世の対策の一環だったのである。

H.-G.Beck, the German Scholar of the Byzantine Empire, explained the Byzantine social structure by using the term "Gefolgschaft (Following)." He asserted that Byzantine society had very high social mobility, and for this reason, a stabilized ruling class could not take shape. The "Gefolgschaft" of Emperor Michael III (842-867) plays an important role in Beck's argument. Becks analysis has had a significant influence upon the study of Byzantine society. But his approach has its own shortcomings, some of which can be addressed with the help of more recent scholarship, like that of F.Winkelrmann. In this paper, the author builds on Winkelmann's work and considers the influence of the "Gefolgschaft" upon ninth-cepeury Byzantine social structure. This paper makes it clear that Michael III's "Gefolgschaft" consisted in fact of high-ranking officials. Accordingly, Beck's theory that the Byzantine Empire, was characterized by high social mobility does not fit the region of Michael III. Instead, it can be seen high-ranking officials could even become at obstacle to an emperor who wanted to rule by his own will alone. This raises the question of how Michael III dealt with high officials and administered the empire. This paper demonstrates that in order to have his own way, Michael III constructed an extensive kinship network, within which he occupied the dominant position, and further formed a group of close associates who were high officials and were faithful to his will. Through the use of strategies, Michael III succeeded both in imposing his own administrative will and in preserving a stable ruling structure.