What was De Ceremoniis and Byzantine court protocol?

De Ceremoniis is a tenth-century Greek work detailing the ceremonial protocol of the Byzantine imperial court in Constantinople. Compiled during the reign of Emperor Constantine VII, it explains the order of the palace and documents various processions, festive events, and imperial coronations. The treatise also preserves the ceremonial functions carried out by historical chariot racing factions like the Blues and Greens.

What we know

• De Ceremoniis is the conventional Latin name for a Greek book on court ceremonial protocol written in the middle of the tenth century. [2]
• The work's Greek title is often cited as Explanation of the Order of the Palace or On the Order of the Palace. [2]
• Constantine VII is recognized as the author or compiler of De Ceremoniis alongside other major writings during his reign. [4]
• The treatise describes various ceremonial processions and festive events featuring the participation of ancient chariot racing factions such as the demes. [5]

Where to go next

• whoWho was Constantine VII?
• how it workedWhat role did the demes play in court events?
• how we knowWhat other books did Constantine VII write?
• the bigger pictureHow did the Byzantine Empire function over time?
• what caused itHow did chariot factions influence imperial power?
• an unexpected connectionHow did chariot racing factions survive as ceremonial actors?Although the demes evolved from violent political and religious riot factions, they survived into later centuries specifically to perform ceremonial functions for imperial coronations as recorded in De Ceremoniis.

Sources

• [1]De Ceremoniis (Wikidata Q2336046) · CC0 1.0
• [2]De Ceremoniis · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]List of Byzantine emperors · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Constantine VII · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Demes in the Byzantine Empire · CC BY-SA 4.0