Thoughts on the conception of Nature in Byzantium (11th-12th Centuries)

Abstract

This paper examines a new way of looking at nature in Byzantium in the 11th and 12th centuries, and how this may have impacted the conception of the individual. This shift in mentalities is studied by analysing several testimonies from this period, as well as other contemporary elements such as a pronounced taste for gardens and hunting. The study of artworks reinforces this perception, which bears witness to the Byzantines' desire to reflect on their place between nature and Creation.