Author: A. Chernoglazov (Saint Petersburg State University)

Pages\n 954–963

Summary\n

The use of plural instead of singular (1stperson – pluralis modestiae, pluralis majestatis; 2ndperson – pluralis reverentiae) is a crucial aspect of the Byzantine etiquette. The aim of the present paper is to recognize specific features of pluralis reverentiae in the Byzantine epistolography from the 9th to the 12th c. Letters of 17 authors are analyzed, including Theodoros Studites, Photios, Nicholas I Mystikos, Michael Psellos, John Tzetzes etc. Our research allows us to draw the following conclusions:

During the Middle-Byzantine period the frequency of use of pluralis reverentiae is gradually decreasing: Ignace the Deacon (9th c.) uses it in 76of his letters, the contemporaries of Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos much less often (from 3% to 45%), the authors of the Comnenian renaissance only in exceptional cases; e.g., in the letters of Michael Italikos and Theodore Prodromos no one example can be found. This trend is probably caused by the increasing influence of classical tradition: Byzantine intellectuals avoided using pluralis reverentiae, which was completely alien for the classical antiquity.
It is hardly possible to indicate any situations, when addressing a partner in plural would be obligatory or at least strictly recommended. Most frequently pluralis reverentiae can be found in some typical courtesy formulas, including an abstract noun and a personal or possessive pronoun (e.g. “Your Majesty”, “Your Reverence”). As a rule the “plural of politeness” was expressed only by pronouns; adjectives, participles and especially verbs were normally used in singular.

Keywords\n: Pluralis reverentiae, pluralis majestatis, epistolography, epistolary etiquette, Byzantine literature, Old Greek, Middle Greek.

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