The regestes of the medieval acts of the Vazelon Monastery: the codex E of the Timios Prodromos on mount Vazelon as a source for the social, economic and institutional history od rural Matzouka from the thirteenth to the fifteenth century

Abstract

This study is concerned almost exclusively with the preparation of regestes for themedieval acts of the monastery of the Timios Prodromos on Mount Zaboulon, also andbetter known as Vazelon, located in rural Maçka (Matzouka) some forty-five kilometers southwest of Trabzon (Trapezous) in present-day Turkey. The monastery, which isdedicated to the worthy Forerunner (Timios Prodromos) and Prophet John the Baptist,played a major role in the religious and economic life of both Byzantine Matzouka andOttoman Maçuka. The regestes are based on an edition of one of the monastery̕s two surviving cartularies, known as Codex E, which contains acts mostly from the thirteenthto the fifteenth centuries and is now kept in St. Petersburg. It is modeled on the Archivesde l̕Athos series with certain limitations that will be discussed in the appropriate sections.This preferred model involves, first and foremost, arranging the acts of the monastery in a chronological order and therefore carefully dating each act in the cartulary as accuratelyas possible. The main section in each individual entry of the regestes is a detailedsummary of the act, which is usually followed by notes on the affair, its dating andprosopography. The history and the characteristics of Vazelon̕s codices, specifically Codex E, as well as the history of the monastery and of its estate precede the regestes. Finally, a chapter expounding on Codex E̕s contribution to the social, economic andinstitutional history of late medieval Matzouka will follow the presentation of the acts. Itis hoped that the present regestes will be of aid to the students of the region and the period concerned.