Snapshots from the eleventh century: The Lombards from Bari, a chartoularios from “Petra”, and the complex of Mangana

This article puts in their context three eleventh-century texts from the famous anthology of poetry in Marcianus Gr. 524. The first is an epigram on the portrait of Monomachos, which was commissioned by the ‘Lombards’. It is suggested here that Argyros Meles is in fact the instigator of the creation of the portrait and its accompanying epigram. The second text is a poem addressed to Michael Keroularios on behalf of the hieromonk Lazaros when he was granted the rank of chartoularios of the Great Church. The meaning of a mysterious reference to ‘Petra’ is discussed in detail. The third text is an epigram on the triklinos of Monomachos at the Mangana complex.