Life in Greece during the Byzantine Empire is a fascinating chapter of human history. Not many pay attention to the period, as it’s the important battles and milestone events that grab our attention.
The social foundation of the Byzantine Empire, and therefore the geographical region of Greece, firmly rested on its rural, agrarian base. Agriculture was the backbone of this medieval society, which earned ordinary people a living and brought the state valuable revenue.
Life in Greece during Byzantine Times
Most Byzantine Greeks lived in three types of settlements: villages, which were named ”chorion”, from the Greek word for village, hamlets, which were named ”agridion” and estates, which were named ”proasteion”, from the Greek word for suburb.
As in every other part of Europe during the Byzantine period, farmers in Greece faced numerous challenges. These included low crop yields and frequent invader raids, forcing them to seek refuge in caves and mines during summer months or go to higher altitudes.
Despite these hardships, farming communities continued to be the backbone of Byzantine society, alongside the military, another strong pillar of the Byzantine social structure.
While social mobility existed, Byzantine society in Greece and other provinces maintained a relatively rigid structure, making it very difficult for members of the lower classes to ascend hierarchically.
The population of Greece during the Byzantine era included various classes. Peasants, soldiers, teachers, entrepreneurs, and clergy were the ones with the most members.
But status at birth largely determined someone’s position. Advancement opportunities in Byzantine society existed through education, wealth accumulation, and patronage, allowing some to rise beyond their birth-determined position.
Peasants and craftsmen formed the empire’s working backbone and their hard work built the empire and maintained its cohesion.
Most young boys in Greece followed their parents’ profession, a tradition that is not unknown even to this day. Parents normally passed skills down through their children, who did the same when they grew up and had their own children.
Small-scale farmers in Greece either owned their land or worked as agricultural laborers (coloni), living just above the status of slaves. This meant that they enjoyed the freedom a citizen would, but their lives were tough.
Marriages often took place early in Greece and the Byzantine Empire, with girls marrying at twelve and boys at fourteen. However, this largely depended on family circumstances and local traditions. This is certainly odd for modern society. But we need to remember that life expectancy in Byzantine times was far lower than today.
What was education like?
Understandably, education varied significantly depending on the social class of each individual. Peasant children learned their parents’ trade. Aristocratic children received high-quality formal education across Greece and throughout their young lives during Byzantine times.
Boys often studied classical arts, including grammar, rhetoric, and logic. Girls mostly learned household management and basic literacy to help them with the everyday tasks of running a household.
Women were the most essential family members in Greek Byzantine homes, especially when men were away on military expeditions to defend the Empire.
They could even inherit their husbands’ estates and own property, but they were not allowed to hold public office.
Women of higher social classes were responsible for managing servants, overseeing household operations, and ensuring the smooth running of family estates and business affairs.
Thessaloniki, Veria, Monemvasia, Mystras, Ioannina, Arta, and Patras were pivotal centers of social and economic activity throughout Byzantine Greece.
Stores on the streets, located in columned porticos run by family enterprises, sold various items. Through processions, religious festivals, and chariot races, the towns entertained their citizens and visitors and carried on old Greek and Roman traditions.
Aqueducts and fountains, for example, served the people in major urban areas, which maintained advanced water systems.
A great example of such a structure that has survived is the one in Kavala, Eastern Macedonia.
