Aim
To produce a complete network study of Komnenian literary society (1080-1220), together with a parallel study of the major rhetorical interactive genres of the twelfth century (homily, basilikos logos, inaugural lectures, funerary genres, letters) in performance.

Outputs
Detailed studies in chapters of Theophylact of Ochrid: reading the letters of a Byzantine archbishop (Ashgate, 1997) and Death of the holy man, death of a genre: the life of Cyril Phileotes by Nicholas Kataskepenos (Brill, 2002) will be followed by a methodological paper on detection of relationship in Byzantine literary texts to be discussed as the centrepiece of a table ronde on letter and epigram: methodological issues organised by Professor Hörandner of Vienna at the 2001 Paris international. What will result, by drawing together not only this project, but also the literary implications of the other institute projects (monastic style in the Evergetis texts, the study of narrative in Skylitzes, ekphrasis in Constantinople, gendered text, Byzantine aesthetics) is a two-volume study both of performance in twelfth-century literary society and of the structures and personal connections of that society, with a concern for issues of patronage in literature and art, and in theoretical issues of exchange.

Method
It is planned to build on the Paris table ronde to form a continuing network of the young scholars working in Vienna, Paris and Washington on letter-collections, and to bring some to Belfast on visiting fellowships to share findings and methodology. Work during study leave in 2002-03 by Mullett and work in Belfast by a database assistant will ensure completion of data analysis and writing-up.

Dissemination
• A day-school on letter-writing will be held in 2003-04
• A colloquium on networks will be held in 2005-06 to accompany the first of the two network volumes and bring together the group of the table ronde together with network scholars in other areas
• The Spring Symposium on performance will have a section on rhetoric and will reflect the work of the network project
• The network will be published on the website

Advisors
For prosopography: Averil Cameron; for twelfth-century literature: Roderick Beaton; for images: Liz James.