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Michel Kaplan

b. 1946

French historian

Historian Professeur des universitésByzantinist
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About Michel Kaplan

Born 1946. Michel Kaplan is a French historian, professeur des universités, byzantinist and byzantine studies.

Michel Kaplan (born 15 April 1946) is a French medieval historian, docteur d'État, professor emeritus and former president of Pantheon-Sorbonne University. He is a Byzantinist specialising in history of mentalities, rural space and hagiography of the Eastern Roman Empire.

Career In his early years, Kaplan followed the courses taught by Paul Lemerle. He began his career as an assistant professor and then lecturer at the Pantheon-Sorbonne University (Paris I), where he defended his thèse d'état (doctoral dissertation) in 1987. He then became a professor of medieval history at Paris I since 1988 and had been president of this university from 1999 to 2004. Since 2003, his research had encompassed the history of Byzantine mentalities. He retired from his job in 2015. On 13 November 2018, a lecture given by Kaplan took place at the Athens Concert Hall in Greece.

Honours Knight of the Legion of Honour. Knight of the National Order of Merit. Knight of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques.

Publications Les Propriétés de la Couronne et de l'Église dans l'Empire byzantin, Ve-VIe siècles : documents, Paris, Publications de la Sorbonne, 1976. Le Proche-Orient médiéval : des Barbares aux Ottomans, Paris, Hachette, 1978, nouv. éd. 1988, 1990, 1997, 2003 et 2006 (avec Alain Ducellier et Bernadette Martin). Tout l'or de Byzance, collection « Découvertes Gallimard » (nº 104), série Histoire. Paris: Éditions Gallimard, 1991. Les hommes et la terre à Byzance du VIe au XIe siècle : propriété et exploitation du sol, Publications de la Sorbonne, 1992. Les Saints et leur sanctuaire à Byzance : textes, images et monument, Paris, Publications de la Sorbonne, 1993 (avec Catherine Jolivet-Lévy et Jean-Pierre Sodini). La Chrétienté orientale, du début du VIIe siècle au milieu du XIe siècle. Textes et documents, Paris, SEDES, 1996 (avec Marie-France Auzépy et Bernadette Martin-Hisard). La Chrétienté byzantine, du début du VIIe siècle au milieu du XIe siècle : images et reliques, moines et moniales, Constantinople et Rome, Paris, SEDES, 1997. Le Moyen Âge, Paris, Bréal, 2000 (tome I : IVe-Xe siècles, tome II : XIe-XVe siècles) (dir. Michel Kaplan, auteurs : Michel Zimmermann, Christophe Picard). Le Sacré et son inscription dans l'espace à Byzance et en Occident : études comparée, Paris, Publications de la Sorbonne, 2001 (direction). Monastères, images, pouvoirs et société à Byzance, Paris, Publications de la Sorbonne, 2006 (codirection avec Paule Pagès). Byzance : villes et campagnes, Paris, Picard, 2006 (recueil d'articles). With A. Ducellier, Byzance : IVe-XVe siècle, Paris, Hachette, 2006. Byzance, Paris, Les Belles lettres, 2007. Pouvoirs, Église et sainteté : essais sur la société byzantine, Paris, Publications de la Sorbonne, 2011 (recueil d'articles). Le Moyen Âge en Orient : Byzance et l'islam (avec A. Ducellier, B. Martin, F. Micheau), Paris, Hachette, 2012. Pourquoi Byzance ? : Un empire de onze siècles, Paris, Gallimard, 2016.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne
Positions held
President, Director
Employers
University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne
Awards
Knight of the Legion of Honour; Knight of the National Order of Merit

People in Michel Kaplan's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Michel Kaplan's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Michel Kaplan?

French historian

When was Michel Kaplan born?

Michel Kaplan was born on 15 April 1946 in Neuilly-sur-Seine.

What is Michel Kaplan's occupation?

Michel Kaplan is a historian, professeur des universités, byzantinist and byzantine studies.

What nationality is Michel Kaplan?

Michel Kaplan is French.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Michel Kaplan

· Wikidata: Q3310015

· DBpedia: Michel Kaplan

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Michel Kaplan. https://biography.guide/michel-kaplan/

MLA: "Michel Kaplan." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/michel-kaplan/.

Chicago: "Michel Kaplan." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/michel-kaplan/.

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