Introduction: Poetry in Byzantine Literature and Society (1081-1204) Nikos Zagklas and Baukje van den Berg; Part I. Poetry and Twelfth-Century Literary Culture: 1. 'The Force of Discourses': Literary Production in the Komnenian Era Panagiotis A. Agapitos; 2. Poetry and Theatre in Twelfth-Century Constantinople Paul Magdalino; 3. Rethinking the Mixed Style in Twelfth-Century Poetry Marketa Kulhankova; 4.'Wishing to Imitate the Poet': Prose and the Study of Ancient Poetry in the Twelfth Century Emmanuel C. Bourbouhakis; Part II. Poetry and the School: 5. The Didactic Poetry of Niketas of Herakleia and the Use of Verse in Byzantine Teaching Practice Floris Bernard; 6. Teaching Grammar through Poetry: Tzetzes' Scholia on the Carmina Iliaca in Context Baukje van den Berg; 7. Of Mice and Cat: The Katomyomachia as Drama, Parody, School Text and Animal Tale Marc D. Lauxtermann; 8. On the Roses: Reflections on a Neglected Poem by Nicholas Kallikles (Carm. 29 Romano) Giulia Gerbi; Part III. Poetry, Patronage and Power: 9. 'Receiving Rich Gifts': Negotiating Power in the Metrical Paratexts of the Vossianus Gr. Q1 Aglae Pizzone; 10. The Poetics of Patronage: Constructing the Image of the Patron in Dedicatory Epigrams in Monumental Painting of the Komnenian Period in Greece Nektarios Zarras; 11. David as Model for the Emperor and His Poet: Theodore Prodromos and John II Komnenos Rachele Ricceri; Part IV. New Texts, New Interpretations: 12. Manganeios Prodromos: His Life and Writings ?Elizabeth Jeffreys and Michael Jeffreys; 13. An Unedited Cycle of Byzantine Verse Scholia on Herodotus in the Light of Twelfth-Century Verse Scholia on Ancient Historians Julian Bertola; 14. Constantine Manasses' Astrological Poem: Editorial Problems, Quellenforschung and Cultural Context Konstantinos Chryssogelos; 15. The Learned Bishop and the Unicorn: Michael Choniates, Poem 5 Lampros Ugo Mondini.