Summary
One of the most useful tools for research contained in the Archives de l'Athos series is the enumeration of actes mentionnés (further documents whose existence is mentioned in, or can be surmised from, references in the edited item) contained in the commentary to each document. Often these further documents no longer survive, so we are reliant on allusions to them in the Athonite archives to know of their very existence. Consulting the actes mentionnés is of particular value when attempting to compile a dossier of material relating to an particular issue, or indeed a particular asset (an estate, for example) of concern to an Athonite house. This is particularly true in the case of disputes, which often engaged the attention of Athonite houses, local administrators and even the imperial power for long periods of time. Taking examples from records of the 10th and 11th centuries, this paper will discuss how the study of actes mentionnés can shed light on the working methods of Byzantine record-takers (whether monastic or lay), on the methods employed to build up dossiers and archives and, above all, on the ways in which matters of concern to institutions could be actively promoted over generations.
