Final answer:
The most accurate estimate for literacy rates in the Byzantine Empire during the Middle Ages is close to 10%, mostly concentrated among clergy and the upper classes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Literacy in the Byzantine Empire
In the Middle Ages, literacy rates were generally low compared to modern standards. Regarding the Byzantine Empire specifically, it's challenging to determine the exact percentage of the population that was literate, but historians generally agree that it was higher than in Western Europe. The choice that most accurately reflects the literacy rates in Byzantium would likely be 10%, option (a), although this might be somewhat higher especially in urban areas or among the clergy and nobility. Wide-scale public education was lacking, and the ability to read and write was often limited to members of the clergy, some merchants, and the upper classes. Some texts suggest a higher familiarity with liturgical and religious texts among the population, but this does not necessarily equate to full literacy in the sense we understand it today.