Spectacle, Power and Romanness in Byzantium: The Use of Roman Heritage in the Ceremonial Practices in the Hippodrome (10th-century)
By TLW Berkers
Master’s Thesis, Radboud University Nijmegen, 2017
The Hippodrome of Constantinople, painting by Jean Baptiste Vanmour (1671–1737
Introduction: Unlike most empires, the Byzantine Empire did not grow out of conquest. The Empire rather evolved out of an already existing Roman political system that had developed over a long period of time. In 330 AD, when the city of Constantinople was officially dedicated to Constantine the Great, the Roman Empire was still undivided. After 476, when Odoacer deposed the Western Emperor, it was still possible to think of a united Mediterranean world. However, during this time the Eastern Empire had begun to take on a new role. The Empire was a continuation of the former (Eastern) Roman Empire and it was still reigned by an emperor, but from the fifth century on it is called by scholars the ‘Byzantine Empire’.
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The term ‘Byzantine’ was probably first used by German scholar Hieronymus Wolf in the sixteenth century, with reference to the ancient name of Constantinople, Byzantion. Nowadays the name is used by scholars to indicate the former Eastern Roman Empire after 330 or 476. As a modern construct it does not provide us with a clear indication of the identity of the Byzantine people. The Byzantines did not call themselves by this name. They referred to themselves as Romaioi, Romans.
Identity, however, is not only a matter of a name, but it is also a matter of how you construct your own past. This can be seen as problematic for Byzantium. The Empire’s history consisted not only of a Roman heritage but also of an ancient Greek and a Christian heritage. These multiple heritages have caused modern day scholars to question the Roman identity expressed in the name given by the Byzantines to themselves. This has resulted in a lively debate amongst scholars separated into different camps arguing for their view on the identity of the Byzantine Empire.
Spectacle, Power and Romanness in Byzantium: The Use of Roman Heritage in the Ceremonial Practices in the Hippodrome (10th-century)
By TLW Berkers
Master’s Thesis, Radboud University Nijmegen, 2017
Jean Baptiste Vanmour (1671–1737
Introduction: Unlike most empires, the Byzantine Empire did not grow out of conquest. The Empire rather evolved out of an already existing Roman political system that had developed over a long period of time. In 330 AD, when the city of Constantinople was officially dedicated to Constantine the Great, the Roman Empire was still undivided. After 476, when Odoacer deposed the Western Emperor, it was still possible to think of a united Mediterranean world. However, during this time the Eastern Empire had begun to take on a new role. The Empire was a continuation of the former (Eastern) Roman Empire and it was still reigned by an emperor, but from the fifth century on it is called by scholars the ‘Byzantine Empire’.
The term ‘Byzantine’ was probably first used by German scholar Hieronymus Wolf in the sixteenth century, with reference to the ancient name of Constantinople, Byzantion. Nowadays the name is used by scholars to indicate the former Eastern Roman Empire after 330 or 476. As a modern construct it does not provide us with a clear indication of the identity of the Byzantine people. The Byzantines did not call themselves by this name. They referred to themselves as Romaioi, Romans.
Click here to read this thesis from Radboud University
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