Relics and Rulers: The Politics of Holiness in Byzantium
Saints and relics shaped political authority, religious life, and economic power in the Byzantine Empire.
New Medieval Books: Crusader Principality of Antioch from Bohemond I to Bohemond III (1098-1161)
When it comes to the Crusader States, the Principality of Antioch is often overlooked. This book aims to correct that, offering an in-depth examination of its political history during the first six decades of its existence.
25 Greek Proverbs from the Middle Ages and Beyond
Discover 25 Greek proverbs about life, luck, work, wisdom and human nature, including sayings with roots in the Byzantine and medieval world.
Byzantine Siege Weapons Discovered at the Battlefield of Manzikert
Archaeologists at Manzikert have uncovered 11th-century Byzantine ballista bolt heads linked to the siege that preceded the famous battle of 1071.
From Arab Silver to Byzantine Gold: The Vikings in the East
Follow the Vikings eastward as they sought Arab silver and Byzantine gold, forging trade routes across Eastern Europe and helping shape the world of the Rus’.
World’s Largest Byzantine Studies Congress Coming to Vienna
The world’s largest Byzantine studies congress comes to Vienna this August, bringing together scholars from more than 50 countries.
New Medieval Books: Harald Hardrada
Perhaps the most famous figure of the Viking Age, Harald Hardrada led an eventful life that took him across much of the eleventh-century world. This book recounts his remarkable story while offering insights into the many lands and states through which he travelled.
Food, Feasts, and Fasting in the Byzantine Empire
Explore how food, imperial feasts and religious fasting shaped faith, health, social status and political power in the Byzantine world.
Byzantine Shipwreck with Gold Treasures Discovered off the Croatian Coast
A Byzantine shipwreck off Croatia has revealed gold belt sets, imperial coins and a rare ring linked to the empire’s highest-ranking officials.
How the Normans Fought the Byzantine Empire
Explore nearly two centuries of warfare between the Normans and the Byzantine Empire, from southern Italy to the Balkans.
Heresy and Orthodoxy in the Byzantine Empire
Discover how the Byzantine Empire defined orthodoxy, confronted heresy, and used councils, theology, and imperial power to defend Christian unity.
The Emperor as God’s Representative: Political Theology in the Byzantine Empire
Discover how Byzantine emperors ruled as God’s representatives, shaping politics, religion, and imperial authority through the empire’s unique political theology.
More Numerous Than the Grains of Sand: How Byzantium Supported the First Crusade
Tens of thousands of crusaders crossed Byzantine territory on their way to Jerusalem. Marek Meško reveals how Byzantine logistics and supply networks helped make the First Crusade possible.
The Book of Daniel, the Four Kingdoms, and Imperial Eschatology, with Chris Bonura
A conversation with Christopher Bonura about the apocalyptic tradition of identifying the Four Kingdoms prophesied in the Book of Daniel. Which one was the Roman empire? The fourth, scheduled to fall with the others, or something that came afterward (a tradition sometimes called imperial eschatology)? Among other topics we discuss Eusebios of Caesarea and the reign of Herakleios as possible turning points in this tradition.
Effeminate Greeks or Sophisticated Romans? The Western View of Byzantium
Western Europeans often portrayed the Byzantines as deceitful, weak, and overly luxurious, dismissing them as “Greeks” rather than true Romans. Michael Goodyear writes on how behind these stereotypes stood one of the Middle Ages’ most sophisticated and resilient empires — a civilization that preserved ancient knowledge, amassed immense wealth, and defended Europe for centuries.
New Medieval Books: The Philokalia
This collection of texts may date from the eighteenth century, but the works it contains are all medieval in origin. Together, they offer a diverse glimpse into the Eastern Orthodox tradition that shaped the religious life of the Byzantine world.
Teaching the Faith in Byzantine Christianity: The Catechetical Process
Explore how Byzantine Christians taught the faith through structured catechesis, liturgical instruction, and episcopal oversight, shaping the religious life and identity of the medieval Eastern Roman Empire.
Byzantine Strategy and Geopolitics in the Tenth Century
Surrounded by rivals on every frontier, the Byzantine Empire of the tenth century relied on far more than battlefield victories to survive and expand. George Theotokis explores how emperors and diplomats used strategy, alliances, bribery, fortifications, and warfare to navigate a dangerous geopolitical world stretching from the Balkans to the Middle East.
Icons, Riots, and Theology: Why Iconoclasm Nearly Tore the Byzantine Empire Apart
Byzantine iconoclasm sparked riots, persecutions, and political turmoil as emperors, monks, and ordinary believers fought over the role of sacred images in the medieval Roman Empire.
The Menologion of Basil II, with Charlie Kuper
A conversation with Charlie Kuper about the Menologion of Basil II, a lavishly illustrated manuscript pairing brief notices about the saints with images of them and their ordeals, arranged according to the liturgical calendar.
Byzantine vs. Viking: The Varangian Guard in Constantinople
How did Viking raiders become imperial bodyguards? Zoe Tsiami tells the story of the Varangian Guard in medieval Constantinople.
How Byzantines Saw Themselves: Romans, Not “Byzantines”
The Byzantines never called themselves Byzantines. Zoe Tsiami explores how they understood their Roman identity across the Middle Ages.
Byzantine Court Etiquette Was Basically Political Theatre
Zoe Tsiami on how Byzantine court etiquette turned imperial rule into political theatre, using ritual, symbolism, and spectacle to project power and reinforce hierarchy.
Three Heresiologists of the 12th-century: Zigabenos, Kamateros, and Choniates, with Alessandra Buccosi, Niccolò Zorzi, Marco Fanelli, and Ottavia Mazzon
A conversation on three twelfth-century heresiological texts, the challenges of publishing and studying them, and the ways their central concerns can be presented in a museum exhibition.