Chariot Race described in medieval poem
While chariot races are usually associated with Ancient Rome, they were still taking place long into the Middle Ages. A poem from the twelfth century gives us an exciting look at this sport.
The Siege of Constantinople (1453)
One of the key dates from the Middle Ages is the year 1453. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly discuss how the Ottomans were able to conquer the city of Constantinople and bring an end to the Byzantine Empire.
Byzantium and the early Rus’, with Monica White
A conversation with Monica White about the earliest contacts between Constantinople and the first Rus’-Varangian raiders, traders, and mercenaries to cross the Black Sea. Who were these people, what did they want, and how did contact with East Roman culture change them?
The emperor’s clothing and public appearances, with Maria Parani
A conversation with Maria Parani on the emperor’s clothing and the staging of his public appearances. We talk about his most formal garments, what he wore on the battlefield, his military banner, how he changed, and much more.
New Roads, New Rome: A Byzantine Playbook for Modern Politics
A look at Anthony Kaldellis’ new book The New Roman Empire: A History of Byzantium.
Inheriting the Mantle of the Roman Empire, with Nathan Aschenbrenner
A conversation with Nathan Aschenbrenner about Western European claims to the Roman imperial title, from the Middle Ages to early modernity. We also discuss some plans in the West after 1453 to reclaim the “eastern empire” and a curious history from the early sixteenth that fuses Western and Eastern imperial history into one.
Dis/ability and Byzantine Hagiography
I will discuss first the differences in the narrative teatments of disability by various hagiographers, and their attempts at explaining its source or reason depending on their religious and moral agendas.
Justinian: statecraft, law, and self-glorification, with Peter Sarris
A conversation with Peter Sarris about the emperor Justinian (527-565), on the 401st anniversary of the rediscovery of Prokopios’ Secret History. We talk about Justinian’s goals, accomplishments, and victims, all of which continue to spark debate and controversy, just as they did during his own lifetime.
New Medieval Books: Byzantine Military Rhetoric in the Ninth Century
Want to know what kind of speeches a military commander gave in the Middle Ages? This book is a ninth-century guide from Byzantium on just how to do that, with examples based on fighting for your faith or country, and how to endure pain.
The Discovery of Constantinople, with Sarah Bassett
A conversation with Sarah Bassett about the exploration and discovery of the antiquities of Constantinople, starting in the sixteenth century. We talk about scholars, diplomats, and archaeologists, and the intellectual trends of their times.
Religion, Politics, and Identities in Byzantium: Aspects of Medieval Greek Homilies
Homilies, or church sermons, formed an indispensable part of European medieval rhetoric, East and West. Throughout the millennial existence of the Byzantine Empire (AD 330–1453), they carried the burden of the classical Greek tradition of rhetoric, which they continued in varying forms.
Looking for scapegoats: The betrayal of Romanos Diogenes by Trachaneiotes and Doukas at Manzikert and the role of Attaleiates’ narrative
Few people have been vilified in such a way after the disastrous outcome of a decisive battle other than Trachaniotes, Roussel of Bailleul, and Andronikos Doukas.
How Hagia Sophia was Built
The story of the building of Hagia Sophia, one of the greatest construction works of the Middle Ages.
Major exhibition on Africa & Byzantium set to begin at The Met
This weekend marks the beginning of a major new exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Africa & Byzantium will present nearly 200 artworks, including many that have never before been exhibited in the United States.
Byzantine law, its experts, and its languages, with Daphne Penna
A conversation with Daphne Penna about Byzantine law, or (what it really was) the Greek-language phase of Roman law. We talk about the study of east Roman law, its experts (both then and now), and the interaction of Greek and Latin in legal texts. What did the law do and what do we learn from studying it?
Byzantium and Balkan national identities, with Diana Mishkova
A conversation with Diana Mishkova about how the national historiographies of Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Romania cope with Byzantium — how they try to appropriate, incorporate, circumvent, or abjure it, and so always reinvent it in the process.
Leading Byzantine Studies journal now open-access
Dumbarton Oaks Papers, which has been a leading academic journal in the field of Byzantine Studies since 1941, has unveiled a new website where all of its issues are open-access and available to read for free.
This medieval lament about a lost love will leave you heartbroken
It is rare to find a work from the Middle Ages about a lost love – even more rare that these words are written by a Byzantine emperor. However, this is the case of Theodore II Laskaris and the heartfelt lament for his wife Elena.
What makes a good military leader? The Byzantine answer
Despite the extraordinary attention that modern armies pay to the subject of military leadership, the answer to the question, “What makes a good (military) leader?” is neither simple nor universal.
How to de-colonize Byzantine Studies, with Ben Anderson and Mirela Ivanova
A conversation with Ben Anderson and returning guest Mirela Ivanova on their co-edited volume of papers on the question Is Byzantine Studies a Colonialist Discipline? Toward a Critical Historiography. We talk about how colonial, imperialist, or exploitative practices and ideologies have marked the history of our field, whether by making it complicit in them or by colonizing it.
Our new book on the armies, and on revisionism in history, with Marion Kruse
In this 100th episode of Byzantium & Friends, Marion and Anthony talk about their new co-authored book, The Field Armies of the East Roman Empire, 361-630
New Medieval Books: Byzantine Cavalryman vs Vandal Warrior
A military history of the Byzantine Conquest of North Africa in 533-536. The book begins by examining both the Byzantine and Vandal forces, then offers details about the campaigns and battles, and ends with an analysis of the Byzantine victory.
‘Africa & Byzantium’ exhibition coming to The Met this fall
The Metropolitan Museum of Art will be the first museum to host the upcoming exhibition ‘Africa & Byzantium’, which will showcase nearly 200 works of art.
Byzantines and Fatimids at War: The Battles of the Orontes (994) and Apamea (998)
Their armies would meet in battle twice, and in both cases the Byzantine commander would make a fateful decision that would lead to his defeat.