All pandemics are horrible, but no two are alike. Certainly this is true for those who have suffered from the bubonic plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia Pestis.These poor victims pictures here died of the pandemic that raged across western Eurasia during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian and after (from 541- the following […]
The Justinianic Plague Read More »
For part of its history, the Byzantine Empire carried out an unusual tradition for selecting the women who would marry the emperors. These were the imperial “bride-shows,” in which the young emperor’s parents would have a variety of noblewomen who showed great beauty and moral character compete for the hand of the leader of the
Ancient Byzantine Marriage Read More »
*SOME* folks think the Italian Renaissance was the *only* Renaissance. But we Medievalists realize that there were several times when the culture of the Ancient Greek and Roman civilizations was self-consciously re-created, to form phenomenal artistic movements.And if you’re not a Medieval historian who knew this already, no worries — I am here to fix
The Macedonian Renaissance’s “The Paris Psalter” Artwork Read More »
I try to keep the “Byzantine” (overly complex relationships of very wealthy people) out of my Byzantine history class, but in the early 11th century there’s no getting around the way events parallel _The Game of Thrones_. Take the reign of Basil II, a.k.a. “the Bulgar Slayer,” for instance. It wasn’t just the way the
Byzantine’s Basil II – “The Bulgar Slayer” Read More »
After the Roman Empire collapsed in Western Europe, the literature that had flourished went into abeyance. For instance, the entire genre of playwriting just went out of existence. It was finally a tenth-century woman named Roswitha of Gandersheim who revived this art. Her plays today read charmingly clunky, like fourth-grade presentations. As with much about
“Dulcitius” and the Revival of Playwriting Read More »
The dome above the mirhab in the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordova, 965 CE. The octagonal-faceted dome is worked with gold and crafted with some of the finest mosaic tile-work in the world. The mirhab oriented Spanish Muslims to the direction of prayer. The fact that it was funded with gold from the Christian Byzantine Empire illustrates
Mosque-Cathedral of Cordova Dome Read More »
This tooth from the mid-6th century contains DNA from the plague, that same pathogen responsible for the Black Death in 14th- Europe. This version of the bubonic plague is known as the “Justinianic Plague,” named after the Byzantine Emperor who reigned during its outbreak in the capital of Constantinople in 541 CE. Many historians have
Justinianic Plague Read More »
This shipwreck puts a new spin on how historians think about the earliest century of Islam. The usual story is that the decades after Muhammad’s death witnessed a real collapse of trade in the former Roman Empire we now call Byzantium. But this wreck, called the Ma’agan Michael B (or MMB) ship, suggests that eastern
Early Islamic Trade Read More »
St. Daniel (5th century) was a “Stylite” or pillar saint. That meant sequestering oneself to the top of a tall column and living there. An example of early Christian asceticism, Daniel actually had worms coming out of his feet because he stayed still and pillar-bound for so many years.
St. Daniel The Stylite Read More »
This simple black-on-gold mosaic cross is generally thought to be among the most significant artistic remains of the Byzantine Civilization. The reason why it’s so famous has everything to do with an ancient religious battle that lasted across two centuries and whose victors deliberately destroyed most sources that challenged their perspectives. I’m talking about the
This 13th-century fresco illustrates the most influential forgery in history: _The Donation of Constantine_. See the dude in the gold dress with the red beard handing over what looks like a puffy triangle to the larger but thin Santa Claus-guy? That’s supposed to be the Emperor Constantine (4th century) giving Pope Sylvester the right to
The Donation of Constantine Read More »
Any gastro-historians out there? This post is about a favorite component of Ancient Roman cooking that likely was as pervasive as kimchee in modern Korean cuisine, and I am talking about garum, a sauce and made out of decaying, briny fish. The picture you see here is of a garum-producing factory in the Ancient city
Garum, Ancient Rome’s Favorite Flavor Read More »
This is one of the most important books in existence — the Codex Vaticanus. Dating to the fourth century, it is one of the earliest and most complete manuscripts of the Bible. But whereas its fame resides mostly in the history of Christianity (many scholars translating the New Testament rely on it), it has a
Codex Vaticanus and the Septuagint Read More »
This 13th-century fresco illustrates the most influential forgery in history: _The Donation of Constantine_. See the dude in the gold dress with the red beard handing over what looks like a puffy triangle to the larger but thin Santa Claus-guy? That’s supposed to be the Emperor Constantine (4th century) giving Pope Sylvester the right to
The Donation of Constantine Read More »
Feel free to scroll in at this larger-than-lifesize automaton known as the “Peacock Clock”, created in the 1700s by James Cox and now in St. Petersburg, Russia. It’s as close as we can get to viewing a bejewelled-encrusted tree with moving birds that sang and astonished viewers at the Byzantine Court of Constantinople. With all
The Throne of Solomon and Byzantine Automata Read More »
This simple black-on-gold mosaic cross is generally thought to be among the most significant artistic remains of the Byzantine Civilization. The reason why it’s so famous has everything to do with an ancient religious battle that lasted across two centuries and whose victors deliberately destroyed most sources that challenged their perspectives. I’m talking about the
Hagia Eirene and Byzantine Iconoclasm in Art Read More »
This shipwreck puts a new spin on how historians think about the earliest century of Islam. The usual story is that the decades after Muhammad’s death witnessed a real collapse of trade in the former Roman Empire we now call Byzantium. But this wreck, called the Ma’agan Michael B (or MMB) ship, suggests that eastern
Ma’agan Michael B and Byzantine Economy after Muhammad Read More »
