The Byzantine Empire had a good run, from the move of the Roman capital from Rome to Constantinople in 330 CE to the takeover of the illustrious city in 1453. The individual emperors, however, frequently were not as lucky in their reigns. Here you see an 11th-century manuscript showing the murder of Emperor Romanos III […]
Mutilations of Byzantine Emperors Read More »
The 19th century had waaaay too many well-intentioned visionaries whose actual concepts led to horrifying conclusions. Among the sickening ideas is the Panopticon, created by the British philosopher Jeremy Benthem. He meant well — but his aims incorporated authoritarian mind-control.From the Greek “all-seeing”, the Panopticon was a special sort of prison, designed for the benevolant
Architectural Design of the 19th-Century Panopticon’s Read More »
What does it take to change a mind? Often the transition between one set of beliefs to another doesn’t happen radically — even if it seems so. The place of Christianity in the mind of the Emperor Constantine (d. 337) is a case in point. He and his contemporary biographers might have imagined a swift
The Religious Conversion of Emperor Constantine Read More »
Today begins the Chinese New Year for 2021, when many rituals and celebrations welcome in the future in hopes that it will bring happiness, health, and prosperity. One of the traditions is shown in the image here: the drinking of a sort of wine called “Tusu.” Of course, it was specially important for the Emperor
Chinese New Year and Drinking “Tusu” Read More »
To me, this is a comical picture showing a bunch of men climbing up a ladder while devils try to grab them or shoot them down — kind of like a *very* old-school Donkey Kong. To the 12th-century Byzantine artist who painted this icon, known as “the Ladder of Divine Ascent,” it was a true-to-life
Byzantine Painting “The Ladder of Divine Ascent” Read More »
You’re looking at a 700+ year-old heart, recovered from a Medieval autopsy of Saint Clare of Montefalco, and considered a miraculous relic demonstrating Clare’s special relationship to God. Also did I mention that this is an actual heart?When super holy people — I mean “athletes for God” holy– died, Ancient and Medieval Christians thought they
Saint Clare’s Medieval Heart Read More »
Is it always the case that women who disguise their female sex are transgender? When we study the past, we need to think about how people doing the same actions in days of yore might have thought about their identities differently than us moderns. The transgendered monks of Byzantium are a case in point.There are
Transgendered Monks of Byzantium Read More »
This exquisite reverse of a Late Roman (c 400 CE) mirror is the closest object I could find that relates to one of the premier minds of antiquity, that of Anathemius of Tralles, who lived in the late 5th- mid 6th- centuries. He lived in the bustling capital city of Constantinople when it was at
Anathemius of Tralles the Comedian of Constantinople Read More »
Here is Terry Jones of Monty Python fame in one of the very best comedic moments in film IMHO — he’s performing as a desert hermit whose vows of silence and harsh lifestyle are broken after the man called Brian accidentally leads a crowd of people to the shallow pit he had been dwelling in
Monty Python and Symeon the Stylite Read More »
In the Eastern Roman Empire of Byzantium, disputes over proper religious beliefs polarized the state for centuries, giving fodder to the fourth-century pagan chronicler Ammianus Marcellinus’ claim that “no wild beasts are as ferocious as Christians are to each other”.To us the disputes seem ridiculous: should holy images/icons be allowed? Does Jesus have one or
Byzantine Empire Battles Over Religious Beliefs Read More »
You are looking at a coin of Julian “the Apostate,” the last pagan emperor of Rome (r. 361-363). It’s easy to gloss over the features because so many appear similar to others of the ancient world, but indulge me a moment. The side profile of Julian shows him with a beard. The flip side of
Ancient Roman Pagan Coin of Emperor Julian Read More »
Folks, step right up and cast your eyes on the oldest known monastic site to be excavated. Located in the Bahariya Oasis in Egypt West of the Nile (see second image), the most recent dig happened in 2020 as the COVID pandemic wore on.It is simply incredible that such rich discoveries are still being made.
Egypt’s Oldest Excavated Monastic Site 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 »
For Women’s History Month and my 800th post, I am featuring Violet Oakley (two of you readers voted for her yesterday). Oakley was a leading American artist of the early 20th-century: her 43 murals at the State Capitol Building in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania are among her most famous works — they were the first public murals
Artist Violet Oakley and Pennsylvania’s Capitol Read More »
Oh, Biblical archaeologists: you had me at the name the “Cave of Horror”.Last week (March, 2021) Israel announced new findings from a series of archaeolologial digs conducted around a series of caves in the Dead Sea area. In a race against the potential looters also excavating the region, a number of fantastic discoveries were made:
Israel’s “Cave of Horror” Read More »
This painting by Caspar David Friedrich called _Two Men Contemplating the Moon( (1819-20) was an inspiration for playwrite Samuel Beckett’s _Waiting for Godot_, often cited as a top contender for the most important play from the 20th century. Although it was written in French in 1948/9, Beckett himself translated the play into English, where it
Caspar David Friedrich’s “Two Men Contemplating the Moon” Read More »
In the ancient world if you were worried about your health you might travel to a religious temple of a healing deity to seek treatment. The God-hero Asclepius had at least 700 structures dedicated to him alone. The Ancients ascribed healing to the effects of prayer, supernatural rituals, or medicine — often these treatments
Ancient Healing Deity Remedies Read More »
The column pictured here is a Sati Stone from the 18th century, now housed in the British Museum. To us, it is a hideous and grim memorial, but it was envisioned to be a sacred monument and tribute commemorating a woman who had performed Sati (also Suttee) — self-immolation upon her deceased husband’s funeral pyre.The
18th Century Sati Stone Read More »
In the U.S. it is beginning to feel for many that we are on the last lap of the COVID-19 pandemic — and for those of us lucky enough to have had the vaccine, gratitude is a common emotion. In the 17th century, several European countries endured a horrific bout of plague, caused by that
Vienna, Austria’s “Pestaule Column” Read More »
Behold the Bayon Temple, one of several built under King Jayavarman VII (d. 1219) of the Khmer Empire of Medieval Camodian fame.Many consider Jayavarman VII the most important ruler of Medieval Cambodia — the sheer amount of building projects he undertook illustrates why this is so. Unifying his Empire and defending its borders, Jayavarman built
Bayon Temple in Medieval Cambodia Read More »
