Category Archives: Byzantium

The Awesome Epithets of European Nobility and Royalty, part 3

By terje | Published: July 7, 2009
It seems I promised you a series of these once, so let’s continue, shall we? Constantine V (741-775) of Byzantium: Kopronymos — the Dung-Named. Constantine was an Iconoclast, and hostile Iconodules referred to him as “the Dung-Named”, as he was to have defecated in the purple cloth in which he was swaddled during his baptism. Imagine how nice [...]
Also posted in Greek stuff, Impressions, Irony, Links, Lists, Medieval stuff, Roman stuff, The Awesome Epithets of European Nobility and Royalty | 17 Comments

Introduction and Overview — Lecture #1

By terje | Published: September 2, 2008
Lecture #1 — A General Introduction and Overview. (This post is based on a lecture held by Jan Frode Hatlen at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, August 21 2008. However, any factual errors in the text is strictly my responsibility.) It is hard to be precise about what Rome was like before approximately 500 BCE, [...]
Also posted in Education, Hist2125, History, Politics, Roman stuff | 11 Comments

A Message from the Lost Son: Why I Love Heraclius

By terje | Published: February 21, 2008
“The Persians were applying inexorable pressure on what remained of the empire. Heraclius was faced with a stark choice: he could either wait for the Persian grip to tighten, fighting a series of rearguard actions which offered little chance for ultimate success, or he could throw caution to the wind and take battle to the [...]
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