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Tag Archives: Byzantine
Hellenic-American Cultural Foundation’s Online Seminar on Byzantium
Well. We missed this as there was no real marketing beforehand. However, the news report makes some interesting points. If the lecture recording is posted online I shall make you all aware. First published in The National Herald. The Hellenic-American … Continue reading
“Better Turks than Latins!” – The Aftermath and the New City
Mehmet had now achieved the goal that for centuries had been the sacred duty of the faithful to capture the Christian capital. Born during a plague that had killed two of his brothers, he was the third son of a … Continue reading
Posted in The Fall of Constantinople 1453
Tagged Aya Sofya, Byzantine, Byzantium, Constantinople, Emperor, Greek Orthodox, Istanbul, Mehmet, mosque, Patriarch, Sultan, Turkey, Turks
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BBC’s Chronicle – The Fall of Constantinople
Here is a little gem and a blast from the past. John Julius Norwich (who wrote the excellent and accessible trilogy on the history of Byzantium) tells the dramatic story of the fall of Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire, followed … Continue reading
The Fall of Constantinople 29 May 1453
Having said his farewells and taken the sacrament I would like to think that Constantine was at peace. He had done all he could and fought bravely with this soldiers and allies. He must have realised on that warm May … Continue reading
Posted in The Fall of Constantinople 1453
Tagged Alexius Comnenus, artillery, Byzantine, Byzantium, Caesar, Constantine, Constantinople, Emperor, Genoese, Istanbul, Mehmet, Palaeologus, Sultan, Turkey, Turks, Venetians
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The Final Hours and Last Eucharist
The fifth … We come now to the last hours of Byzantium. The defenders were weary after defending the city since April 5th. The Emperor’s hope lay with a relief fleet from Venice, but this had failed to appear. On … Continue reading
Posted in The Fall of Constantinople 1453
Tagged Byzantine, Byzantium, Chios, Constantine, Constantinople, Emperor, Genoa, Genoese, greeks, Istanbul, Mehmet, naval battle, navy, Palaeologus, Pope, Roman Empire, Romans, Sultan, Turkey, Turks, Venetians
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Move the Navy by Road!
Number four … As you know I have been away in Albania and Macedonia trying to walk (part) of the way to Byzantium. I have felt very bad about not posting but there was little time and even less internet … Continue reading
Posted in The Fall of Constantinople 1453
Tagged Bosphorus, Byzantine, Byzantium, Constantinople, Emperor, Mehmet, naval battle, navy, Turkey, Turks
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The Siege of Constantinople – An Update
The Sultan decided to concentrate his fire to achieve a greater effect. Remember some of his cannon were so large they they could only fire a round every few hours. He needed what modern commanders would call ‘concentration of effort’. When all cannon were in place the bombardment then continued unabated until the night before the Fall, that is for another forty eight days. Just think what it would have been like to live with the threat of cannon firing at your home all the time. Given that the citizens of Constantinople had never experience this before, you have to recognise how amazing the human spirit is to adapt so quickly in a fight for survival. Continue reading
Posted in The Fall of Constantinople 1453
Tagged artillery, Byzantine, Byzantium, cannon, Drake, Emperor, Genoese, Golden Horn, Istanbul, Mehmet, naval battle, navy, Ottomans, sailors, Salamis, seige, Spanish Armada, Sultan, Turkey, Turks, Xerxes
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If Only Constantine Had Employed Urban
The Byzantines called this Rumeli Hisar, or “The castle of Romeland”, which was a pretty good name as it was the medieval equivalent of the Sultan parking his tank on the Emperor’s lawn. Mehmet could do as he pleased and respected no treaties. Continue reading
Posted in The Fall of Constantinople 1453
Tagged Adrianople, artillery, Bosphorus, Byzantine, Emperor, Istanbul, Mehmet, Sultan, Turks
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The Siege of Constantinople Begins
On this day, 5 April in 1453, the Ottoman Turkish Sultan, Mehmet I (1402-1421) arrived to join his army establishing its siege of Constantinople. Continue reading
Posted in The Fall of Constantinople 1453
Tagged Byzantine, Byzantium, Constantinople, Emperor, Mehmet, Sultan, Turkey, Turks
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The first Byzantine Museum in the Peloponnese opens in Argos
Just in time for your summer holiday visit to the Peloponnese, a new museum dedicated to Byzantine history and culture has opened its doors in Argos. It opened its gates to the public on 9 March 2017.The foundation of the … Continue reading
The destruction of the idols: Syria’s patrimony at risk from extremists
Very sad to read but no real surprise. by Patrick Cockburn First published in The Independent 11 Feb 2014 Islamic fundamentalists in Syria have started to destroy archaeological treasures such as Byzantine mosaics and Greek and Roman statues because their … Continue reading
History of Byzantium by John Scylitzes
Full of beautiful Greek handwritten text, and lively, colourful images, this famous work by John Scylitzes is available to view digitally on the World Digital Library. If you are very brave you can download the full 138 Mb pdf. This … Continue reading
Event: AD 312 Constantine’s Victory at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge – British Museum, 3 November 2012
This sounds like a cracker! The Roman Society and the Association for Roman Archaeology will mark the anniversary of the Battle of the Milvian Bridge with a series of four lectures exploring the significance and legacy of the battle, the … Continue reading
Posted in Academic Papers, Byzantine Events, History
Tagged British Museum, Byzantine, Byzantium, Constantine
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Byzantine Blog 
The Byzantine Scribe
My thanks to Geoffrey for giving me permission to post this article. By Geoffrey Clarfield First published in the New English Review, August 2010. Many years ago, while walking through the grounds of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian’s greatest temple, the … Continue reading →