The History Book Club discussion

Eileen I know - I am glad you got there then. The majestic view of the Hagia Sophia is one thing but going inside and seeing those ancient Byzantine mosaics is quite the other. Love the little side streets in the Old Town area as well. And the food was amazing. I stayed in one of the Old Town hotels and was glad I did - the view outside a little balcony window was the Hagia Sophia in all of its old elegance and there was a sitting area in the room where we could have coffee and look at it as long as we wanted to. It has been a couple of years but I will never forget it.

Did you get to see that great ancient engineering feat with the underground cisterns - both beautiful and amazing.

The Secret History

by Procopius (no photo)

Synopsis:

'The Secret History' is a highly opinionated and unflattering account of the Byzantine Emperor Belisarius, and an insight into Byzantine culture.

An upcoming book:
Release date: July 30, 2017

God's City: Byzantine Constantinople

by Nic Fields (no photo)

Synopsis:

Byzantium. Was it Greek or Roman, familiar or hybrid, barbaric or civilised, Oriental or Western? In the late eleventh century Constantinople was the largest and wealthiest city in Christendom, the seat of the Byzantine emperor, Christ s vice-regent on earth, and the centre of a predominately Christian empire, steeped in Greek cultural and artistic influences, yet founded and maintained by a Roman legal and administrative system.

Despite the amalgam of Greek and Roman influences, however, its language and culture was definitely Greek. Constantinople truly was the capital of the Roman empire in the East, and from its founding under the first Constantinus to its fall under the eleventh and last Constantinus the inhabitants always called themselves Romaioi, Romans, not Hell nik s, Greeks. Over its millennium long history the empire and its capital experienced many vicissitudes that included several periods of waxing and waning and more than one golden age . Its political will to survive is still eloquently proclaimed in the monumental double land walls of Constantinople, the greatest city fortifications ever built, on which the forces of barbarism dashed themselves for a thousand years. Indeed, Byzantium was one of the longest lasting social organisations in history. Very much part of this success story was the legendary Varangian Guard, the lite body of axe-bearing Northmen sworn to remain loyal to the true Christian emperor of the Romans. There was no hope for an empire that had lost the will to prosecute the grand and awful business of adventure. The Byzantine empire was certainly not of that stamp.

Thank you for add

The Emperor Romanus Lecapenus and His Reign: A Study of Tenth-Century Byzantium

by Steven Runciman

Synopsis:

Originally published in 1929, with a hardcover reissue in 1963, this study of the usurping Byzantium emperor is released again in response to the current revival of interest in Byzantium studies.

Samanta wrote: "The Emperor Romanus Lecapenus and His Reign: A Study of Tenth-Century Byzantium

by [authorimage:..."

That was a good history of Romanus I's reign.

Thank you for the feedback, Eileen. I've put it to my TBR list.

Anyone else read Justinian II of Byzantium by Constance Head (no photo)?

This short book gives a decidedly less vicious picture of the emperor who so famously lost his nose and the throne, and 10 years later regained the throne with a prosthetic nose.

I read Justinian by H.N. Turteltaub (no photo) a few years back and it almost put me off the Byzantines.

Greek Thought, Arabic Culture: The Graeco-Arabic Translation Movement in Baghdad and Early 'Abbasaid Society (2nd-4th/5th-10th c.) (Arabic Thought and Culture)

by Dimitri Gutas (no photo)

Synopsis:

From the middle of the eighth century to the tenth century, almost all non-literary and non-historical secular Greek books, including such diverse topics as astrology, alchemy, physics, botany and medicine, that were not available throughout the eastern Byzantine Empire and the Near East, were translated into Arabic.

Greek Thought, Arabic Culture explores the major social, political and ideological factors that occasioned the unprecedented translation movement from Greek into Arabic in Baghdad, the newly founded capital of the Arab dynasty of the 'Abbasids', during the first two centuries of their rule.

Dimitri Gutas draws upon the preceding historical and philological scholarship in Greco-Arabic studies and the study of medieval translations of secular Greek works into Arabic and analyses the social and historical reasons for this phenomenon.

Dimitri Gutas provides a stimulating, erudite and well-documented survey of this key movement in the transmission of ancient Greek culture to the Middle Ages

Samanta wrote: "The Secret History

by Procopius (no photo)

Synopsis:

'The Secret History' is a highly opinionated and unflattering account of the Byzantine ..."

You mean the emperor Justinian and his general Belisarius, don't you?

Hello Альберто Лорэдо - I looked back to see what our member Samanta had posted and I would have to delete the entire post to make any corrections, so I will leave it as is because you have posted your helpful "find". Thank you very much.

If you have some books or anything that you would like to post on the Byzantine Empire, please feel free to add to the threads.

ILL-GOTTEN GOODS
Priam's Treasure



Germany's plunder during World War II was legendary, but with Priam's Treasure they were the victims.

Not that we should feel sorry.

German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann discovered the artifacts — mostly gold, copper shields and weapons — in Anatolia 1837 and named them for Priam, king of Troy.

Schliemann illegally smuggled the loot to Berlin, convinced he had found evidence of the Iliad's famed ancient city.

But in a bit of karmic payback, Soviet soldiers stole the treasure from Berlin during the waning days of World War II, keeping their bounty a secret for decades until the artifacts turned up on display in Moscow in 1993.

Current Status: Russia is technically bound by a 1990 treaty that provides for the return of all pilfered art and artifacts back to Germany. But Russian museums are now stonewalling, saying they plan to keep the treasure as reparation for Germany's destruction of Soviet cities during the war.

Source: Time

Here is my review of Anthony Kaldellis and Ioannis Polemis's translation, Psellos and the Patriarchs: Letters and Funeral Orations for Keroullarios, Leichoudes, and Xiphilinos. (no image for the book)

- Anthony Kaldellis (no image for Ioannis Polemis)

A fine collection of several letters and three funeral orations written by the Byzantine bureaucrat/historian, Michael Psellus. It provides a lot more context to the political events of the years when Psellus was most active in the Byzantine government. For instance, a letter to the Patriarch, Michael Keroullarios, when he was in his greatest difficulties with the Emperor Isaac I Comnenus, was revealing about Psellus' feelings about the churchman. Apparently, Keroullarios was part of the political group pushing Psellus, Xiphilinos and John Mauropos out of power in the early 1050's, and even years later Psellus was holding a grudge. Can't say I blame him, though.

The letters and funeral oration for John Xiphilinos, however, demonstrated the deep friendship the two men had for many years.

This translation by Anthony Kaldellis and Ioannis Polemis is helped with an excellent introduction and brief comments before each letter or funeral oration.

For those of us with an interest in 11th century Byzantine history, this book adds a great deal to our understanding of how the empire evolved. Michael Psellus is not one of my favorite Byzantine personalities, but I am grateful that so much of his writing has survived to bring this colorful era to life.

Eileen, keep the posts coming - good review of the book. You also added some personal viewpoints and observations which are always valuable for our members.

You had a tough book to do a review for and cite. Here is how the citation should look when there is no cover and no author's photo.

(no image) Psellos and the Patriarchs: Letters and Funeral Orations for Keroullarios, Leichoudes, and Xiphilinos by Michael Psellos (no photo)

Bentley wrote: "Eileen, keep the posts coming - good review of the book. You also added some personal viewpoints and observations which are always valuable for our members.

You had a tough book to do a review for..."

Bentley - thank you for your comments. I will say, though, that because I have such a love for this period of Byzantine history, I did not find it tough at all! As Pedro Arrupe once said: fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.

Very true Eileen - have you ever been to Istanbul and to the Hagia Sophia to see the beautiful Byzantine mosaics. That was one of the high points for me.

And you are most welcome - keep the posts and reviews coming.

Bentley wrote: "Very true Eileen - have you ever been to Istanbul and to the Hagia Sophia to see the beautiful Byzantine mosaics. That was one of the high points for me.

And you are most welcome - keep the posts ..."

I was there 3 years ago and will be returning next month. Loved every minute of it!

Isn’t Istanbul wonderful - love the place and the Hagia Sophia

Bentley wrote: "Isn’t Istanbul wonderful - love the place and the Hagia Sophia"

I went for the Byzantine history, but found I loved Istanbul and the Turkish people I met almost as much! It really seduced me!

It was a wonderful time period for me too - I loved the old town of Istanbul - so much character. Aside from the line outside the Hagia Sophia where there were some hustlers - I felt fairly safe there but did not take any unnecessary risks either which you should not do. Better not to walk alone during the evening or stick out by wearing attire that does not fit in. The food was amazing but the entire environment was the draw - so much history.

Istanbul has become one of my favorite cities - I could return there many times and not become tired of it. My husband, who is not a traveler at all, absolutely fell in love with Istanbul. The history, the food, the people - he wants to go back as soon as he can.

Catherine, I understand truly. It was/is one of my favorites too.

An upcoming book:
Release date: October 1, 2023

The New Roman Empire: A History of Byzantium

by Anthony Kaldellis

Synopsis:

In recent decades, the study of the Eastern Roman Empire, also known as Byzantium, has been revolutionized by new approaches and more sophisticated models for how its society and state operated. No longer looked upon as a pale facsimile of classical Rome, Byzantium is now considered a vigorous state of its own, inheritor of many of Rome's features, and a vital node in the first truly globalized world, with far-flung connections to the Carolingians, Vikings, Arabs, Ethiopians, Indians, and Chinese.

The New Roman Empire is the first full, single-author history of the eastern Roman empire to appear in over a generation. Covering political and military history as well as all the major changes in religion, society, demography, and economy, Anthony Kaldellis's volume is divided into ten chronological sections which begin with the foundation of Constantinople in 324 AD and end with the fall of the empire to the Ottoman Turks in the fifteenth century. The book incorporates new findings, explains recent interpretive models, and presents well-known historical characters and events in a new light.

Sounds like a grand book, Jerome Unfortunately, my TBR List is utterly out of control, and has been sent to stand in the corner.

Regards,
Andrea

Jerome wrote: "An upcoming book:
Release date: October 1, 2023

The New Roman Empire: A History of Byzantium

I have a lot of respect for Anthony Kaldellis and own more than a few of his books, but an overview of a civilization that lasted 11 centuries in one book is likely to miss a lot of the excitement.
They're ok (e.g., ) but don't truly capture this dynamic civilization.

Personally, I would prefer to see more books that go in depth into various individual periods in the empire than another overview.

Another:
Release date: November 21, 2023

Empire of God: How the Byzantines Saved Civilization

by Robert Spencer

Synopsis:

Western civilization is generally regarded as the child of Athens, Jerusalem, and Rome. That is, in the West, our philosophical and political thought is derived from that of the ancient Greeks; our Christian religion comes from the Jewish religion, and both of these came to us via the Roman Empire and the civilization and culture it created.

Western society has other forefathers as well: we would be unwise to give the Byzantine Empire short shrift. The ways in which it has influenced our world for the good, and indeed, created the parameters of our society at its healthiest and strongest, are insufficiently appreciated today. In its confusion, uncertainty, and lack of direction, the West has lost its way. There is a great deal it can, and should, learn from Byzantium.

If the United States were to last as long as the Roman Empire, including its Byzantine period, it would have to continue as an independent country, with political and cultural continuity, until the year 2899. To maintain a unified nation state for over eleven hundred years is a remarkable achievement by any standard, and the Romans accomplished it while facing existential threats and efforts to extinguish their polity during virtually every period of their existence. Now, nearly six hundred years after the demise of the empire, its influence still resonates in a number of fields, albeit almost entirely unnoticed and unappreciated.

There is no arguing with success. It’s time we took notice.

Jerome wrote: "Another:
Release date: November 21, 2023

Empire of God: How the Byzantines Saved Civilization

by [authorimage:Robert Spe..."

He's correct - people have no idea how important Byzantine civilization was to the world!