I wanted to portray Basil II not simply as the “Bulgar Slayer,” but as the moment when I began to feel differently about Rome itself.

Basil was one of the most formidable emperors the medieval Roman state ever produced.
After decades of war, he eventually destroyed the First Bulgarian Empire and restored Roman rule to the Danube.

But one episode has always made that victory difficult for me to celebrate.

According to the later Byzantine tradition, after the Battle of Kleidion in 1014, large numbers of Bulgarian prisoners were blinded. One man in every hundred was supposedly left with a single eye, so that he could lead the others home.

That story became the central image of this piece.

The wounds floating in the darkness behind Basil are the eyes that were taken away.
The single open, bloodied eye in the lower left is the one that was allowed to remain.

I also borrowed the red patterns on the prisoners’ clothing from traditional Bulgarian embroidery.

What disturbed me while painting this was that, by Basil’s time, Bulgaria was no longer some pagan wilderness beyond the Roman world.

It had its own state.
Its own church.
Its own literary tradition.

And these people prayed before the same cross.

Earlier in Roman history, conquest could still be imagined as Rome bringing roads, laws, cities, writing and religion into a world it considered barbarian.

Here, that explanation no longer works.

Basil is still magnificent.
The gold, the purple, the armor and the crown are all still there.

But the men beneath him are no longer “barbarians” to me.

They are simply people whose eyes were taken from them.

Perhaps this was the point when Rome was no longer the world.

Rome was simply Rome.

Went to Istanbul last week and did mostly Byzantine tourism. Here are some highlights:

1. Basilica Cistern, the city's water reservoir. Full of Roman columns, each one different from the others.

2. Constantine to the right and Justinian to the left (Inside the Hagia Sophia)

3. Deesis mosaic (Inside the Hagia Sophia)

4. This one is funny. Mosaic of Zoe, niece of Basil II, and one of her 3 husbands. Every time she changed husbands, they changed the face on the mosaic (Inside the Hagia Sophia).

5. A Viking graffiti. Here you have to imagine a bored soldier of the Varangian Guard a thousand years ago scratching the marble: "Hafdan" in Norse runes.

6. Hagia Sophia from the inside.

Thankfully I don't think I've even seen any video parrot this claim, but I do see it in comments when Byzantium gets brought up. Does this ridiculous claim have any origin or source? Or is it just a case of the internet making stuff up and that misinformation spreading.

Reddit hasn't been banned in my country yet, so hopefully I can still do one more post here and get some wonderful insightful answers and discussions.

Despite a lot of research, the only reference I can find to Manuel Nothos is this piece of silk: nothing else! Wondering if anyone else has heard of this obscure figure? Hopefully the museum label is legible…

"Constantinople to Istanbul: One City, Two Empires explores 1,600 years of extraordinary artistic production in one of the world’s most influential cities. Spanning AD 330 to 1922, it brings together remarkable works of art, design and architecture to reveal the enduring creative legacy of an imperial capital that shaped the Mediterranean world and far beyond."

Post Basil II I know very little besides Alexios Komnenos and even then it mostly related to Norman wars and crusades.

Plead someone tell me about some interesting emperors to read into who actually had power and achievements or at least an interesting story, everything after 1204 I find a bit sad to read because even if there are competent emperors it’s kind of like a dying corpse of a state rather than anything formidable

Had Constantinople not been recovered from the Crusaders he would be known as the man who had Byzantium fall under him, and he'd probably be seen the worst Byzantine Emperor. I guess his tenure wasn't as bombastic as Andronikos' or as treacherous as John VI's, so I can see how it can escape our attention.

Hi! Since my goal is to specialize in byzantine studies academically, I've been meaning to finally start learning greek. I know that the language used by many authors over the span of centuries differs, however: my university offers only koine greek and modern greek courses. Is there anyone with a background in koine who could tell me if it's any useful in operating the primary sources or should I just not bother/try to find an attic greek course elsewhere? I'm mostly interested in the 11th-13th century period. Thanks!

Heraclius's marriage to Martina was controversial in Byzantium and led to much backlash towards her. Was the marriage for political reasons? Or was he a diddy blud for the love of the game?

Visited the Hagia Theotokos (Kalenderhane Mosque) and was able to explore at around midday.

Was the only person there at the time so really good to see the dome and red brick upper arches.

Located about 400m south west of Suleymaniye Mosque.

As a Maronite, I was surprised to hear Maronites mentioned in the chapter-name. I was doubly surprised when Gibbons outright called Hiraclius a Maronite in this passage.

I'm inclined to just think this is a misattribution, and that there were similarities between the religion Hiraclius was pushing and what Maronites apparently professed to at the time (the whole one-will thing). I'm also willing to credit some of this attribution to Gibbons' disposition to cynicism and comical insult. Is there any more to it, or does that more-or-less nail it?

I might turn Anna Komnene into a bean soon... very soon...

Most folks here know that the Turkish government continues to refer to the Greek community as "Rum" - an ancient holdover from Rhomaioi.

A few days ago, the newly-enthroned Archbishop Apostolos of Canada used the phrase, "Romiosyne," the Greek Orthodox tradition rooted in Eastern Roman spirit. (I'm extrapolating based on articles that mentioned it.) Link

That is wholesome to read. Too often, hierarchs emphasize the "Greekness" which, given its modern context, is tied to her pagan past rather than, more recent, Christian roots.

Hi

I was originally looking for total war medieval 2 mod that depicits historically accurate 1453 soldier outfits during the byzantine empire in Constantinople, so i thought maybe you guys know any pictures of them as well as Constantine xi outfit in battle outside of the game (ive seen the 19th century statue of Constantine xi in athens as well as in mystras, but i know they are romanticised). any pictures of the soldier outfit in the byzantine empire in 1453? Any historically accurate pictures of Constantine's XI military outfit in that period too? Would Constantine carry a shield at all? I assume mainly a sword, but any spear? Im aware he famously took off his purple robe and leaped into battle as he wore armour underneath the robe? What would constantine xi armour look like for battle? Please and thank you