Over the centuries the Byzantine empire has received its fair share of bad press. European visitors to the imperial court felt themselves treated with unmannerly arrogance, as if the emperor were semi-divine (the emperor would not have disagreed). For the Roman papacy, the Byzantine empire was reckoned a heretical spin-off of the true Church. For the 18th century English historian Edward Gibbon, no sooner was the Christian Roman empire launched than it entered upon its lamentable decline. But the “decline” lasted over a millennium, a longevity which left its predecessor, the pagan Roman empire, in the shadows. It was an empire of paradoxes. At its greatest extent, it would include or neighbor Slavs, Arabs, Turks, Bulgars, Latins, Pechnegs, Armenians, yet itself remain preeminently Greek. The emperor was the vice-regent of God, yet there were few qualms about blinding him or shortening his life. And perhaps most disconcerting to its enemies, when defeated, the empire simply relocated or, finally, moved on to a third Rome. Today, one of Byzantium’s living legacies is a mountain top in Greece, Mount Athos. In this course we will not resolve the paradoxes, but we will discover the dramas, the artistic achievements, the colorful personalities, and the regional diversity of this empire that straddled Europe and Asia and that held history at bay while continually adapting to historical events. The arrogance was not entirely misplaced.

Course Requirements:

Careful reading of primary and secondary sources, short papers based on assigned texts and on material covered in lecture, quizzes, and participation in discussion.

Intended Audience:

All students are welcome.

Class Format:

Careful reading of primary and secondary sources, short papers based on assigned texts and on material covered in lecture, quizzes, and participation in discussion.