Byzantium, Byzantine studies, sources, and chronology

• A question of terminology? Rome, Byzantium and Byzantine studies [Gregory 1-13; Shepard 2-20 and 53-75]; you may also visit the sites of the Dumbarton Oaks Byzantine Studies and of the Byzantine Studies Association of North America; see a note on Constantine Paparrigopoulos and his idea of Byzantium as Greek history; see also a portrait of Du Cange, a biographical sketch of Gyula Moravcsik, and a portrait of Karl Krumbacher
• Periodization: when does Byzantium begin and end [Shepard 21-52]
• Sources for Byzantine history [Gregory 13-22; Shepard 76-95]; for an example see the early 13th-century seal of David Komnenos now in the Dumbarton Oaks collection in Washington, D. C.

Week 2 (January 20-24): The Late Roman Empire

From 284 to 395 [see the on-line map]

• From Diocletian to Constantine the Great: Tetrarchy and Dominate [Gregory 36-48; Geanakoplos 39 (no. 19), 87 (no. 57 A and B), 229-230 (no. 164), 252 (no. 177 A and B); Ralph Mathisen, Diocletian; Hans A. Pohlsander, Constantine I]; see examples of coins issued  for Constantine the Great
• The Christian Empire [Gregory 49-71; see the Edict of Milan, Eusebius on the conversion of Constantine, and the Nicene Creed
• From Julian to Theodosius: the state under strain [Gregory 72-102; Geanakoplos 127-128 (no. 92B), 128-129 (no. 93), 328-330 (nos. 242-243), 393-394 (no. 296)]; see Julian’s Misopogon and letter to Arsacius, Ammianus Marcellinus’ description of the battle of Adrianople, and an analysis of that battle; see also Noel Lenski, Valens; David Woods, Theodosius I
  

Week 3 (January 27-31): The fifth century

Barbarians, political division, and Christological controversies

• The Eastern Empire and the Huns [Gregory 103-128; Geanakoplos 109-110 (no. 79 A and B)]; see also Priscus’ account of his embassy to Attila and a map of Constantinople; you may also wish to visit the land walls of Anthemius (“Theodosian Walls”)
• Christianity, heterodoxy, and monasticism [Geanakoplos145-147 (no. 106), 148-150 (no. 108, the definition of faith of the Council of Chalcedon), 165 (no. 120), 167 (no. 121)]; see also and several resources related to the Council of 451

Week 4 (February 3-7): Early Byzantium

457-565

• In-class assignment # 1
• Barbarians, Monophysites, and reforms [Shepard  130-195; Geanakoplos 58 (no. 37), 307 (no. 222); Hugh Elton, Zeno and Anastasius]
• Justinian [Gregory 129-159; Shepard 99-123 and 196-220; Geanakoplos 30-31 (no. 12), 73-75 (no. 48), 76-77 (no. 49B), 150-151 (no. 110), 187-188 (no. 136), 254-256 (no. 180), 258-260 (no. 183), 319-321 (nos. 235-236)]; see James Allan Evans, Justinian and the map of the empire during his reign; visit the site of Justinian’s hometown, Iustiniana Prima (Caricin Grad)

Week 5 (February 10-14): The end of the old order

565-610

• From Justin II to Phocas [Gregory 159-172; Shepard 123-129]; see also James Allen Evans, Justin II
• The Roman world around AD 600: law and society [chapter by Bernard Stolte in Haldon]; see a solidus and a follis of Emperor Maurice; visit Corinth and Sardis; see examples of Late Roman 1 and Late Roman 5 amphorae; see an example of African Red Slip wares; see the new church built on top of the Byzantine cathedral of Madaba (Jordan) and the mosaic floor of the Church of St. John in Gerasa; see an aerial view of the early Byzantine fort at Ras (Serbia), a view of the fort at Markovi kuli near Prilep (Macedonia), and a map of the city of Nicopolis ad Istrum (Bulgaria) with the early Byzantine fort added on its southern side
• Social relations and the land [chapter by Peter Harris in Haldon]; visit Gerasa, a major city of the East

Week 6 (February 17-21): Survival and change

610-780 [see the on-line maps of Byzantium ca. 650 and ca. 750]

• The many faces of the seventh century [Shepard 221-248]
• From Heraclius to Justinian II [Gregory 172-197; Geanakoplos 64-67 (nos. 41-43), 133-134 (no. 98A),  335-339  (nos. 249-250)]; see al-Baladhuri’s account of the battle at the Yarmuk river; see also R. Scott Moore, Heraclius and Justinian II , as well as Judith Herrin, Byzantium Confronted by Islam; see a map of the main Anatolian themes, a portrait of Khusro II on a Sassanian drachm (silver coin); one of Constantine IV on a Byzantine hexagram; a hexagram of his father, Emperor Constans II; and a brief presentation of the Greek fire
• Contraction, disruption, and change: towards a medieval society [chapter by John Haldon in Haldon; Geanakoplos 231-234 (no. 166 – The Farmer’s Law), 260 (no. 184), 273-275 (nos. 196-197), and 296-297 (no. 213)]; see a map of the theme system and a reconstruction of the city of Amorium (with a map of the recent excavation of the Middle Byzantine kastron)

Week 7 (February 24-28): The age of iconoclasm

730-843

• In-class assignment #2. Confronting Islam [Shepard 333-349 and 365-394]; see the seal of a logothetes tou genikou (minister responsible for taxation)
• Iconoclasm and the making of Byzantine Orthodoxy [Gregory 198-219; Shepard 251-291; Geanakoplos 152-154 (no. 111); 154-156 (no. 112), 156-157 (no. 113 ), 157 (no. 114 – Emperor Leo V’s iconoclastic views), 158 (no. 115), 346-347 (no. 257)]; read John of Damascus’ defence of icons and the decisions of the iconoclastic Church council of 754; see a (rare) pre-Iconoclasm icon of the Virgin Mary with Jesus child from the Monastery of St. Catherine at Mount Sinai; see gold coin struck for Emperor Justinian II and an Islamic dirham; visit the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem (with a section and a view of the aniconic decoration in the interior) and the rock-cut settlements of Cappadocia; see a (modern) icon for the Sunday of Orthodoxy
• Court, army, and church [Gregory 220-240; Shepard 465-492 and 433-464; chapter by Michael Angold in Haldon; Geanakoplos 21-22 and 51-52  (nos. 4 and 29), 22-23 and 25 (nos. 5 and 8 – Liutprand of Cremona, Antapodosis); 59-60 (no. 38), 77-79 (no. 50 A and B), 79 (no. 51), 99-100 (nos. 69-70), 168-170 (no. 122)]

Week 8: (March 3-7): An age of reconquest and glory

843-1025

• Expansion under the early Macedonian dynasty  [Gregory 242-264; Shepard 292-332; Geanakoplos 25-26 (no. 9), 40-41 (no. 21), 112-114 (nos. 83-84), 118-121 (no. 89 A and B), 234-236 (no. 167), 239-245 (nos. 170-173), 260 (no. 184), 281-284 (nos. 205-206), 347-349 (nos. 258-259), 409 (no. 307 A), 418-420 (no. 315)]; see also the Athonite monasteries Great Lavra, Iviron, Zographou, Vatopedi, Stavronikita, and St. Paul
• In-class assignment #3.

Week 9 (March 10-14): Declining empire

1025-1143

• Basil II and the Turks [Gregory 265-275; Shepard 493-582 and 692-727; Geanakoplos101-102 (nos. 71-72), 111-112 (nos. 81-82), 189-190 (no. 137), 245-246 (no. 174), 284-286 (no. 207), 292-296 (no. 212 A and B), 351-353 (nos. 262-263 – the Primary Chronicle on Prince Vladimir’s conversion)]
• Military disaster and Comnenian recovery [Gregory 275-311; Shepard 583-646; Geanakoplos 29-30 (no. 11), 41-42 (no. 22), 52-53 (no. 30), 68-69 (no. 45), 104-105 (no. 74), 134 (no. 98 B), 140-141 (no. 103 A and B – Michael Psellus, Chronography), 158-161 (no. 116 A and B), 175-176 (nos. 126-127), 206-214 (nos. 150-151), 236-238 (no. 168 A and B), 262-263 (no. 187), 286-288 (no. 208), 358-362 (nos. 268-270 – Anna Comnena, Alexiad, on the arrival of the crusaders), 382 (no. 289), 402-403 (no. 302 A and B), 404-405 (no. 303), 406-407 (no. 305), 412-413 (no. 309)]
• Church, society and the Middle Byzantine art [Gregory 311-324; chapters by Paul Magdalino and Alice-Mary Talbot in Haldon]; visit the Church of St. Elias (now Atik Mustafa Camii in Istanbul); the monastery of Christ Pantokrator, founded by John II Comnenus in Constantinople; the Church of the Holy Apostles in Athens;  the Church of St. Luke in Phokis (Greece); the Church of Panagia Chalkeon in Thessaloniki;  the Nea Moni monastery in Chios (Greece), with a decoration scheme of the interior; the St. Sophia church in Ochrid (Macedonia); the Daphni monastery near Athens (Greece); the Church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio in Palermo (Italy)

Week 10 (March 17-21): Spring break

No classes

 

Week 11 (March 24-28): Diminishing security

1143-1204

• The Balkans [Shepard 664-691]
• The fall of the Comneni and the fall of the Empire [Gregory 324-329; Shepard 636-663; Geanakoplos 24-25 (no. 7), 54 (no. 31), 92-93 (no. 65), 280 (no. 204 – the great fair at Thessalonica), 363-365 (nos. 272-273), 365-367 (nos. 274-275), 368-372 (nos. 276-280 – Geoffroy de Villehardouin on the Fourth Crusade)]
• Twelfth-century Byzantine society and the problem of “Byzantine feudalism” [chapters by Peter Frankopan and Michel Kaplan in Haldon; Geanakoplos 69-70 (no. 46)]

Week 12 (March 31-April 4): From “successor” states to restored empire

1204-1282

• The Empire(s) in exile [Gregory 330-346; Shepard 731-758; Geanakoplos 34-36 (no. 16), 44-45 (no. 24), 61-62 (no. 39), 106 (no. 75), 248-249 (no. 175), 309-310 (no. 224B)]
• The Latin Empire of Constantinople, the Second Bulgarian Empire, and Serbia [Shepard 759-802]
• The restored empire [Shepard 803-833; Geanakoplos 23-24 (no. 6), 36-37 (no. 17), 114-115 (no. 85 A and B), 123 (no. 91), 134-135 (no. 98C), 172-173 (no. 124), 218 (no. 157), 219 (no. 158A), 269-270 (no. 193 A and B), 288-289 (no. 209), 290-292 (no. 211), 299-300 (no. 215), 374-375 (no. 283), 407-408 (no. 306), 417 (no. 313)]

Week 13 (April 7-11): From second-rate power to civil war

1282-1354

• Andronicus II and the rise of the Ottoman state [Gregory 345-356; Geanakoplos 375-376 (no. 284), 420-421 (no. 316)]
• Civil war, plague, Hesychasm, and collapse [Gregory 356-367; Geanakoplos 55-56 (no. 33), 82-84 (no. 54), 84-85 (no. 55), 109 (no. 78), 111 (no. 80), 150 (no. 109), 162-163 (no. 117), 182-186 (nos. 132-134); 270-272 (no. 194), 385-386 (no. 292)]; see also selected readings on Hesychasm; see also the portrait of Theodore Metochites dedicated the Monastery of the Chora (a mosaic in the Karyie Camii in Istanbul); visit also the Monastery of the Virgin Pammakaristos (Fethiye Camii, with an enormous mosaic of Christ Pantocrator in the main dome), where Michael Glabas Tarchaniotes is buried; see also an example of the illuminated manuscripts produced in the convent of St. Andrew at Krisis (founded by Theodora Raoulaina); visit Mistra (especially the church of Hodigitria and the Church of the Virgin Peribleptos)

Week 14 (April 14-18): Under Ottoman ahd

1354-1425

• In-class assignment #4. John V Palaeologos and the Ottoman ahd [Gregory 367-377; Geanakoplos 143-144 (no. 105 – Patriarch Anthony’s defense of imperial power)
• Relations with the West [Shepard 852-860]
• Manuel II’s appeal to the West [Gregory 378-382; Shepard 860-865; Geneakoplos 27-29 (no. 10), 37-38 (no. 18), 386-388 (no. 293)]
• Late Byzantine society [chapter by Laiou in Haldon]

Week 15 (April 21-25): From emperor to sultan

1425-1453 and beyond

• The fall of Constantinople [Gregory 383-400; Shepard 865-872; Geanakoplos 56 (no. 34), 107-108 (no. 77), 221-225 (nos. 160-163), 272 (no. 195), 353-355 (nos. 264-265), 383-385 (no. 291), 388-389 (nos. 294-295), 440-441 (no. 329)]
• Late Byzantine and post-Byzantine art, Byzantium and the history of the (European) Middle Ages [Gregory 401-420; Shepard 53-65 and 872-880]; see Filofei on Moscow as the third Rome; visit the Lips monastery (Fenari Isa Camii) in Constantinople, the Church of Panagia Parigoritissa in Arta (Greece), the Church of the Holy Apostles in Thessaloniki, the Church of Bogorodica Periblepta in Ohrid (Macedonia, with its recessed sawtooth brick bands), the Church of St. Sophia in Ohrid, the Church of the Mother of God Ljeviska in Prizren (Kosovo, Serbia), Church of the Pantokrator of the Decani Monastery in Serbia (with the inscription above the portal and King Stefan Uros III’s coffin, as well as the dynastic tree of the Nemanjid dynasty), the church of the Panatanassa Monastery in Mistra, the Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit at the Monastery of the Trinity-Saint Sergius in Russia; see also the icon of the doubting of Thomas at the Meteora Monastery.
• In-class assignment #5. What kind of society was that? [Shepard 66-75; chapter by Liz James in Haldon]