Greetings all,

 

Today we reflect on Emperor Nikephoros I capturing the Bulgarian Capital of Pliska on July 23rd in 811 AD:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikephoros_I

After securing the city Nikephoros plundered the treasury of Krum, the Bulgarian king. While plundering treasure may sound like fun, this got Nikephoros I killed during a later battle of Pliska... and Krum ended up making a drinking cup out of his skull.

 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

                                     Krum having the last laugh...
 

 Greetings all,

Today we reflect on the usurper Leontius who was crowned in the city of Tarsus on July 19th in 484 AD:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leontius_(usurper)

 

He was crowned by the empress dowager Verina, who sent a letter to the Diocese of the East and the Diocese of Egypt suggesting they accept him as Emperor. Leontius was recognized in Antioch, where he entered on July 27 and in some other places. He had time to nominate officers and mint coins before facing the reaction of Emperor Zeno.  Only three of his gold Solidus coins remain today, all are in the hands of private collectors.

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 Greetings all,

Today we reflect on the Russian siege of Constantinople which began on July 18th in 860 AD: , a fleet of about 200 Rus vessels sailed into the Bosporus and began pillaging suburbs outside of Constantinople: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Constantinople_(860)

This was in response to the construction of a Byzantine fort called the Sarkel which had been constructed on the river Don and restricted Russian trade on the river:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarkel

A fleet of about 200 Rus vessels sailed up the Bosporus and began pillaging the suburbs outside of Constantinople. The attack took the Byzantines by surprise as Emperor Michael III (and the Byzantine navy) were away from the city. What forces might have been available were fighting the Arabs at that time. The invasion continued until August 4 - when the raiders seem to have simply left after being unable to take the city itself. 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 

Greetings all,

 

Today we commemorate with sadness the fall of Constantinople to Latin forces during the Fourth Crusade on July 17th in 1203 AD:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Constantinople_(1203)

 

The Byzantines held off a determined attack on the land walls, but the Venetians managed to eventually take a section of 25 towers on the sea walls. The Byzantine Empire was subsequently continued by the Despotate of Epirus, the Empire of Nicea, and the Empire of Trebizond until the recapture of Constantinople in 1261 AD.

 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 Greetings all,

Today we commemorate the Byzantine victory over Bulgar forces in the Battle of Spercheios, fought on July 16th in 997 AD:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Spercheios

The battle was fought on the Thermopylae pass on the Sprecheios river. The opposing forces were on opposite banks, and as there had been heavy rains the Bulgars were confident Byzantine forces were unable to cross. They managed to find a ford and attacked the Bulgar forces at dawn, and won total victory by destroying most of the Bulgar army.

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 www.byzantiumnovum.org

 

 

 

 

 

 Greetings all,

Today we reflect on the beginning of the Islamic conquest of Sicily and southern Italy on July 15th in 827 AD:

Greetings all,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Islam_in_southern_Italy

According to some sources it was spurred by Euphemius, a Byzantine commander who feared punishment by Emperor Michael II for the sexual indiscretion of abducting a nun from an abbey and wedding her. After a short-lived conquest of Syracuse, he was proclaimed Emperor but compelled to flee to Africa to the court of Ziyadat Allay. The latter agreed to conquer Sicily on the promise of a yearly tribute. The conquest lasted 75 years.

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

www.byzantiumnovum.org

 

 

 Greetings all,

Today we commemorate the life of John Komnenos (the younger brother of Emperor Isaac I and the father of Emperor Alexios I) who passed away on July 12th in 1067 AD:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Komnenos_(Domestic_of_the_Schools)

John was a Byzantine aristocrat and military leader, who by being the father of Emperor Alexios I was the progenitor of the Komnenos dynasty, and also the Empire of Trebizond.

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

                                      The official seal of John Komnenos
 

Greetings all,

I've fallen in love with a new Youtube channel on Late antiquity called Maiorianus: 

https://www.youtube.com/@Maiorianus_Sebastian/videos

This creator has many wonderful videos on late antiquity and I highly recommend it.

I've taken the liberty of sending a large contribution to Maiorianus ("Sol Invictus level") making Byzantium Novum one of the channels largest patrons. This was of course made as a private donation using no public Byzantium Novum funds.

Please do check out this channel, like and subscribe, and send the occasional positive/supportive message as a BN Citizen if you can.  :)

-Marcus Cassius Julianus 

Mezazon, Byzantium Novum

www.byzantiumnovum.org

 Greetings all,

I don't know how many of you follow history news, but the "Mystery of the Ancient Roman Dodecahedrons" has been popping up again everywhere in the news for the last two weeks. "What WERE they? We just don't KNOW!"

Yeah, yeah.

In a truly superb piece of historical reconstruction, it seems a pretty definitive answer is HERE: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lADTLozKm0I

They seem to have been used for making elaborate gold wire chain, which is why they have been often recovered in sites related to gold.

When you can do effortless and excellent work like that THIS I think the "eternal mystery" of the dodecahedrons is complete click-bait/news filler at this point. Apparently they also work for a type of hand-knitting with string or yarn, so they could be used in both situations.

My guess is they were "lost to history" simply because after the end of antiquity society was so different there was less skilled art with gold happening.

Do check out the video!

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

www.byzantiumnovum.org

 

 

 Greetings all,

In the news, the discovery of a 5th century Byzantine church in the ancient city of Carrhae (now Harran in modern Turkey):

https://greekreporter.com/2024/07/05/historical-byzantine-church-ruins-discovered-turkey/

Carrhae had a lot of Roman history, most of it bad.  This was the site of the Battle of Carrhae where Crassus suffered one of the worst defeats in Roman history. It was later taken for Rome under Septimius Severus. The Emperor Caracalla was later murdered here. Later the Emperor Julian stopped here on his way to Persia to consult the Oracle of Luna. The omens were bad and he went anyway. The city actually remained pagan until the 11th century.

This Byzantine church must have had a hard time of it, and certainly must have suffered under the pagan and Islamic mix which held the city from 640 AD onward. 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus 

www.byzantiumnovum.org

 

 

 

Greetings all,

 

Today we reflect with sadness on the Byzantine defeat at the Battle of Heliopolis on July 6th in 640 AD:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Heliopolis

 

The loss to Islamic forces led to the permanent loss of Egypt as a Roman province. Egypt had been added to the Roman Empire by Augustus after the defeat of Cleopatra in 30 AD, so Egypt had been part of the Roman Empire for 610 years.

 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 www.byzantiumnovum.org

 

 

 

 

Greetings all,

 

Today we commemorate the official opening of Constantine's Bridge across the Danube, which was ceremonially done in the presence of Emperor Constantine himself on July 5th in 328 AD:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine's_Bridge_(Danube)

It is believed that the Emperor Valens used the bridge to cross the Danube during his campaign against the Goths in 367 AD.

 

Interestingly, coins minted by Constantine with a bridge on the reverse were long thought to represent the Milvian Bridge. However the  Milvian Bridge is still standing and the bridge on the coins looks nothing like it, so they probably represent Constantine's Bridge which was built on pontoons instead of being an arched bridge. Truly this was a marvel; it was the longest river bridge in all of antiquity being 2,434 meters in length!

 

 -Marcus Cassius Julianus

www.byzantiumnovum.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greetings all,

 

Today we commemorate Aelia Pulcheria becoming Regent and Empress after 13 year old Emperor Theodosius II willingly yielded the throne to her on July 4th in 414 AD:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulcheria

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodosius_II

 

Aelia Pulcheria reigned for three years until her death by natural causes. Theodosius II thereafter became full Emperor. Aelia Pulcharia is canonized as a Saint in the Orthodox Church and her Feast Day is September 10.

 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

www.byzantiumnovum.org

 

 

 

 

 

 Greetings all,

On this day we commemorate the victory of Constantine I over the forces of Licinius in the Battle of Adrianople on July 3rd in 324 AD:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Adrianople_(324)

The result was a resounding victory for Constantine I. Licinius fled to Byzantium (soon to be Constantinople) and Licinius was defeated again in the battle of Chrysopolis on the 18th of September.

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

www.byzantiumnovum.org