Greetings all,

Today we reflect on the last fully Western Roman Emperor, Romulus Augustus, who was crowned on October 31 in 461 AD:

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

Although he was deposed he was allowed to retire with a stipend. It is quite possible he lived to see Rome retaken by the forces of Emperor Justinian I, in 536 AD. 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 

Greetings all,

Today we reflect with sadness on Arab forces taking the city of Antioch after the Battle of the Iron Bridge on  October 30th in 637 AD:

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

The battle took its name from a bridge over the Orontes river which had iron gates. After the loss of Antioch by the Byzantines the Rashidun Caliphate captured most of north-western Syria, easily defeating what little Byzantine and Christian Syrian resistance they faced. 

Antioch was not fully recaptured by the West until 968 AD under the reign of Nikephoros II Phokas. 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

Greetings all, 

In the news, Byzantine tombs in the city of Nicea: 

https://www.turkiyetoday.com/culture/turkiyes-nicaea-excavation-charts-300-years-of-roman-early-byzantine-burial-rites-3208801

Some interesting archaeology, and they plan to make the site into an open-air museum.  :)

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 

Greetings all,

On this Day - October 18th in 1009 AD, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was destroyed by the Fatimid Caliphate:

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

It was hacked down to bedrock. It was rebuilt by Emperor Constantine IX in 1048 AD and still stands today. 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

  

 

 

 

Greetings all, 

In the news, Greece has announced plans to restore the church at the site of the ancient Byzantine city of Maximianopolis, in Thrace: 

https://greekreporter.com/2025/10/16/greece-rediscovers-forgotten-city-byzantine-thrace/

It seems this will be "archaeological restoration" meaning minor restoration to key features and preventing further degradation of the site. 

All I know is I'm glad I don't have to try cheering the name of the city during a sports event...  :)

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 

Greetings all,

 

Today we reflect on the victory of Count Ricimer over the Emperor Avitus at Piacena on October 16th in 456 AD:

 

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

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

 

This left Ricimer the master of the Western Empire. However the Emperor Leo I later appointed Majorian as Emperor of the West.

*Some have thought Avitus was just an usurper, and Maorian was the legitimate Emperor recognized in the East by Leo I.  Though Avitus was sketchily appointed by Theodoric and crowned in the West, he was the only candidate at the time. Majorian, the Comes Domesticorum, initially supported Avitus' bid for Emperor.

That changed when Avitus lost support of the Aristocracy in Rome. Thereafter Ricimer opposed him, and Majorian made his own bid for the throne, and was legitimately recognized as Emperor only after Avitus was already dead. For these reasons Avitus doesn't appear on the usual lists of Roman Usurpers.  :)

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

Greetings all,

 

Today we commemorate with sadness the invasion of the Roman Province of Hispania by the Vandal and Alans tribes, which they took from Roman control on October 13th in 509 AD: 

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

 

In 551 AD during the reign of Emperor Justinian I, part of Hispania would later be briefly re-taken from the Visigoths by an army under the command of Petrus Marcellinus Felix Liberius.This reconquest recovered an area along the Mediterranean coast roughly corresponding to the ancient province of Baetica, known as Spania.

 

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

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 Greetings all,

Today we reflect on the ending of the Byzantine-Venetian war on October 4th in 1302 AD:  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine-Venetian_War_(1296-1302)

In that year a fleet of 28 Venetian galleys sailed to Constantinople and flogged captives within sight of the city walls. The incident induced the Byzantines to propose a peace treaty. Venice returned most (but not all) of the islands captured during the conflict and Byzantium agreed to pay for Venetian losses incurred in 1296.

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

Greetings all,

 

 Today we commemorate Heraclius the Elder taking power from the Emperor Phocas in the culmination of the Heraclian revolution on October 3rd in 610 AD:

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

Heraclius had been the Exarch of Carthage during the ruinous reign of the Emperor Phocas, and finally rose into rebellion. He cut off the grain supply and with his brother Gregorius sailed to Constantinople. Upon entering the city on this day he was greeted by the people as their deliverer.

His son, Heraclius the Younger was crowned Emperor on October 10th.

Heraclius the Elder was named a Hero of Byzantium Novum in 2018.  Heraclius the Younger was named a Hero of Byzantium Novum in 2019. 

There should be cake!  :)

-Marcus Cassius Julianus