Greetings all,

In the news, an interesting article on the Suda, the Byzantine era encyclopedia from 1100AD:

https://greekreporter.com/2024/11/05/suda-byzantine-encyclopedia-written-1100

This work is a record of historical figures and ancient literature and has been a valuable source for historians for centuries.

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 

Greetings all,

 

Today we reflect on the life of Emperor Constantius II who passed on November 3rd in 361 AD:

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

His reign was marked by continued border warfare with Persia and by civil wars and usurpations.

He passed away from a fever in the city of Mopsuestia in Cicilia (Anatolia, Turkey). He was leading his legions to join battle with the forces of his young cousin Julian who he had named as Caesar of the West, after the Western legions had proclaimed Julian the Western Emperor.  On his deathbed Constantius II was baptized, and declared Julian to be his rightful successor. This left Julian II as Emperor of both the Eastern and Western empires.

 

 -Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 Greetings all,

In the news, a 4th century Byzantine church has been unearthed in the city of Bursas in Turkey, (the former province of Bithynia):

https://www.turkiyetoday.com/culture/church-prusias-ad-hypium-72929/

Excavations seem to be ongoing - it is good to see some archaeology being done!

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 Greetings all,

Today we reflect on Michael VII Doukas becoming sole Emperor on October 24 in 1071 AD:

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

He should have become Emperor in 1067 AD at age 17 when his father Constantine X died, but he seemed to have little desire to rule and a regency was appointed. Michael's instincts proved correct... he was a very poor Emperor and after a series of misfortunes for the Empire Michael VII retired in 1078. One interesting thing he did do was send an embassy to Song Dynasty China bearing gifts, one of the few official contacts to the Far East.

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 Greetings all,

 

Today we reflect with sadness on the Vandals, led by King Genseric, taking the city of Carthage in North Africa on October 19th in 439 AD:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_Carthage_(439)

This was a serious blow to the Eastern Roman Empire as this portion of Africa had been a major source of wheat to the Roman world for centuries. The Empire did manage to retake Carthage in 534 AD.  

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

Greetings all,

 

On this day we reflect with sadness on the Vandal and Alans tribes crossing the Pyrenees mountains to the Roman province of Hispania, which they wrested from Roman control on October 13th in 409 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 celebrate the Empress Aelia Eudoxia who passed on October 6th in 404 AD:

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

She was the wife of the Emperor Arcadius and the mother of future Emperor Theodosius II. As Empress Aelia Eudoxia was active and influential in court and in the church. She was depicted on coinage, a statue of her was erected on a column of Imperial Porphyry, and Arcadius renamed the town of Selymbria to Eudoxiopolis in her honor.  She was buried in the Church of the Holy Apostles in a porphyry sarcophagus.

-Marcus Cassius Julianus