Greetings all, 

 In the news, an article on the Byzantine scholars who helped shape the Renaissance in the West: 

https://greekreporter.com/2026/04/07/greatest-byzantine-greek-scholars-renaissance/

Scholars leaving the East after the fall of Constantinople brought much ancient Greek knowledge with them, helping to re-awaken Civilization in the West. 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 

Greetings all,

 

Today we reflect on the Western Emperor Honorius banning barbarian costume in Rome on April 7th in 397 AD:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honorius_(emperor)

 

His edict specifically banned the wearing of pants (braccae) which were considered uncivilized. 

This edict was likely meant to preserve Classical tradition and the image of Rome as a capital city. The Roman army had long adopted braccae for cold weather, this may also have been intended to prevent Rome from beginning to seem like an armed camp. 

This was in fact not the first fashion decree in the Roman world. Sumptuary laws centuries earlier had banned extravagant and expensive dress during difficult times. 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 

Greetings all,

 

Today marks our commemoration of the beginning of the final Siege of Constantinople on April 6th in 1453 AD:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_Constantinople

 

At the beginning of the siege, Mehmed sent out some of his best troops to reduce the remaining Byzantine strongholds outside the city of Constantinople. The fortress of Therapia on the Bosphorus and a smaller castle at the village of Studius near the Sea of Marmara were taken within a few days.

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

Greetings all, 

 

In the news - a story of a baptismal site discovered in the ancient city of Hippos (again, "Hipp-oss", not the animal!) in Israel: 

 

https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-891771

 

It looks like archaeology has been continuing on the site, which is a wonderful thing!

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

Greetings all,

Today we reflect of the end of the Avar siege of the Byzantine city of Constanta on March 30th in 598 AD:, the Avars lifted their siege of the Byzantine city of Constanta and retreated north of the Danube after being decimated by plague: 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice's_Balkan_campaigns#Renewed_campaigns,_597–602

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constanta

 

Avar forces became decimated by plague and were forced to retreat north of the Danube. This Byzantine victory preserved the city until it fell into the hands of the Ottomans in 1419. Constanta was the city the Roman poet Ovid was banished to by the Emperor Augustus in 8 AD, and a statue of Ovid remains in the modern city today.

 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 

 

Greetings all,

Today we reflect on Constantinople beginning preparations for the Ottoman assault on March 14th in 1453 AD

The task of deepening the moat around Constantinople's land fortifications commenced  with the assistance of the Venetian crews from the galleys of Alvise Diedo and Gabriel Trevisan.  Repairs were completed in the vicinity of the Xyloporta, the Palace of Blakhernai, and the Tower of Anemas. The fortification work was completed by March 31.

(From the book "The Siege and Fall of Constantinople, Historiography, Topography and Military Studies" by Marios Philippides and Walter K. Hanak, Ashgate Press, 2011) 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 

Greetings all,

Today we we celebrate the birth of Princess Anna Porphyrogenita on March 13th in 963 AD:

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianization_of_Kievan_Rus'

She was the daughter of Emperor Romanos II and Empress Theophilo. She was married to Grand Prince Vladimir the Great of Russia, who became Orthodox Christian in order to marry her. Her influence contributed greatly to Russia becoming Christian, and she participated actively in the Christianization of the Kievan Rus'. She founded a few churches and convents herself and was the religious advisor to Prince Vladimir.

There should be cake!  :)

-Marcus Cassius Julianus
www.byzantiumnovum.org