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

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greetings all,

Today we commemorate the crowning of Emperor Zeno on March 9th in 474 AD:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeno_%28emperor%29

His first reign lasted until January of 475 when he was temporarily deposed by the revolt of Basiliscus. Zeno reigned the throne again and reigned from 476 to 491 AD. Zeno's reign saw the end of the Western Roman Empire, following the deposition of Romulus Augustulus, and the death of Julius Nepos.  

 

 -Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 

Greetings all,

 

Today we commemorate the Emperor Constantine I declaring Sunday the Dies Solis Invicti (Sun-day) as a day of rest in the Empire on 7th in 321 AD:

 

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

 

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

 

He can therefore be credited with officially inaugurating the weekend! :)

Interestingly this may be an early attempt by Constantine to get the citizens of the Empire all on the same page. Sunday was already a holy rest day for Christians. His declaring Sunday an official state sanctioned day associated with Sol Invictus made it a "day off" for everyone.  

 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

  

 

 Greetings all,

 Today we commemorate the life of the Emperor Manuel III of Trebizond who passed on March 5th in 1417 AD: 

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

During his reign the armies of the Central Asian conqueror Tamerlaine swept through Ottoman territories and defeated them in the Battle of Ankara. 

Manuel III had contributed 20 Byzantine galleys to Tamerlaine's campaign. The shattering of the Ottomans extended the life and security of Trebizond for several decades. 

 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 Greetings all, 

Today we commemorate the life of Theodora Palaiologina, the Empress of Nicea, who passed on March 4th in 1303 AD: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodora_Palaiologina_(Byzantine_empress)

The Empress Theodora was the wife of Michael Palaiologos and the mother to Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos.  She was a great patroness of monasteries, and promoted both scholarship and the production of manuscripts. 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus