Greetings all,

 Today we commemorate the rule of Emperor Leo IV (The Khazar who ruled from the 14th of September 775 AD to September 8th in 780 AD: 

 

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

 

He was the son of Emperor Constantine V and the Empress Tzitzak. He was made sole Emperor in 775 AD. In 778 he raided Abbasid Syria and defeated the Abbasid army outside of the city of Germanicia in Turkey and also repelled a later Abbasid invasion of Asia Minor. He was succeed by his wife Irene as regent and later Empress.

 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

www.byzantiumnovum.org

 

 

 

 Greetings all,

Today we reflect on the Frankish General and Magister Militum Claudius Silvanus who briefly attempted to usurp Gaul from August 10th to September 7th in 355 AD:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudius_Silvanus   He was a Frankish general in Gaul who had supported the Emperor Constantius II against Magentius in the Battle of Mursa Major, rising to the important rank of Magister Militum.    Constantius II tasked him with forcing the Alemanni tribe back beyond the Rhine which he managed to do, thereby restoring the eroding Roman province. Sadly the corrupt court of Constantius II then convinced the Emperor that Silvanus was plotting against him. The historian Ammianus wrote that  Silvanus discovered the plot against him and proclaimed himself Emperor briefly in self defense. There are no coins to support this as it is recorded the Imperial mint in Trier barred it's gates against him, helping to disrupt the revolt.    -Marcus Cassius Julianus www.byzantiumnovum.org

Greetings all, 

Today we commemorate the Battle of Frigidus River, fought between forces of the Western Emperor Eugenius and Eastern Emperor Theodosius I on September 6th in 394 AD: 

 

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

 

Theodosius I achieved a decisive victory.  This victory temporarily reunified the Roman Empire under a single emperor for the last time and solidified Christianity's dominance within the Empire. 

 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

www.byzantiumnovum.org 

 

 

Greetings all, 

 

In the news, a Byzantine era church, built on the site of an ancient Roman wine press has been discovered in northern Jordan: 

 

https://greekreporter.com/2026/09/04/archaeologists-uncover-byzantine-wine-press-church-jordan/

 

Discoveries at the site, called Khirbet Qabla, have also included tombs. Interestingly it is being used as a site to train archaeology students, so excavations are ongoing!

 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

www.byzantiumnovum.org

 

 

 

Greetings all,

Today we celebrate the Byzantine victory at the Battle of Lalakon, fought between Byzantine and Arab forces on September 3rd in 863 AD: 

 

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

 

Abbasid Caliphate forces had invaded northern Turkey, and reached the Black Sea. The Byzantines marshaled their forces and encircled the Arab army near the river Lalakon. The Byzantine forces were victorious and the Arab emir was killed.

Eastern Rome was  thereafter able to mount a counteroffensive across the border. The Byzantine victories were decisive and paved the way for the Empire's ascendancy in the East, and the generals that won the victory were granted a triumphal entrance into Constantinople.

 

There should be cake!  :)

 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

www.byzantiumnovum.org 

 

 

 

Greetings all, 

 

Today we commemorate the Western Emperor Constantius III  who ruled from February 8th to September 2nd in 421 AD: 

 

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

 

He had been magister militum under Emperor Honorius.  He led campaigns against various barbarian groups in Hispania and Gaul, and recovered much territory for the Empire. He was named co-Emperor by Honorius but died (apparently of natural causes) after ruling for only 7 months.

 He passed in the city of Ravenna. His wife and young son afterward went to Honorius' court in the Eastern Empire, and the child grew up to later be the Western Emperor Valentinian III.

 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 

Greetings all,

Today we commemorate the life of the Empress Theodora Porphyrogenita, who ruled in 1042 AD, and again from January 11, 1055 AD to August 31st in 1056 AD:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodora_(11th_century)

 

She was the daughter of Constantine VIII and was the younger sister of the Empress Zoe. Theodora only became involved in politics in her later years and was sole Empress (and a strong ruler) for 16 months until this day. She was the last ruler of the Macedonian line which had ruled Byzantium for 200 years.

 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

www.byzantiumnovum.org