Greetings all,

Today we reflect on the usurper Procopius On this day we reflect on the death of the usurper Procopius on, May 27th in 366 AD:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procopius_(usurper)

He was a relative of the Emperor Julian and one of the generals that went on his Persian campaign. He was tasked with fortifying the border in case of Persian counterattack. After Julian's death, (apparently false) rumors that Julian had wanted Procopius to succeed him began to circulate -  which put him under suspicion by the Emperors Jovian, and Valentinian I.  

Procopius attempted to flee and hide, but ended up having to declare himself Emperor in self defense, after it became impossible for him to hide from Imperial persecution. He gained the support of two legions and held the provinces of Thrace and Bithynia. His forces were defeated in two battles and he was later captured. The Emperor Anthemius was Procopius' grandson. 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

Greetings all, 

Today we reflect on Emperor Basil I (the Macedonian, not "the Great")  being crowned as Co-Emperor by Emperor Michael III on May 26th in 866 AD: 

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

In spite of coming from humble origins (and eventually murdering his unpopular predecessor) Basil ended up becoming an effective and respected ruler in spite

of having a complicated life. 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

Greetings all, 

In the news, an interesting opinion article on how the Byzantine Empire saved Europe: 

https://neoskosmos.com/en/2026/05/25/dialogue/opinion/byzantine-empire-medieval-greek-empire-that-saved-europe/

Always good to see the contributions of the Eastern Roman Empire being in the public eye.  :)

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 

Greetings all, 

In the news, the ancient Byzantine royal palace has re-opened in the city of Mystras: 

https://greekreporter.com/2026/05/23/mystras-greece-only-surviving-byzantine-palace-opens/

It is the only surviving Byzantine era palace in Greece, It has been restored as a museum housing exhibits and artifacts about Byzantine royal daily life. This is a very significant historical and cultural endeavor!

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

Greetings all,

Today we commemorate of the birth of Emperor Constantine VII, on May 17th in 905 AD:

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

He was a good Emperor and was of course the author of "Dii Ceremonis", which is a treasure-trove of Byzantine Imperial ceremony.

There should be cake! :)

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 

Greetings all, 

In the news, researchers used a 1500 year old Byzantine floor mosaic with a map on it to find a lost city in Jordan: 

https://dailygalaxy.com/2026/05/old-map-find-lost-city-in-jordan/

The famous Madaba Mosaic from the Church of Saint George in Jordan gave the position of the lost Byzantine settlement town  of Tharais, which had remained undiscovered. 
The site was large enough to have a stone church and other stone buildings, and hopefully more archaeology will be done there in the near future. 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 

Greetings all,

Today we commemorate Constantine VII being raised as Emperor on May 15th in 908 AD:

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

This was a purely symbolic gesture as Constantine VII was three years old at the time.

Happily he grew up to be a good ruler, as well as a scholar and writer. He was the author of "De Ceremoniis", a compendium of Byzantine court rituals, and several other works.

-Marcus Cassius Julianus