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

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greetings all,

Today we celebrate the birth of Queen Helena Palaiologina in the city of Mystras, on February 3rd in 1428 AD:

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

She was  Queen consort of Cyprus and Armenia, titular Queen consort of Jerusalem, and Princess of Antioch. As Queen of Cyprus she welcomed many refugees after the Fall of Constantinople.

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

www.byzantiumnovum.org

 

 

 Greetings all,

Today is the birthday of the Emperor Constantine: s birthday!  He was born on February 27th in 272 AD:  

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

He was born in Moesia, 1,754 years ago. 

There should be cake!  

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 

Greetings all,

 

Today we reflect on the grandees of Persia proclaiming Kavadh II as the King of Persia on February 25th in 628 AD: 

 

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

His father, King Khosrau had fled the capital in order to escape the advance of the army of Emperor Heraclius. 

Kadvah II was ill and was anxious that Heraclius should protect his infant son Ardeshir, so as a goodwill gesture he returned the stolen True Cross to Heraclius along with a negotiator to sue for peace:

 

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

 

 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greetings all, 

23 years ago - almost to the hour - Byzantium Novum was first conceived on February 22nd, 2003. 

It even fell on a Saturday. 

I was watching the "Byzantium" documentary by John Romer, and was so inspired I decided that the Byzantine Empire really needed to be restored in the modern world. I reserved the website URL and posted a first Main List post as a place holder.  That first message is still up on our Main Forum. 

Here we still are!  Pretty amazing...  my humble thanks to everyone for being here!

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

Greetings all,

 

Today we reflect on the life of the Empress Irene Doukaina who passed on February 19th in 1139 AD:

 

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

 

She was the wife of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, the mother of Emperor John II Komnenos, and Princess Anna Komnene.

 

In her writings, Anna Komnene wrote of her mother:

 

"She stood upright like some young sapling, erect and evergreen, all her limbs and the other parts of her body absolutely symmetrical and in harmony one with another. With her lovely appearance and charming voice she never ceased to fascinate all who saw and heard her. Her face shone with the soft light of the moon; it was not the completely round face of an Assyrian woman, nor long, like the face of a Scyth, but just slightly oval in shape. There were rose blossoms on her cheeks, visible a long way off. Her light-blue eyes were both gay and stern: their charm and beauty attracted, but the fear they caused so dazzled the bystander that he could neither look nor turn away...Generally she accompanied her words with graceful gestures, her hands bare to the wrists, and you would say it was ivory turned by some craftsman into the form of fingers and hand. The pupils of her eyes, with the brilliant blue of deep waves, recalled a calm, still sea, while the white surrounding them shone by contrast, so that the whole eye acquired a peculiar lustre and a charm which was inexpressible."

 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

Greetings all,

Today we commemorate the life of the Emperor Heraclius on the anniversary of his passing on February 11th in 641 AD:

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

He is best remembered for his military victories which returned the True Cross to Jerusalem. Even today he is remembered with both pride and gratratitude, so let our reflections be happy ones of his victories and amazing story!

He is of course one of the Heroes of Byzantium Novum:  http://byzantiumnovum.org/heroes-of-byzantium-novum/

Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 

Greetings all, 

In the news an interesting (but sad) account of a Crusaders account of the sack of Constantinople in 1204 AD: 

https://greekreporter.com/2026/02/08/crusader-history-sack-constantinople/

History that few people remember today. 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

Greetings all, 

February 18th is the anniversary of our Founding, and we begin our 17th year today.  There should be cake!  :)

If you go to the front page of our main Forum, https://groups.io/g/ByzantiumNovum you can see our official communications from the day of our founding right up until today. It truly doesn't seem like it has been so many years, but the records are right there. 

Our "day to day" usually seems pretty quiet, but Byzantium Novum has done - and continues to do - a lot:

I. Our 16 years of continuous operation, government and community are a massive success. The vast majority of micronations fade quickly. 

II. Our structure and stability are themselves success - we have done much to ensure our micronation survives for years to come. 

III. We manifest the presence of Byzantine civilization and culture every day through social media and community - helping to keep the Eastern Roman Empire alive. 

IV. We facilitate education through our Bibliotheca, public presence, translation, commemorations and more. 

V. We continue our work to build Byzantine community world wide and have Citizens all over the world. 

VI. We continue Byzantine culture through keeping Byzantine tradition, and have made donations to Byzantine cultural and religious projects. 

VII. We preserve a vision for the continuation of Byzantine Civilization and Culture to continue into the future. 

In short, our "Byzantine Experiment" is going well and we've built a lot to be proud of. 

I wish all our Citizens the best, and I'm looking forward to the next 16 years!

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

Mezazon 

www.byzantiumnovum.org

 

 

 

 

Greetings all,

Today we celebrate the birth of Emperor Justin I on February 2nd in 450 AD:

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

Justin I rose through the ranks of the army to become the commander of the Imperial Guard, and out-maneuvered his rivals to become the successor to Emperor Anastasius even though he was 70 years old at the time. He the uncle of Emperor Justinian I (The Great). 

There should be cake!  :)

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

Greetings all,

On this Day we reflect on young Leo II being appointed as co-Emperor alongside his father Zeno on January 29th in 474 AD:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_II_(emperor)

Leo II was 7 years old at the time, and had already been co-Emperor with is grandfather Leo I, and had "ruled" as sole Emperor from January 18th 474, a total of 11 days. Sadly he died of illness later in the year.

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 

Greetings all,

On this day, January 19th in 379 AD, the Emperor Gratian elevated Flavius Theodosius to the rank of Augustus, and gave him authority over the Eastern Roman Empire:

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

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

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 Greetings all,

Today we reflect on the life of Emperor Leo I (the Thracian) who passed on November 18th in 473 AD:

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

He had a mostly successful reign in which he made serious efforts to aid the Western Empire. He was also canonized as a Saint, and his feast day is January 20th. 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 

Greetings all, 

Today we reflect with sadness the full beginning of the Nika Riots in Constantinople on January 13th in 532 AD:

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

The riot lasted a week. At its end 30,000 people would be dead, half the city burned and several Senators executed. Hardly " Victory."

Contemplation and prayers are appropriate in memory of this sad event.

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 

Greetings all, 

 

In the news, a Byzantine era monastery site with a central church has been discovered in upper Egypt: 

 

https://arkeonews.net/byzantine-era-monastic-complex-discovered-in-sohag-egypt/

 

It is believed to be the oldest Christian site in Egypt and archaeology is ongoing. 

 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

www.byzantiumnovum.org 

 

 

 Greetings all,

Today we reflect on the Emperor Zeno being forced to flee Constantinople on January 9th in 475 AD, after his general Basiliscus gained control of the Empire:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeno_(emperor)

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

Although a moderately successful Emperor, Zeno was unpopular with the Senate due to his Isaurian origins. A plot against him led by Basiliscus forced Zeno to flee to Isauria, where he shut himself up in a fortress. He later returned to govern Constantinople again after the coalition against him broke up, and Basiliscus proved to be a disastrous leader.

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 Greetings all,

Today we reflect on the reign of Andronikos III, the Emperor of Trebizond who passed on January 8th in 1332 AD:

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

There is little information about his reign as he died of the bubonic plague after reigning for only 15 months.  Served him right apparently, as he had two of his three brothers put to death upon taking the throne. :(

Nothing like making sure you have a positive legacy, I guess? 

His third brother Michael managed to flee to Constantinople, and he later became Emperor of Trebizond after Andronikos III's death. Michael's reign was period of much needed stability for Trebizond.

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 

 Greetings all, 

Today in 1078 AD the Byzantine Senate proclaimed Nikephoros III Botaneitates as Emperor during the revolution against Emperor Michael VII:oday we reflect on the 1078 revolt in Constantinople:

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

Nikephoros III was still away from the city at the time. He had previously sent a letter to Michael VII pleading with him to address the nation regarding the dire military situation in Anatolia, but instead Michael turned against him and in essence forced Nikephoros' hand.  Nikephoros was able to seize Constantinople on April 3rd of that year. 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 Greetings all, 

 Today we commemorate the crowning of the Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos in the city of Mystras on January 6th in 1449 AD:

 

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

 

He was a skilled administrator and general and was popular during his reign. Sadly he was the last Emperor and he was lost defending Constantinople in 1453. 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 Greetings all, 

Today we reflect on the life of Anna Komnene Doukaina (the later era Byzantine Princess, not the author!) who passed on January 4th in 1286 AD: 

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

https://byzantinerealhistory.wordpress.com/2019/01/05/anna-agnes-komnene-doukaina-the-byzantine-princess-of-achaea-morea/

She was the daughter of the Empire of Nicea, Michael II Komnenus Doukas, and his wife Theodora. She was married to the Prince of Achea, William II and after his capture in the Battle of Pelagonia Anna governed the Principality of Achaea from 1259 to 1262.  Interestingly she passed at least one major government action with the "Parlaiment of Ladies", wives of officials who's husbands had also been captured during that conflict and who had left their wives to manage their estates in their stead. 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 

 

 

 

Greetings all,

Today we reflect on the beginning of the final invasion into Roman territory by the Alemanni on January 2nd in 365 AD:

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

The German tribal confederation called the Alemanni (literally meaning "All Men") had previously been defeated by the Emperor Julian in campaigns during the years 357, 358, 359, and 360 AD and had signed treaties of peace. After this new incursion into Roman territory they were later defeated in the Battle of Solicinium by the Emperor Valentinian I. This was their last invasion of Rome, and in 496 they were absorbed into the Carolingian Empire.

-Marcus Cassius Julianus 

 

 

 

 Greetings all, 

For those of us rebuilding the world of Byzantium, the Vota Publica of January First remains one of the year’s most potent ceremonies -  a calculated symphony of renewal, loyalty, and cosmic order. 

In Constantinople the Church celebrated  the Feast of the Circumcision, and the streets echoed with the raucous, perennial clamor of the Kalends. The Sacred Palace was the stage for a ritual of profound imperial theology. The core of the day was not merely the marking of time, but the deliberate re-founding of the bond between the Basileus, his God, and the polity. 

The Emperor, transformed into a living icon of authority in his most luminous skaramangion and regalia, would process not to a church first, but to a throne in the heart of the palace complex, such as the hall of the Magnaura or the Tribunal of the Nineteen Couches. There, in a ritualized choreography of hierarchy, he would receive the assembled taxis of the world: the Senate, the high military commanders, the holders of dignities, and the leaders of the demes and guilds. 

The critical moment came with the orchestrated acclamations, the polychronia, where the ordered shouts of “Many years to the Augustus!” and “May you reign for many years!” were not mere well-wishes but performative utterances, renewing the divine mandate and the very contract of rule for another annual cycle. This was often accompanied by the distribution of the votum, the donative—gold solidi struck for the occasion, or lavish gifts—physically transferring the Emperor’s euergesia (beneficence) to the the personages tasked with continuing the workings of the Empire. . 

The subsequent games in the Hippodrome, where the Emperor appeared in the Kathisma before the entire city, extended this renewal to the populace, completing a circuit of legitimacy from the private palace, through the aristocracy, and out to the roar of the chariots. This day was a public affirmation of stability maintained, and a prospective vow for a prosperous year to be guided by God’s favor and the Emperor’s pious hand.

May all Citizens of Byzantium enjoy a happy and prosperous New Year!  

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

www.byzantiumnovum.org