Greetings all,

On this Day we commemorate the ending of the Ostrogothic Siege of Rome on March 12th in 538 AD: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Rome_(537-538)

Vitiges, the king of the Ostrogoths retreated to Ravenna, leaving Rome in the hands of the victorious General Belisarius.

There should be cake!  :)

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 www.byzantiumnovum.org

 

 

 

 
Greetings all,

On this day, we commemorate with sadness the battle of Pegae which was fought between Byzantine and Bulgarian forces on March 11th in 921 AD:

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

Pegae meant  "the spring" and was named after the nearby Church of St. Mary of the Spring. The Bulgarian forces held the high ground and charged into the Byzantine front line with irresistible momentum. This initial attack collapsed the Byzantine front lines. The Byzantine commanders fled as they were unable to untangle the lines or regroup their forces and the battle was a complete rout and Byzantine defeat. 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 www.byzantiumnovum.org

 

 

 

 Greetings all,

On this day we reflect with sadness on crusader king Baldwin I of Balogne siezing the Byzantine city of Edessa on March 10th in 1098 AD and establishing the first Crusader territory in the East:

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

He had been invited in by Thoros of Edessa (a Byzantine officer) to fight against the Seljuqs. Taking advantage of a riot against Thoros, Baldwin took control of the city.

Interestingly, Edessa was the city where the Roman Emperor Valerian was captured in 260 AD. Edessa fell to the Muslim conquest in 638 AD and had not been retaken by the Byzantines until 1031 AD.

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

 www.byzantiumnovum.org

 

 

 

 

Greetings all,

On this Day we commemorate the crowning of Emperor Zeno on March 9th in 474 AD:

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

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,

In the news, an article about the Via Egnatia, the ancient road that connected Rome and Byzantium:

The Ancient Road That Connected Rome With Byzantium - GreekReporter.com

Construction of it began in 120 BC by the Roman Senator Gnaeus Egatius and remained in use through most of Byzantine history. Parts of it are still in use today!

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

www.byzantiumnovum.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greetings all,

 

On this day we commemorate with joy the Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas taking the city of Chandax from the Sarasens on March 6th in 961 AD:, 

 

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

 

This campaign ended the Emirate of Crete, making the area part of the Byzantine Empire once more.

There should be cake!  :)

 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

www.byzantiumnovum.org

 

 

 

 

Greetings all,

 

On this Day -  March 5th in 1417 AD, Emperor Manuel III of Trebizond died:

 

 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. This extended the life and security of Trebizond for several decades. 

 

-Marcus Cassius Julianus

www.byzantiumnovum.org