Byzantine Iconoclasm

lifetime, but after his other works. This was a work written for himself and close friends, which he never intended to publish. The Secret History shows a different side to the events that happened in the Byzantine Empire. This book shows a different side to many different, well know rulers in Byzantine. Procopius portrays Antonina to be a very scandalous person with very little morals who would cheat on her husband every chance she got. Procopius also portrayed Belisarius as not the smartest…

essentially infinite gods to the concept of monotheism via Christianity. In all actuality the Byzantine Empire and the Holy Roman Empire both were monotheistic, and both were devoted to the Christian cause. The Byzantine Empire under rule of Justinian, who as previously stated transcribed laws based on Roman laws, was influenced by Christianity in the formation of said laws. Also much like early Rome, the Byzantine Empire had some leniency in regards to religion, however not as much as Rome’s…

The Eucharistic Dove (ca, 1215-35) is a suspended dove, stylized in typical Byzantine manner. During this period, Christian influence spread across the Roman conquered world and lead to the crusades, a series of holy wars began in the name of Christianity. These strong religious convictions that defined the time were represented in art of the day, famously finished in copper and heavy with ornate detail. One might quickly identify the period and suspect that because the artist depicted an animal…

Traditional folk culture evolved for thousands of years, carefully stored and inherited many generations. Its uniqueness is evident in everything: in the content and in the methods of storage, transmission, distribution. It has deep historical roots. In what consequence it is necessary to revive and preserve the cultural traditions to the younger generation. We live in a time of crisis - political, social, economic, environmental, but the most terrible crisis - moral. Therefore, it is necessary…

In “The Fall of Rome — an author discussion,” authors Bryan Ward-Perkins and Peter Heather present and confer their stances related to the fall of Rome. Though the two historians disagreed on a few concepts, they both definitely agreed that the fall of Rome was caused by a violent struggle through several “series of unfortunate events.” Contrary to other historians, like Walter Goffart, Ward-Perkins and Heather agreed that each time the Romans ceded land to foreign adversaries, their internal…

Pietas is an ideal that has changed much over time. Much of the foundation for this concept began around the time of the Roman Empire, where pietas constituted primarily of duty to Rome itself. As the Roman Empire fell and different powers emerged, though, the original ideals of pietas shifted. For example, people began to define pietas within the realms of individuality instead of communally. Pietas also shifted from merely a governmental standard to a religious ideal as Church authority rose.…

The civilization of Rome began in 756 B.C.E., starting out as a kingdom. Throughout the years, they switched from a republic to an empire until their eventual demise in 476 C.E. Rome, a heavily influenced by slaves society, never felt the need to improve their technology- instead- they relied and focused on the education of arts, politics, and law. Due to their dependence on slaves, their technology skills were not up to par with surrounding civilizations and only upgraded to the bare minimum,…

The First Crusade was the first and most successful of a series of holy wars that defined the Middle Ages. Ostensibly a religious mission to regain the Holy Land, the crusade changed the ways the nobility interacted and opened western Europe to new ideas. While the goal of the First Crusade was to “rescue” Jerusalem, its most lasting effect was the strengthening of the Catholic Church. At the behest of the Pope, Urban II, a large group of French nobles went to try to recapture Jerusalem. The…

There was once a beloved ruler, who encouraged schools and knowledge for everyone, while conquering territory and governing the city to the best of his ability. Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great, was a widely known emperor who ruled most of Western Europe from 768 to 814. His father, Pepin the Short, was Mayor of the Palace to king, who ruled over the Frankish kingdom for fifteen years until his death in October 768 AD. When his father died, the Franks placed the two brothers,…

Introduction: Charlemagne was the King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 until his death in 814. He expanded his kingdom to an empire, uniting most of west Europe. The Carolingian Renaissance is associated with his reign, a time when art and culture was revived through the Catholic Church, which encouraged a common European identity. Chapter 1 who is Charlemagne? He is the King of Franks; he was the greatest ruler in Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire.…