
Weird, Decadent, Degenerate, Racially Mixed, Superstitious, Theocratic, Effeminate, And Even Hyper-literate, Byzantium Has Long Been Regarded By Many As One Big Curiosity. According To Voltaire, It Represented A Worthless Collection Of Miracles, A Disgrace For The Human Mind; For Hegel, It Was A Disgusting Picture Of Imbecility. A Cabinet Of Byzantine Curiosities Will Churn Up These Old Prejudices, While Also Stimulating A Deeper Interest Among Readers In One Of History's Most Interesting Civilizations. Many Of The Zanier Tales And Trivia That Are Collected Here Revolve Around The Political And Religious Life Of Byzantium. Thus, Stories Of Saints, Relics, And Their Miracles-from The Hilarious To The Revolting-abound. Byzantine Bureaucracy (whence The Adjective Byzantine), Court Scandals, And Elaborate Penal Code Are World Famous. And What Would Byzantium Be Without Its Eunuchs, Whose Ambiguous Gender Produced Odd And Risible Outcomes In Different Contexts? The Book Also Contains Sections On Daily Life That Are Equally Eye-opening, Including Food (from Aphrodisiacs To Fermented Fish Sauce), Games Such As Polo And Acrobatics, And Obnoxious Views Of Foreigners And Others (e.g., Germans, Catholics, Arabs, Dwarves). But Lest We Overlook Byzantium's More Honorable Contributions To Civilization, Also Included Are Some Of The Marvels Of Byzantine Science And Technology, From The Military (flamethrowers And Hand Grenades) To The Theatrical (elevator Thrones, Roaring Mechanical Lions) And Medical (catheters And Cures, Some Bizarre). This Vast Assortment Of Historical Anomaly And Absurdity Sheds Vital Light On One Of History's Most Obscure And Orthodox Empires.
How can a collection of historical anomalies and absurdities challenge long-standing prejudices against the Byzantine Empire? Anthony Kaldellis, a professor of classics and expert in Byzantine history, utilizes a wide array of primary source anecdotes to dismantle the historical caricature of Byzantium as a stagnant or degenerate civilization. By presenting the empire through its own eccentricities, the author argues that these stories reveal a complex, vibrant, and technologically sophisticated society that defies simplistic Western historical narratives.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Readers and scholars frequently note that the prose is accessible and engaging, successfully balancing historical rigor with a lighthearted, curiosity-driven format. Experts highlight this as a useful entry point for those looking to move beyond traditional, biased historiography toward a more nuanced understanding of Byzantine culture.
Page Count:
240
Publication Date:
2017-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0190625953
ISBN-13:
9780190625955
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