Discovering Byzantium

Anyone who says such a dumb, contradictory statement deserves it.

Originally posted by Heraclius Ive actually punched somebody with that kind of attitude  (not a proper fight) he was just getting on my nerves and he clearly deserved it

Whoa, there's still warrior in you yet. That namesake of yours is rubbing off a bit . The only fights I have been in have been because the other person was stupid or drunk (or a rather sad combination of the two).

People seriously underestimate history, many regarding it as some airy-fairy artsy trash with no hard practical value. What they fail to realize is that history is the root of just about all knowledge, nearly everything that can be learnt about has a history which is always useful to know of. I am doing a double degree of Commerce/Arts, while my Commerce mates will understand the theories of their course well enough their general lack of enthusiasm for the humanities is going to cost them career-wise. They will always have a niche to fill in accounting, marketing, human resource management etc. But if they want the top jobs they need to be wordly, cultured, culturally aware and have such humanist talents which are so important in today's rapidly changing and inceasingly globalized world.

 The really scary thing is that even history that is common knowledge amongst older generations e.g who Caeser, Alexander the Great were etc are sometimes ive encountered totally unknown to people my own age from my generation.

 Dawn pointed out Richard the Lionheart one of the most famous historical figures of medieval times, you'd expect especially and englishman/brit to know who he was and maybe a little knowledge on what he did. However that is sadly not always the case.

 Its the kind of info you just have you dont necessarily remember being told it you just know it, like who Winston Churchill was or Henry VIII, I have however been stunned when ive encountered people here whove never heard of them from England!  Its mystifying how people can exist in this country for 18 years say and have never heard of Winston Churchill, I'd of thought it was physically impossible

This kind of stuff happens all the time. The best one was one day while plaing afor mentioned game I asked one of our young dishwashers if Julius Ceasar was real or fictional and he said fictional and I told him no he was real and we had a five minute argument about it . His potition was that he was just a charater in the dull play they did in english class. I couldn't stop laughing at this. The kid was normally such a bright one.

Welcome to Allempires, Byzanz!  It is great to have another Byzantinist on board.

Is this the issue that also features a story on the Orthodox monastic community of Mount Athos?  I have it as well. This is a great issue with some beautiful photographs.

I echo your thoughts here!  I have wondered for years why Byzantium has not been either the subject/location for a movie, or why it has not even been shown or mentioned in the context of other historical epics.  I would like to see a movie on the fall of 1453.  It would be perfect for a dramatic, action-packed epic!

Getting past the obvious irony of it (the only time Greeks were united they called themselves... Romans  - it is true in a way, yet ironicaly amusing) I'd have to point out that Byzantium destroyed much, much, MUCH more than it preserved. Especially in the early "religious cleansing" period (4th-7th century AD) there is a gruesomely huge list with atrocities performed against the Greek religion, culture and people. There was a very conscious and definite effort to eradicate from the face of the earth everything that provided with a link to the Greek past.

When the "newborn" vigor of the Christian religion was at last toned down (past 7th century) the trait was reversed and the "Roman" authorities along with the Christian institution tried to preserve whatever was left from the ancient Greek legacy - they even incorporated Aristotle in the ecclesiastic corpus and rendered Christianity a foundamentally Aristotelian religion. But it was too late... the Greek wonder was already gone forever, burried under the dead weight of intolerance, religious hate and imperial authority.