A second of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World was the statue of Zeus at Olympia. Like six of the seven wonders, sadly, it is not extant. You cannot travel to see it today like you can visit the pyramids of Giza in Egypt. And unlike some of the other great statues of antiquity, […]
Tag: Constantinople
Byzantine Discoveries – What They Found First, and Who Took the Glory
The process of discovering new knowledge is tricky. But we try to give credit where it’s deserved. Or do we? A few examples of Byzantine discoveries suggest this question is more complex than meets the eye. (Recall that the Byzantine Empire was the successor of the Roman Empire in the east. We could also call […]
Was Greek Fire a New, Genuine Breakthrough Chemical Weapon?
Most of us think of chemical weapons as a twentieth century phenomenon. But did you know that one existed in the medieval world as well? We call that chemical weapon Greek fire. For many, the term chemical weapon has negative connotations. We recall the gas mask as an essential piece of equipment for World War […]
Byzantine Sports – A Number of Choices
Our last post about the Byzantines (click here to read it) described the importance of chariot racing in the Byzantine Empire. Today, we’ll finish this topic with what the races were like and then examine other Byzantine sports. Byzantine Sports – The Charioteers Men who were skilled at racing held the public esteem just as […]
Byzantine Chariot Racing – Sports Without Gladiators
Perhaps it is unusual to follow up my first post on the Byzantine Empire with a post on Byzantine chariot racing. However, sports are an area in which this medieval empire appears quite modern. Plus, they’re fun, and in the Byzantine world they were a big deal. But a major difference existed between the sports […]
Is the Byzantine Empire Underrated or Just Ignored?
I get the question all the time: Was the Byzantine Empire underrated? Have you ever even heard of the Byzantine Empire? If you’re a regular follower of my blog, possibly not. If you got to this post from an Internet search, perhaps you have. Either way, most people know little about the great empire that […]