Approaches to History (393-0-26)

Topic

Byzantium: The Greek Empire of Rome

Instructors

Sergey A. Ivanov

Meeting Info

Harris Hall L05: Mon, Wed 3:30PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

It is well known that Ancient Rome fell in the 5 th century, but few people are aware that the eastern half of the Empire survived for another thousand years. It was inhabited by Greek-speaking people who are these days referred to as "Byzantines" - yet they never called themselves this way and identified themselves as Romans. This empire had its capital in Constantinople, today's Istanbul in Turkey. It was the longest-living civilization in the whole history of Western Eurasia. Its religion shaped the spiritual life of Eastern Europe, its culture preserved the ancient Greek literature for us, its art forestalled the 20th century Avant-guard, while its main cathedral of Istanbul's Hagia Sophia was for 900 years a building with the tallest inner space on Earth. And yet, Byzantium remains understudied and all but unknown to the general public. This course will introduce students to this mysterious civilization.

Class Notes

History Major Concentration(s): Asia/Middle East, European
History Minor Concentration(s): Europe, Asia, Middle East

Class Attributes

Advanced Expression
Historical Studies Foundational Discipline
Historical Studies Distro Area