ἀνθρώποισι πᾶσι μέτεστι γινώσκειν ἑωυτοὺς καὶ σωφρονεῖν.
First, the Turkic peoples belonged to the most general category of “barbarians” (βάρβαροι). In Byzantine times, “barbarians” were opposed not so much to “Hellenes” (Ἕλληνες ), as in the classical and Hellenistic periods, but rather to the “Romans”, Ῥωµαῖοι. Continue reading “The Turkic peoples in Eastern Roman (‘Byzantine’) ethnography”
Many Byzantine texts suggest that one’s origin from a particular area also could be the cause of certain defects of character. Continue reading “The theory of climates; astrological ethnography in the Eastern Roman (‘Byzantine’) Empire”
Plenty of ancient Chinese sources have been proved keeping rich accounts of the Roman Empire and its close relationship with ancient China, and the frequent activities of envoys, caravans, religious missions and wars on the Silk Road promoted the accomplishment of the mutual communication between the two great civilizations. Continue reading “Roman coins in China”
After centuries of denials and evasions, the debate over the nature of Roman identity in Byzantium is finally picking up. The Byzantines’ view of their own Roman identity was a national one, making Byzantium effectively a nation-state. Continue reading “Roman identity in ‘Byzantium’”
Among the various ethnic groups in the Byzantine empire, the Armenians constituted one of the strongest. Continue reading “The Armenian element in the Eastern Roman (‘Byzantine’) Empire”
From the reign of Augustus (27 BC-14 AD) to the fall of Constantinople (1453 AD), the Roman Empire engaged in some degree of contact with China. Continue reading “Connections between the Eastern Roman (‘Byzantine’) Empire and China during the reign of Justinian I (527-565 AD)”
Novo Scriptorium 