BYZANTIUM BIBLIOGRAPHY +
Byzantium Bibliography
Some terms to keep in mind when listening to audio sources about Byzantium
Orthodox vs orthodox
Orthodox - of, relating to, or constituting any various conservative religious or political groups such as Eastern Orthodox or Orthodox Judaism.
orthodox - conforming to what is generally or traditionally accepted as right or true, established and approved, normal, ordinary, usual; “This is orthodox medical treatment.”
Catholic vs catholic
Catholic - of the Roman Catholic faith.
catholic - including a wide variety of things, all-embracing, universal; “In the time of Justinian, catholic meant mainstream, legitimate, imperially-backed church. This meaning is used when referring to people who were orthodox, which can be confusing when in modern day we have the Roman Catholicism and the Greek Orthodox, but we are a long ways away from that in the 530s. Catholic is used to describe all Christians who weren’t Aryans, or Nestorians, or some definitive sect. Catholic is used to differentiate those who subscribed to the belief system as laid out at the council of Chalcedon with the Monophysites who questioned it. At this stage, a Monophysite is a catholic, because despite all the arguing, they have not been condemned as heretical,” from The History of Byzantium podcast.
Byzantine vs byzantine
Byzantine - relating to Byzantium (now Istanbul), the Byzantine Empire, or the Eastern Orthodox Church.
byzantine - something that is very tangled and hard to figure out; “The power struggle in the capital is so byzantine that it might take years or decades to truly understand.”
QUICK & Accessible Online Sources & Articles on Byzantium (use reader mode to bypass any paywall)
Christian Imagery on Silk Textiles: The Annunciation Silk; Garments Pleasing to God: The Significance of Domestic Textile Designs in the Early Byzantine Period
Corpus Juris Civilis and Frankish Law on the status of women; Women in the Byzantine Empire
Describing the Other to Get at the Self: Byzantine Women in Arabic Sources (8th-11th Centuries)
Romans prized these jewels more than diamonds (use reader mode to bypass paywall)
Silkworm Farming; Stealing Silkworms; Byzantine Silk Industry
Scholae of the Master of the Offices as the Palace Praetorium
Terminology Associated with Silk in the Middle Byzantine Period (AD 843-1204)
Theodora article from 2023; Empress Theodora: Origins of Women’s Rights; Theodora (sixth century)
Empress Theodora - from Whore to Empress of the Byzantine Empire (not 100% accurate but helps get people interested)
The Sex Crazed Wife Who Saved Husband's Empire (not 100% accurate but helps get people interested)
REALLY Quick Reading on Byzantium (Wikipedia)
NOT-SO-QUICK Sources on Byzantium (Books, Research Articles, Blogs, Podcasts, and Other Publications)
(Remember, digital copies are usually cheapest. If Amazon is too expensive, try Ebay. Ebay and AbeBooks helps me find books that aren't easy found.)
Art, Jewelry, Garb & Textiles:
Africa and Byzantium (Exhibition Catalogue from the MET) (large print exhibition text)
Ancient Greek, Roman & Byzantine Costume (Dover Fashion and Costumes) (Book)
By the Emperor’s Hand: Military Dress and Court Regalia in the Later Romano-Byzantine Empire (Book)
Byzantine Dress: Representations of Secular Dress in Eighth- To Twelfth-Century Painting (Book)
Byzantine Fashion History Timeline (project by FIT State University of New York's History of Art Department)
Intelligible Beauty: Recent Research on Byzantine Jewellery (I had purchased a physical book for cheap, but you may be able to download a PDF from The British Museum)
Three-dimensional view of objects and spaces for anyone interested in making replicas at home. St. Mark's Basilica's virtual objects was of particular interest to me.
The Glory of Byzantium: Art and Culture of the Middle Byzantine Era, A.D. 843–1261 (Book, free PDF for download from the MET included in the link).
Studies in Byzantine, Islamic and Near Eastern Silk Weaving (Book)
Studies in Silk in Byzantium (Book)
Cooking:
Flavours of Byzantium (Book)
Tastes of Byzantium (Book)
EVERYTHING:
Anna's New Rome (I think this would be considered a blog? I actually don't see any information about what to call her page on it, she goes back and forth between different writing styles like Chicago and MLA).
If you look at the About section, Magistrissa Anna Dokeianina Syrakousina writes about all things Greek/Roman/Byzantine. She clearly knows way more about the subject than I do, and it's practically all SCA-related. I highly recommend checking out the link.
Dumbarton Oaks Papers (an annual journal covering all aspects of Byzantine studies)
History:
The History of Byzantium (Podcast, I listen on Spotify)
LGBT+ Culture:
Between Byzantine Men (Book on Byzantine Homosexuality in 900 CE)
Byzantine Intersectionality: Sexuality, Gender, and Race in the Middle Ages (Book)
Soldiers & Armies:
Romano-Byzantine Armies 4th–9th Centuries (Men-at-Arms) (Book)
The Varangians of Byzantium - The Varangians: In God’s Holy Fire (Books)
Women:
Abortions in Byzantine Times/Medieval Images from Article in Colour
Holy Women of Byzantium (Book)
Women in Byzantium (Book)
Videos on Byzantium
Another Perspective:
Cooking
Byzantine Honey Fritters on Tasting History with Max Miller (YouTube)
Check out his book too.
Historical Italian Cooking (YouTube Channel))
History
Overly Saractic Productions (YouTube)
Puppet History (YouTube)
The Fiery Sports Riot that Nearly Destroyed Constantinople (Nika Riots)
The Bloody Revenge of Saint Olga of Kiev
The first Russian Christian, with details from her visit to Constantinople in 948 CE then being ruled by Constantine VII.
A Day in History (YouTube)
TED-Ed (YouTube)
Textiles (YouTube)
Women