Browsing by Subject "Byzantine"

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Open Access
“And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heaven and to everything that creeps on the earth”: animals in Byzantium
(2022-05) Mulla, Ayşenur
This thesis examines the relationship between the Byzantines and animals (in particular small ones like worms and bees) in terms of practical, socio-economic, and religious terms mainly using the written sources (hagiographies, ancient scientific sources, miracle stories, or legal documents), archaeological, zooarchaeological, and architectural remains from different areas of the Byzantine Empire. The main idea of the thesis stems from socio-cultural and religious studies of the Byzantine society, which (with the exception of a few scholars like Sophia Germanidou, Henrietta Kroll, Nancy Sevcenko, and Tristan Schmidt, who have studied the Byzantine animals and their mentality about the world of bestiary), has mostly focused on the economics of animals and their rearing. In fact, and contrary to the mainstream historiography, this study tries to bridge a gap between the role of the animals, especially the smallest ones like worms, bees, insects, and silkworms, as they have tended to be forgotten when examining the socio-cultural and economic dynamics of Byzantine society at large. Bearing in mind the limits and the problems of sources, both primary and secondary, the main goal of this thesis is to scrutinize the Byzantine narrative about these animals, to recreate the Byzantine perception and utilization of the other living beings as well as to understand the multi-faceted benefits of the presence of animals in the daily life of the Byzantines.
Open Access
Late Byzantine ships and shipping, 1204-1453
(2006) Türkmenoğlu, Evren
This study has aimed to investigate the problem of interpreting the nature and influence of Byzantine ships and shipping in the later Middle ages. Maritime transport activities and ships or shipbuilding of the Byzantines during the later Medieval age, between 1204-1453, have never been adequately revealed. The textual, pictorial, and archaeological evidence of Byzantine maritime activities is collected in this study. This limited evidence is evaluated in order to gain a better understanding of Byzantine maritime activities such as shipbuilding and maritime commerce. The impact of these activities in the Late Medieval age is discussed.
Open Access
A life on top : a survey of stylite saints
(2003) Aykanat Çam, İlke
This thesis presents the available information about the stylite saints who lived during the Byzantine period within the borders of modern Turkey. Stylites are Christian ascetics who lived on top of columns. There are over a hundred stylites mentioned in written sources, who lived between the fifth century and the nineteenth century. The vast amount of information is diverse ranging from historical and literary evidence to art historical and archaeological remains. This evidence is evaluated in order to present the circumstances that led to the invention of stylitism and outline a stylite’s daily life. Later, the iconography of stylites is discussed. The last section of the work is reserved to the Monastery of St. Simeon the Younger in Samandağı near Antioch. The author hopes that this work has contributed to this interdisciplinary subject for the use of future studies.
Open Access
Winter in the land of Rum : Komnenian defenses against the Turks in Western Anatolia
(2015) Deluigi, Humberto Cesar Hugo
Castles constitute the most abundant group of Byzantine remains in Anatolia, and offer historians and archaeologists the opportunity to more fully understand both Byzantine settlement patterns and defensive systems through the ages. However, due to their inaccessibility, lack of distinctive construction techniques, and an absence of evidence for secure dating these monuments have often been neglected by Byzantinists. At the same time, historical sources of the eleventh and twelfth centuries make it clear that the Komnenian emperors Alexios, John, and Manuel all engaged in extensive fortification activities. This thesis seeks to critically unite the historical and archaeological evidence for Komnenian fortifications, with the goal of further understanding the Komnenian defensive strategy and evaluating its results. Following a historical overview of Turkish settlement in Anatolia and the Byzantine response, forty Komnenian castles are surveyed, half of them historically attested and the other half assigned to the period based on historical likelihood and, where possible, stylistic similarities with known Komnenian fortifications. The conclusion argues that while the Komneni were generally successful in dealing with the Selçuks diplomatically, they were unable to solve the problem of the nomadic Türkmen, against whom their fortification program was overwhelmingly directed.