The educational system of the Byzantine Empire was in large part that inherited from the Hellenistic/Roman past. During primary schooling, students were initiated in reading and writing while secondary schooling deepened their knowledge. Higher education was to be found in large cities only and from the middle Byzantine period onward almost exclusively in Constantinople and with the initiative of Emperors or high ranking officials.

Despite some initial difficulties in synthesizing the Christian religion with the Pagan literature of antiquity, the Church accepted that the study of the intellectual tradition of the ancient world was to its benefit. …

In an era in which we hear of the electoral success of right-wing and left-wing populists and the political center and establishment politicians are considered discredited by both sides, in Greece a center-right party managed to win the elections: and it did so by quite a margin and by achieving almost 40% of the vote. Whereas traditional conservative parties in much of the West have either been sidelined by right-wing populist ones or have succumbed to such populism themselves, in Greece the traditional party of the right made a comeback under a centrist, (classical) liberal leader espousing a platform of…

North Africa was under Byzantine control for almost two centuries, a relatively short amount of time for an empire that lasted more than eleven centuries. The region was under the Latin cultural sphere and as such Byzantine influence on North Africa was rather limited. The greatest influence Byzantium had on North Africa was physical rather than cultural, with the construction of many military sites to defend the province and sepulchral mosaics by the noble landowners. On purely cultural matters, Byzantine attempts to impose Orthodoxy caused civilian discontent and conflicts. …

The Seleucid Empire was the largest and most diverse of the successor states to Alexander’s Macedonian Empire. It was able to field a large and powerful army led by Kings who were first and foremost military commanders. The Seleucids managed to dominate Iran for 183 years (312–129 BC), a notable achievement considering the fact that the only uniting force keeping the Empire together was the martial prowess of the Kings. At its height, the Empire had a population equaling almost half of that of Qin Dynasty China. …

Constantine the Great (27 February 272 AD — 22 May 337 AD) is a towering figure in Roman, European and Western history. It is generally true that social and economic conditions are more important than ‘great men’ in shaping history but Constantine was one of the few people who really did shape history. His decisions to create a new imperial capital in the East, Constantinople, and embrace a new religion, Christianity, had momentous consequences for the history of Europe and the world in general.

The Tetrarchy — Constantine’s Early Years

Introduction: The rise of Rome and Qin-Han

The rise of the Roman Republic can in some ways be compared to the rise of the Qin state to prominence. Both were in the western margin of the civilized ecumene (the Greek states and the eastern Chinese states respectively) and were viewed as semi-barbaric. Their geographical position favored a focus on military capability. Both Rome and Qin were militaristic states. Both were able to develop thanks to being shielded by their geographical position from the great powers in the east. Eventually they were able to gain hegemonic power over a large sector of the ecumene, Italy for Rome and…

The Indo-Greek Kings who ruled parts of modern day Afghanistan, Pakistan and India are perhaps the most interesting and yet elusive figures of the Hellenistic World. The Indo-Greek states were a fusion of Greek and Indian traditions, their armies were some of the largest and most able of the Hellenistic era, and their Kings patronized Buddhism and influenced the artistic depiction of Buddha.

POLITICAL HISTORY

Alexander’s conquest of parts of northern India, although fascinating, was short-lived. A later attempt by Seleucus, one of the Macedonian Warlords attempting to carve out a Kingdom of his own, to reassert Greek control over India failed…

Manuel Komnenos has been a controversial figure, even in his own time. He was hailed for his charisma and military victories but also criticized for being overambitious, overconfident and for his failure at the battle of Myriokephalon. He can be considered however the greatest monarch of the Komnenian period of Byzantium. His ambitions have been overstated and his mistakes were not the main cause of Byzantium’s decline after his death though. During his reign, Byzantium was a strong state that made military gains at the expense of its neighbors.

Byzantium at the Age of the Komnenoi