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The Early Purpose of Chivalry
The origin of chivalry, whether real or imagined, shows that its initial motives were noble. At the beginning, the institution served a useful purpose:...
Understanding Chivalry
Just as our views on history change as we grow older, so too do our ideas about chivalry. In youth, many of us admire...
How Our Views Change with Age
As we grow older, the way we read and think about history changes. In youth, we often read for enjoyment. We admire stories and...
Scholarly References and Intellectual Context
Modern scholarship has played an important role in understanding post-Byzantine religious art and engraving. Researchers such as D. Papastratos have studied Greek Orthodox religious...
Printing Reproduction and Wider Access to Icons
During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, important changes took place in the fields of book printing, image reproduction, and distribution. These developments made religious...
Artistic Influences and Sources of Inspiration
Many scholars have studied the painters of the post-Byzantine period and their artistic influences. Research shows that these artists did not work in isolation....
Defensive Works at the Bucoleon Palace
Some historians, including Labarte and Schlumberger, argue that Emperor Nicephorus Phocas surrounded the Palace of Bucoleon with special defensive works, effectively making it a...
Heraclius and the Defence of Hormisdas
As mentioned earlier, in 610, Heraclius appeared with a fleet before Constantinople to end the tyranny of Emperor Phocas. At that time, the quarter...
Transition from Hormisdas to Bucoleon
The name “Palace of Hormisdas” gradually disappears around the same time the term “Bucoleon” begins to appear. This supports the idea that both names...
Tower Opposite the Imperial Gate
Another strong piece of evidence concerns the tower that stood opposite the Imperial Gate. Phrantzes describes this tower as being “in the middle of...
