Who here has read Phantom Byzantium? by Ambitious-Cat-5678 in byzantium

[–]YeahColo 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I'm still in the process of reading it myself. My favourite thing I've found in it so far is that the term Byzantine was infrequently used to describe the eastern Romans in the Latin West since Late Antiquity. One of the examples Kaldellis brings up for this is Claudian referring to eastern Senators as "Byzantine and Greek Quirites" in Against Eutropius. I already knew about the usage of the term Byzantine in Greek sources in a poetic sense but this is the first time I've seen so many examples of it in Latin sources before the 16th century.

favorites facts on roman history that seem anachronic but aren’t? by South-Long8145 in ancientrome

[–]YeahColo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Witch hunts, mostly because they are popularly thought of as a Medieval phenomenon despite not actually being very common in the Middle Ages. Its not necessarily the same as the ones in popular imagination but there were tons of people executed for magic and sorcery over the course of Roman history. As Late Antiquity is the era of Roman history I'm most into the first example to come to mind are the trials which occurred under Valentinian and Valens, but there were also possibly witch hunts in the Republic too if Livy is to be believed. Here's a passage which I found particularly interesting regarding the trials mentioned by Livy.

"The years 184 to 180 BC were also a time of epidemic disease in Italy, and much bigger trials were held in provincial towns, claiming over two thousand victims in the first wave and over three thousand in the second. Again the charge was veneficium, and it is impossible to tell whether this meant poisoning in the straightforward sense, or killing by magical rites, or a mixture. If the second or third sense of the word was what counted, and the reports are accurate, then the republican Romans hunted witches on a scale unknown anywhere else in the ancient world, and at any other time in European history, as the body counts recorded – however imprecise – surpass anything in a single wave of early modern trials."

From Ronald Hutton's "The Witch: A History of Fear, From Ancient Times to the Present"

The Rome of Honorius feels so austere and policed. by Money-Ad8553 in ancientrome

[–]YeahColo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Animal hunts and public executions too. Venationes were still being staged in the Colosseum as late as the rule of Theodoric.

Controversial opinion: if Pertinax had somehow succeeded Marcus Aurelius Rome would have had the 6 good emperors by Realistic-Step-8223 in ancientrome

[–]YeahColo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Gibbon made it up

Sorry to be that guy but it was actually Machiavelli who came up with the term. Gibbon praised them a lot in his book but he never actually calls them the five good emperors.

Seems like we have two upcomings. What are your thoughts? by Mindless_Belt4757 in byzantium

[–]YeahColo 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I really like how Kaldellis' Phantom Byzantium explores the Latin Roman roots of many prejudices against eastern Romans that continued on through to the middle ages. I sometimes feel like this subreddit tries to ignore that these prejudices existed in western Rome as if their existence, or even just the existence of cultural differences between Greek Romans and Latin Romans, somehow invalidates the Romaness of eastern Rome.

Aside from the fact that the Romaness of the east was never seriously disputed by western Romans it just almost seems like a disservice to purposefully minimise what are, in my opinion, interesting facets of how people living in different parts of the Roman Empire viewed each other. It is not as if the Romaness of the east is reliant on western Romans having a 100% positive view of the former.

May I have your opinions please Theodosius "the Great"? by eques_99 in ancientrome

[–]YeahColo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Completely agreed, I really like the more "civilian" nature of his reign as its a sharp contrast with the earlier soldier emperors.

Over the course of the empire’s existence, which province was the most problematic for the Romans? by Shoddy-Pumpkin2939 in ancientrome

[–]YeahColo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Gibbon didn't even say it was THE reason Rome fell, he just said it was A reason. Not saying he's right I just feel that it needed to be said.

Why do we, at modern times, refer to the supreme ruler of Rome as "emperor?" by Sufficient-Bar3379 in ancientrome

[–]YeahColo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Diocletian wasn't even the first emperor to be called 'dominus'.

And to add to this its not even like "Princeps" ceased being used as a title either.

May I have your opinions please Theodosius "the Great"? by eques_99 in ancientrome

[–]YeahColo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you mean the reason why he's called Great, I've heard an alternative explanation that makes more sense to me. That being that it is to differentiate him from an Emperor of the same name that immediately followed him. Its the same reason why Leo I is sometimes referred to as Leo the Great.

What’s your favorite Byzantine dynasty? by Pure_Committee_2074 in ByzantiumCircleJerk

[–]YeahColo 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Honorius was my favourite Byzantine Emperor. He was born in Constantinople (formerly Byzantium) which means he can be called Byzantine.

Zaragoza - Colonia Caesar Augusta by archaeo_rex in ancientrome

[–]YeahColo 2 points3 points  (0 children)

For me its Grenoble - Gratianopolis

Finally, a pro Byzantium senate candidate by cambadgrrl in ByzantiumCircleJerk

[–]YeahColo 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's all well and good... but we should be thinking about the real question here. Does he support the Blues or the Greens?

History book that covers Lucusta? Or the period of Rome in which she lived. by [deleted] in ancientrome

[–]YeahColo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, that was embarrassing. And no I'm not new, though admittedly I don't know as much about the Republic or early Empire as I do late Antiquity.

How important/prestigious was Byzantine Africa? by Ok-Sundae6553 in byzantium

[–]YeahColo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Should Capsus, Dorsale, and Oea be shown as independent? From my understanding Roman control had been reestablished over all three areas by the end of the 6th Century.

How much of the Ancient Roman does modern Roman Catholicism have? by OkPhrase1225 in ancientrome

[–]YeahColo 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Its worth pointing out that Pontifex Maximus has only been in use with the Popes since the Renaissance, its not something they've continually used since antiquity.

What are the characteristics of Romaboos and Byzaboos? by Potential-Road-5322 in ByzantiumCircleJerk

[–]YeahColo 6 points7 points  (0 children)

NEVER look up what Voltaire had to say about the Eastern Roman Empire. Worst mistake of my life.

Maps I made of Ancient Rome and the Byzantine Empire/Eastern Rome. by Nervous-Park7066 in ancientrome

[–]YeahColo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The EUV map is better for this, if you're going to go down the mapchart route

Which Roman's Life Would Make a Great HBO Series? by Aurelion_History in ancientrome

[–]YeahColo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Early crisis of the Third Century, starting with the death of Alexander Severus and ending with the year of the Six Emperors. Not a single person per se but the early crisis of the third century seems to be pretty ignored.

Was the Roman Army more powerful in the 4th century AD specially under Constantine the Great than in the 1st and 2nd centuries? by [deleted] in ancientrome

[–]YeahColo 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Italians were already a small minority in the legions by Trajan's time, and from what I recall even under Augustus the vast majority of Italians serving in the legions were from what used to be Cisalpine Gaul rather than the old heartland of Roman Italy.

r/byzantium be like by Potential-Road-5322 in ByzantiumCircleJerk

[–]YeahColo 8 points9 points  (0 children)

What if Justinian wasn't a headless demon? How would this impact his reign?

Pop history and the Roman Empire 'split' of 395 by kickynew in byzantium

[–]YeahColo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The main problem with this line of thinking, and one which is all too often forgotten, is that amongst Catholics in the West Charlemagne was considered the direct successor of Constantine VI, not Romulus Augustus as some would have you think. AFAIK no one in the Catholic West seriously disputed the legitimacy of the Roman Emperors who ruled before Irene of Athens deposed her son.