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The discovery of a Byzantine church by archaeologists could be the Church of the Apostles. Source: IAA / Fair Use.
19 July, 2019 - 14:52 Ed Whelan

Church of the Apostles Found? Archaeologists Claim Byzantine-Era Church is Highly Significant

Archaeologists with the Israel Antiquities Authority have made what they claim to be a major discovery. They believe that they have found a Byzantine-era church that was built on the site of the home...
1500-year-old baptismal font discovered at place of Jesus’ birth. Source: Christian Media Center – English / YouTube Screenshot.
2 July, 2019 - 21:43 Ed Whelan

1500-Year-old Concealed ‘Font Within A Font’ Found At Jesus’ Birthplace

A remarkable find has been announced at the Church of the Nativity, which Christians believe marks the location of Jesus Christ’s birthplace. Experts who have been working on restoring the have...
Modern Representation of a Varangian Guard.
20 June, 2019 - 22:33 Riley Winters

Varangian Guard: Bodyguards and Berserkers of the Byzantine Empire

Read Part 1 The tale of the Varangians continues in its prime in the form of the Varangian Guard, a prominent and selective Byzantine army arising in the 10th century. Composed of the Scandinavian...
Byzantium survived the Arab invasions by developing a new system of defense.
10 April, 2019 - 14:03 Michael Goodyear

Adapting to Survive: How Byzantium Survived the Arab Invasions

The seventh century was a vital point in the history of the Byzantine army. Since the beginning of the century, territory in the Balkans had steadily been lost to Avars and Slavs . Byzantine forces...
Mosaic of the Byzantine Emperor Isaac I Komnenos
27 March, 2019 - 17:50 Ed Whelan

Shock Findings In Ancient Garbage Mound Indicate Byzantine Empire Was In Major Decline BEFORE the Rise of Islam

Major archaeological discoveries can take place in the most unlikely places. In Israel, experts have made a very important discovery after an investigation of an ancient garbage dump. The abrupt way...
Arch of Diocletian
16 March, 2019 - 00:58 Ed Whelan

Sufetula, A Once Affluent Roman City Fit for the Gods

Unexpectedly perhaps, North Africa has a great many historic sites and Tunisia, with its long and illustrious history, is a country with particularly notable archaeological wonders. The...
Relief representing a two-headed eagle on the sphinx located at the right of the Sphinx Gate, Alaca Höyük, Turkey.
24 January, 2019 - 13:59 Carly Silver

How a Two Headed Bird of Prey Ruled Ancient Mesopotamia and Hatti

Several infamous empires of the early modern period and current modern periods bore curious insignia. The Byzantine, Austrian, and Russian Empires all adopted the symbol of a mythical creature, a...
‘Invincible’ a modern depiction of a battle between Rus and Khazars.
29 December, 2018 - 22:52 dhwty

The Khazars: A Forgotten Medieval Empire that Ruled the Northern Caucasus

"The Khazar people were an unusual phenomenon for Medieval times. Surrounded by savage and nomadic tribes, they had all the advantages of the developed countries: structured government, vast and...
The keep of Kolossi Castle.
18 December, 2018 - 01:53 dhwty

The Incredible History of Kolossi Castle - Won By Richard the Lionheart, Home to the Knights Templar, and Birthplace of the King of Wines

Kolossi Castle is a medieval castle located on the island of Cyprus. The original castle was built during the 13 th century, not long after the island was conquered by the Crusaders. Although Kolossi...
Portrait of Ivan IV, the first tsar of Russia, by Viktor Vasnetsov.
10 December, 2018 - 22:57 dhwty

Ivan the Terrible: How Did He Become the First Tsar of Russia?

The Tsar of Russia was the title used by the ruler of the Tsardom of Russia, a state that existed from 1547 to 1721. The Tsardom of Russia was preceded by the Grand Principality of Moscow, and was...
The rare hoard, which includes Christian coins, has been linked to "one of the most dramatic events in the history of Caesarea."
5 December, 2018 - 13:55 Ed Whelan

Rare Gold ‘Christian Coins’ Shed Light on the Story of a Crusader Massacre in Ancient Caesarea

Many archaeological finds cannot be linked to one particular dramatic event. However, the recent discovery of a hoard of coins can be linked to one very significant event in the era of the Crusades,...
Komnenian Dynasty mosaic in the Hagia Sofia, Istanbul, Turkey. The Virgin Mary and baby Jesus are flanked by John II Komnenos and his wife, Irene of Hungary.
30 November, 2018 - 22:55 dhwty

The Komnenian Dynasty: The Byzantine Royal Family that Kept Coming Back

The Komnenos (also spelled as Comnenus) family was a medieval noble family from Paphlagonia, Anatolia, in modern day Turkey. During the 11th century, the Komnenian Dynasty was founded. This dynasty...
The Fall of Constantinople
29 November, 2018 - 13:57 Mark Miller

The Fall of Constantinople: Relentless Ottoman Fire Power Finally Pulverizes the Last Vestiges of the Roman Empire

Constantinople stood against sieges and attacks for many centuries, until finally new technology—the big cannons of the Ottoman Empire—brought down the Byzantine Empire’s capital. The fall of...
A miniature depicting the defeat of the Georgian king George I ("Georgios of Abasgia") by the Byzantine emperor Basil II. Skylitzes Matritensis, fol. 195v.
26 November, 2018 - 13:45 Mark Miller

Byzantine Basil II: He Took an Icon of the Virgin into Battle Then Gouged Out the Eyes of Foes

The horrors and mass slaughters that many monarchs around the world perpetrated in ancient and more modern times may be eclipsed by the Byzantines, including Byzantine Emperor Basil II, known as...
The Hagia Sophia, an iconic work of architecture that housed many iconic works of art.
23 November, 2018 - 13:56 Mark Miller

How Byzantine Art and Architecture Captivated the Known World

The rich, beautiful art and opulent architecture of the Byzantine Empire glorified Jesus, the saints, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the emperors. Byzantine art motifs, the mosaics, paintings, and...
Heraclius is depicted beheading Choroses, the Persian king as Cherubim angels look on.
21 November, 2018 - 13:57 Mark Miller

Wild Success and Deplorable Failure: The Cursed Reign of Heraclius, Byzantine Emperor

The reign of Heraclius, the Byzantine emperor from 610 to 641, reads like a series of disasters that continued to be visited on his heirs. In between the disasters he had some successes, but he and...

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