BYZANTINE HISTORY

The module on Byzantine History is a Medieval History course focusing on the history of the Eastern Roman Empire from 330 to 1453, known as the Byzantine Empire. Byzantine History encompasses the other half of the medieval world, including not only the Greek realm but also the entire eastern Mediterranean region (from the Balkans to Persia). This aspect of history is often overlooked in traditional education and continues to remain a mysterious and captivating domain.
The course in Byzantine History naturally follows from courses in Greek and Roman History and is parallel to Medieval History courses. It provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the Middle Ages, addressing issues related to periodization in late antiquity and the Middle Ages, as well as ongoing historiographical debates within a discipline that remains, to some extent, an unexplored field of research.

- Acquire a foundational understanding of the history of the Byzantine Empire and interpret its pivotal events within the broader framework of Medieval History.
- Comprehend the influences and cultural legacy of the Byzantine Empire.
- Cultivate a critical and independent approach to a variety of sources, including primary and secondary materials, and refine analytical skills for autonomously evaluating these sources.

Possessing a comprehensive grasp of Roman History proves highly advantageous.

Bisanzio è forse solo un simbolo insondabile,
segreto e ambiguo come questa vita,
Bisanzio è un mito che non mi è consueto,
Bisanzio è un sogno che si fa incompleto,
Bisanzio forse non è mai esistita...
(F. Guccini, Bisanzio, 1981)
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The module on Byzantine History (I and II) introduces the students to the History of Byzantium covering the entire millennium of its development (330-1453). In particular, the course of Byzantine History I focuses on the period between 330 and 1204. Among the topics discussed during the course students will be introduced to the passage from Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages, the development of Latin and Greek Europe, the safeguard of the classical heritage, the role of the Church.


1. Introduction to the Byzantine History. Empire - Orthodoxy - Hellenism: analysis and discussion.
2. The Byzantine studies: developments of a young field of research
3. Sources and methods for Byzantine History /1

4. Late antiquity and periodization of Byzantine history: transition from the Roman Empire to the Eastern Roman Empire: from Constantine (330) to Justinian (527)
5. Ruling the Mediterranean: Justinian (527-602) and his successors
6. The “resilient” empire (602-717): the rise of Islam and the crises of 7th and 8th centuries

7. Sources and methods for Byzantine History /2
8. The Christendom from Late Antiquity to the Triumph of Orthodoxy (843)
9. The Macedonian splendor (867-1056)

10. The crisis of the eleventh century and the rise of the papacy (1054-1081)
11. The dynasty of the Komnenoi and the first four Crusades through the Byzantine eyes (1081-1204)
12. The Latin domination (1204-1261), the reconquest of Constantinople and the end of the medieval empire

13. 1261-1453, the Paleologan emperors, the civil wars and the relationship with the Latin West
14. Introduction to research: the division between East and West in the Middle Ages / 1
15. Introduction to research: the division between East and West in the Middle Ages / 2

Stathakopoulos, D., A Short History of the Byzantine Empire (London, 2014) together with the other readings available in Moodle.
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Other suggestions:
Treadgold, W., Storia di Bisanzio (Bologna, 2005)
Ducellier, A. - Kaplan, M., Bisanzio, 4.-15. secolo (Cinisello Balsamo, 2005)
Gregory, T. E., A history of Byzantium (Malden, MA, 2005)
Haldon, J., Byzantium: A history, (Stroud, 2005)
Gallina, M., Bisanzio. Storia di un impero (secoli IV-XIII), (Roma, 2008)
Di Branco, M., Breve storia di Bisanzio (Roma, 2016)
Kaplan, M., Pourquoi Byzance? Un empire de onze siècles (Paris, 2016)
Harris, J., Introduction to Byzantium, 602–1453 (Abingdon, 2020

EVERY STUDENT is required to submit a review of a monograph chosen from the list provided on Moodle *15 days prior to the examination*. Such review must encompass an overview of the most significant points raised by the author and a critical discussion of the text.

The student must:

1) Read the text carefully.
2) Summarize the key passages, in order to clarify the structure of the text and the arguments used by the author to support a thesis or to reconstruct an event/period.
3) Comment, also proposing useful bibliographic references to deepen the topic.

The review must be no longer than 4 pages, font size 12, single spaced, approximately 3,000 words (including notes), related to an additional reading agreed upon with the instructor.

The assessment weight of the examination is as follows: Oral exam 70% + Review 30%.

The oral exam will be evaluated based on:

1) Overall judgment.
2) Knowledge and understanding of the topics discussed.
3) References to historical studies and sources.
4) Oral presentation.

Lectures and discussions about various articles, scientific publications, primary sources.
Students are expected to read the necessary primary and secondary sources.

Italian

FINAL DISSERTATION:
The lecturer supervises undergraduate and graduate theses dedicated to the social and religious history of the Byzantine Empire, Byzantine literature, and Byzantine philology (editions and translations of texts).
Students intending to dedicate their thesis to the Byzantine world must have knowledge of classical Greek or have taken two introductory courses in the Greek language.
The professor accompanies students during individual in-person meetings, introducing the research work, discussing the thesis structure, and correcting partial drafts submitted in advance. Therefore, students are encouraged to plan well in advance their research work, the time required for meetings with the lecturer, and the time for drafting and correcting the final paper.
The thesis must be completed 30 days before the beginning of the "uploading period" so that the lecturer can read and correct the final paper and the student can make necessary corrections.
Word limit for the thesis:
Undergraduate: 15/20,000 words; Graduate: 20/25,000 words.

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