The reign of Constans II (641-668) faced early obstacles, with the most significant pressure coming from Arabs in the east. Things changed when chaos took over the Arab world, and the civil war between Mu’awiya I and Ali broke out. Mu’awiya became caliph in Syria, while Ali, the son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad, held power in […]
Slavs In Anatolia: Historical Migrations And Byzantine Wars Read More »
In the traditional Vlach/Aromanian communities of Timočka Krajina, the passing of a loved one is marked by a series of rituals and customs. This article explores the poignant moments surrounding death and rituals that define this cultural experience. Death and Rituals When someone passes away in a Vlach/Aromanian household, a poignant ritual unfolds. The oldest
Death and Rituals among Aromanians Read More »
The Byzantine Empire’s language dynamics reflect diverse social phenomena. Byzantium witnessed a diverse population, significant movements, and fluctuations in numbers. The absorption of foreign populations into the Empire, compared to its assimilation power, was notable. In the early Byzantine era, Greek prevailed in the eastern part. From the 2nd century BC, Latin influences varied, dominating
LANGUAGES OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE Read More »
Witch is an ordinary woman, like all the others, but a woman who is credited with supernatural powers. Only married women or those who have been married can be witches. It was believed that the witch sucks people’s blood and eats their hearts and livers, especially small children. She is extremely cruel to her family,
WITCHES IN BALKAN FOLK BELIEF Read More »
The first half of the 7th century was a very difficult period for Byzantine Empire. Many Germanic tribes threatened the Byzantine possessions in the West, and the Persians did the same in the East, while the Avars in the Balkans subjugated a good part of the Slavic tribes and attacked together. Byzantines tried to buy
SLAVIC-AVAR SIEGE OF CONSTANTINOPOLE Read More »
The Slavs, like many other barbarian peoples, left their striking mark in Roman sources. The opinion about the Slavs and their customs and religion was not significantly different from the Byzantine opinion about all other migrating peoples. Thus, Byzantine writers viewed the Slavs as mere barbarians whose beliefs and practices of their paganism were inhumane
OLD SLAVIC CUSTOMS IN BYZANTINE SOURCES Read More »
Despite the fact that Thessaloniki proved to be impregnable for the Slavs more than once, Slavs did not give up their intentions. The next story brought to us by the Miracles of St. Demetrius relates to the fate of Prince Prvud (Predab) and the new attack of the Slavs on the city. Prince Prvud, the
SLAVIC SIEGE OF THESSALONIKI (THIRD PART) Read More »
The miracles of Saint Demetrius bring us additional information about the critical position of the city of Thessaloniki, which was surrounded by Slavic tribes. This time we bring an episode about the Slavic siege of Thessaloniki under the leadership of Hacon/Haton in 614-616. It is said that during the time of Bishop John, the Slavs
SLAVIC SIEGES OF THESSALONIKI (SECOND PART) Read More »
A precious source for us when studying the Slavs in the Balkans at the end of the 6th century is the “Miracles of St. Demetrius”. This source was written in Greek and originates from the 7th century. There are two parts(two books). The first book was written around the year 620 and it is considered
SLAVIC SIEGE OF THESSALONIKI (PART ONE) Read More »
In the 7th century, the Byzantine Empire grappled with constant attacks on its borders, prompting a reassessment of defense strategies. A crucial aspect of this involved refining war techniques and weaponry.Amidst heightened vulnerability on the eastern border to aggressive Arab incursions, a unique weapon emerged – the mysterious Greek fire. The true originator of Greek
GREEK FIRE: DANGEROUS MEDIEVAL WEAPON Read More »