EUROPE - Helm History

Kubrat’s Sons: The Founding of the First Bulgarian Empire

The origin of the modern Bulgarians is associated with Turkic people who in the past inhabited the Caucasus region. From there they gradually migrated westward and southward toward the Balkan Peninsula. Origins Sources concerning the Proto-Bulgarians are relatively scarce, and the study of their history relies heavily on early Byzantine authors. Of particular importance is […]

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Emperor Constantine and The Serbs: A Byzantine Perspective

MEDIEVAL

In his work De administrando imperio, Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus describes Serbs. According to his statements, Serbs are descended from the so-called White Serbs. Settled “on the other side of Turkey” a name that refers to the modern day Hungary). Serbs called that country Bojki/Boiki. According to some historians, it is Bohemia, which would mean their

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Liutprand of Cremona’s Byzantine Diplomacy

MEDIEVAL

Liutprand of Cremona was a Lombard diplomat born in the early 10th century into a noble Lombard family. As a young man, he distinguished himself at the court of the ruler Hugo of Arles (926-945) with his knowledge and diction. He received his education at the court in Pavia, and later became a deacon of

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Byzantium to the world: The Influence of Byzantine Education

MEDIEVAL

Byzantium, also known as The Byzantine Empire was the heir of ancient Greece in terms of education and culture. The only significant difference was religion, which partially changed and influenced education. The first level of education started at the age of 6-7. Children learned to write and read, to count and to sing. The basic

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Celts in The Heart of Balkan: Exploring the Gallic Invasion

ANTIQUITY

The Celts were part of the Indo-European group of people. Their tribes and groups ranged from the British Isles and northern Spain to as far east as Transylvania, the Black Sea coasts, Anatolia and were partly absorbed into the Roman Empire as Britons, Gauls, Boii, Galatians, and Celtiberians. Linguistically they survive in the modern day Ireland, Highland Scotland, the Isle of Man, Wales, and Brittany. FIRST CELTS IN THE BALKANS In

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Constantinople: Building the New Rome On The Bosphorus

MEDIEVAL

At the beginning of the 4th century, Roman Empire found itself in a very critical situation. The empire had four emperors in the year 311. This system showed its weakness very quickly and the empire was suddenly in the middle of the civil war. Constantine, who would later be known as Constantine the Great, emerged

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The Influence of Hellenism on the Romans

ANTIQUITY

As Rome expanded, encountering diverse customs and cultures became inevitable. During the state’s expansion, a significant encounter was with Hellenistic culture, which held dominance in the Mediterranean. The influence of Hellenism on the Romans initiated when Roman forces occupied Greek cities. Greek-educated individuals, taken as slaves and brought into Roman households as teachers for Roman

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Slavs In Anatolia: Historical Migrations And Byzantine Wars

MEDIEVAL

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

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LANGUAGES OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE

MEDIEVAL

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

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WITCHES IN BALKAN FOLK BELIEF

MEDIEVAL

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,

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