Welcoem to posts!!
in the future - u will be able to do some more stuff here,,,!! like pat catgirl- i mean um yeah... for now u can only see others's posts :c
The Palaiologoi wish you all the merriest of Christmases!
It seems that every year I must draw a Christmas card with the Roman dynasty that I am down the rabbit hole with. Oh well, hopefully your holiday are not as depressing as Manuel II Palaiologos and his family's daily life... (I promise, I will try to publish my 1453 video before the end of this year and show you all just how painful it is to even research it)
185 - 24
I wish to end Eastern Rome Summarized with something special: a Q&A regarding all your Eastern Roman history related questions.
This is supposed to be announced in my next video (1453) but I might as well let it be known now so that you have more time to prepare and submit your questions, and likewise I can look into the topics which intrigue you.
Feel free to send in questions from about the late 3rd century all the way to the mid 15th century, through YouTube comments, my email, or my Instagram. You can already do so by replying to this post.
Social/cultural history questions are of course also welcome alongside the usual political/military history ones, but please try to not send in anything which requires way too much specific knowledge like "what metaphor was Prodromos using in this poem?" or "how did the artisans of Trebizond get their hands on spolia from Constantinople to use in their Hagia Sophia?" You can of course also send in questions a bit before and after the specified timeframe or even a bit beyond the frontiers of the ERE but please don't expect me to answer any burning questions you may have about the American Revolution.
That's it from me, looking forward to your questions!
52 - 21
For those who have seen the latest video, let me know your favorite parenting style!
(https://youtu.be/XcgMDavMwak?si=rPVJu... for context)
18 - 1
It seems lately my content has been getting some traction in Hong Kong? Second place in top geography this month, beating Greece? If that's the case, thank you very much, no matter the reason! I never expected the land where the greatest cinematographic productions in the Sinosphere take place to find an interest for my Medieval Roman videos. If there are any HKers reading this, maybe you could also provide an explanation so I know what I did right and how I could continue to improve :)
65 - 17
Full account of Manuel II Palaiologos' Journeys, from London to Pontos. Please read my article here: www.medievalists.net/2024/09/travels-manuel-ii-pal…
This is a follow-up to my post from last week, when I announced the publication of my shortened article on Natalie's magazine. This time, it's none other than medievalists.net (@Medievalists ) who is posting it! So quite an honor, in my humble opinion. Now you may enjoy my whole text in its fully cited, primary sourced-furnished glory! Also you can scroll down all the way to download my pdf text as the online article doesn't support footnotes.
Manuel II's reign will be recounted in the next two videos of Eastern Rome Summarized. Hope you're all ready for his story; truly, few in Roman or world history could compete with the complete drama and impressiveness of his character.
84 - 10
Manuel II was the perfect Palaiologan prince: he was a man of the most refined traits and characteristics, defying the trend of meekness so prevalent among his closest family members. Thus, it was my greatest pleasure to write an article about the travels of this daring and determined diplomat who journeyed much of Europe and Asia Minor for his Empire.
A shortened version of the article is already published in the amazing medieval magazine of @Bibliotecanatalie , great friend of my channel. Please read it here: heyzine.com/flip-book/4584c0e4d7.html#page/77
And if this snippet has gotten your appetite up, I recommend you to 1) wait for news of the publication of my full article, which is a much more developed and detailed account as befitting the autokrator and 2) expect my next Eastern Rome Summarized video where Manuel II would be a protagonist! (Yes his father Ioannes V would be the reigning Emperor for most of the screen time but it was Manuel II who actually did anything beneficial to the state so he’s the one that matters)
100 - 16
Persian Astronomy in New Rome
The 14th century was a political disaster, but intellectual heaven for the Romans. One of the earliest fascinating movements in this period was the craze for Persian astronomy.
Gregorios Chioniades, a Constantinopolitan, wished ardently to study the stars under the Persian masters in the Ilkhanate. His own Palaiologan Emperor couldn't help him, so he turned to the Trapezuntine Komnenoi. Emperor Alexios II Megas Komnenos helped him obtain passage to Iran and gain the trust of the schools there (who suspected him of being a Roman spy), so Chioniades was indebted to Trebizond for his education under the famous Sham al Din Bukhari. In Iran, he studied hard and translated several Persian treatises, bring them home with him to the Empire of Trebizond. His return sparked a sudden surge of interest in Persian astronomy, and the Romans attempted to catch up with the Islamic world's advancements while they still read Ptolemy.
In Constantinople, Theodoros Metochites, mesazon of Andronikos II, always looking to expand his knowledge, caught up with the trend. He hired a polymath, Manuel Bryennios, to teach him everything about astronomy around 1316, and he learned fast. He was able to take a young student of his own, another polymath, the talented youth Nikephoros Gregoras. Although we primarily remember Gregoras as a historian, we should not neglect his expertise in astronomy, the fruit of Constantinople's formidable "astronomical dynasty".
In 1324, Gregoras presented his findings about a reform to the Julian Calendar, proposing a newer, more accurate one using his astronomical knowledge. These reforms would be what Pope Gregory XIII implemented 200 years later, and here was Gregoras, already announcing to the world his innovations! Unfortunately, Andronikos II refused them to avoid church disunion.
57 - 6
And so we advance further and deeper down the Palaiologan abyss with the new Eastern Rome Summarized video: https://youtu.be/QameplX7otI?si=I05qr...
Next time: Emperor Ioannes V Palaiologos submits as a Catholic to the Pope and a vassal to the Ottoman Sultan. Yay!
15 - 3
Apparently the new Byzansins format video about Vikings: Valhalla you guys really like. Would you like to see more content of this type? Reviews about Eastern Roman-related media, whether good or bad? I propose some categories of TV series/films here to just get an idea of your general interest, though I won't be reviewing one of these any time soon because re-editing my whole original 1 hour video sapped my brain energy (reminder you can still watch that uncut version for free on Patreon: www.patreon.com/posts/everything-wrong-109233548?u…) but when I restore my cerebral vitality, which of these following would you like me to talk about? Any other suggestions is fine, as well as ones about novels too.
22 - 16
Salvete, I now have a Patreon and an exclusive reward for my early supporters!
After quite some requests to set up a Patreon where you may directly support me, I finally have one: www.patreon.com/Byzansimp I created a variety of tiers based on Eastern Roman court and imperial titles, I'm sure you can find one most convenient for yourself if you wish to join in. And to show my utmost gratitude for any of you who are willing to become my patron from these first days, I offer this extra reward for ANYONE who subscribes to ANY paid tier before August 4th, 2024: I will draw you in accordance to the tier you pledged to, in the finest medieval Roman fashions.
What does this mean? Say for example, you pledge to the tier called "Kaisar/Kaisarissa" on my Patreon: if you want, you can send me a photo or avatar of yourself, then I will return to you a sketch (lineart+basic coloring) of yourself in the costume of an actual Kaisar, as described by Eastern Roman encyclopedic sources such as Pseudo-Kodinos. If you get one of the higher tiers, say "Emperor/Empress of Thessaloniki" or "Emperor/Empress of Trebizond", I'll not only do a sketch but a full artwork with color and shading of you in imperial dress, like the artworks I make of actual Roman Emperors. Usually, I would only offer customized portraits to those who get the highest tier, "Autokrator/Autokratorissa ton Rhomaion", but I think early support should be met back with great rewards.
So I really look forward to meeting you on Patreon, if you even find a little appeal in the content I create then go check it out, I would be thankful even if you join in as a free member. It's really not a piece of cake to maintain a channel that requires so much effort while I pursue my studies: my art is handdrawn instead of AI-generated, and I have to read primary literature rather than skim through wiki when I write my videos. I do not intend to diminish the quality of my content in any way. You'd really be helping me a lot for as little as a euro a month.
Thank you for reading and I wish you all the very best!
26 - 1
This channel is dedicated to Eastern Rome, its history, its culture, its legacy and its neighbors. I try to post as regularly as possible, all illustrations in my videos are mine unless stated otherwise.
Current Series:
Eastern Rome Summarized
East Roman Literature
East Roman Historiography
...more to come
Thank you for taking the time to browse my channel.