The Byzantine culture It is one of the most important of the Middle Ages since, although most of the people usually associate this historical period with the barbarian invasions that put an end to the Roman Empire in the West , the Byzantine Empire managed to survive for more than a thousand years after the fall of Rome. This allowed him to continue prospering and developing his own culture and his own traditions, which, later, would reach western Europe from the fifteenth century.
What do you know about the Byzantine culture? Then we will approach it from the most surprising perspective, that of its changes, curious customs, the origin of its rulers, the language they spokeâ € | Everything that will allow you to draw a little better in your mind how those who lived in this time and society.
The Byzantine Culture | 10 Curiosities that ... did you know?
1. A new capital: Constantinople, before Byzantium
The Byzantine culture, as well as the Byzantine Empire, receives its name from the original name the capital of the empire: Constantinople. This city, which currently corresponds to Istanbul in Turkey, was named after the Roman emperor Constantine, although this was not the real name of the city. Ancient Greek city that reformed. Yes it was Byzantium , original name of where comes the name of the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantine Empire.
After leaving the city of Rome, in clear decline, Constantine moved to Byzantium, which although had a privileged strategic location, had little imperial grandeur. However, in only 6 years, the emperor turned the port city into a place capable of being compared with the splendid Rome of long ago. Buildings such as forums, universities and great walls adorned the new city that earned the title of world capital.
Although its original name, from the year 303, was "New Rome", the nickname "Constantinople" was popularized in honor of Constantine and finally it was this name that went down in history.
2. Problems of inheritance: two children and an empire
The Byzantine culture has its origin in the city of Byzantium. However, the origin of the Byzantine Empire can be found in the Roman emperor Theodosius. The internal crises of the Roman Empire, as well as the ineffectiveness of its army in curbing the barbarians on the northern borders, had created great instability throughout its territory. To this, it was necessary to add the fact that, due to the dimension that had reached the Roman Empire, his reign was really complicated. Because of the sum of all these factors, in the year 395 AD, the Emperor Theodosius chose to divide the empire into two different empires . On the one hand, the Roman Empire of the West, with capital in Mediolanum (now Milan) and later Ravenna, which was given to his son Honorius . And the Eastern Roman Empire, or Byzantine Empire, with capital in Constantinople, that was given to his son Arcadio , which supposed the beginning of the Byzantine Empire with full and complete autonomy.
3. It was not called Byzantine Empire until it no longer existed
As it happens in other cases, it was not until much later, between the XVIII and XIX centuries that the term "Byzantine Empire" began to be used to refer to the Byzantine culture and its territories. In fact, those who belonged to this empire in his time would not have known what he meant by anyone using this term.
The Byzantines called themselves "romaioi" or Romans, because after all that was the origin of their culture and the Emperor Constantine. In spite of the Greek and Eastern influence, the Byzantines always celebrated their Roman origins.
4. The Eunuchs of Byzantium
In the Byzantine culture the presence of eunuchs It was very usual and they had very diverse positions within society, occupying places as different as courtiers, generals and priests.
The idea of holding them responsible for such charges is that, not being able to generate, they did not pose a threat when it came to inheriting titles and privileges.
Of course, they could not have their own children did not mean they did not consider their closest family, so there are records that some of them, like Juan the Orphanotrophos-adjudicated privileged positions to those who considered "as brothers", causing the fear between the rest of powerful families and the own emperor, forcing them to exile.
It is curious that castration was forbidden in the Byzantine culture and, nevertheless, there were so many eunuchs in Byzantium. It is believed that the majority of castrated young people were enslaved in places outside the empire and suffered mutilation also in these areas where Byzantine law did not apply. In this way, they were then transferred to the empire to serve it. It is also known that some humbler families castrated voluntarily some of their children to achieve privileges that would not otherwise have been able to access, throughout their lives.
5. The emperor without a nose
As you read it, Emperor Justinian II was the one who, after being dethroned in the year 695, was mutilated, losing his nose and seeing his tongue split. In addition, he was sent into exile.
After several more assassination attempts, Justinian II allied with the Bulgarian khan and returned to Constantinople to attack it and regain his place in Byzantine culture. As expected, he regained his right as emperor and reigned with a golden nose and an interpreter that helped him to express himself, because his severed tongue did not allow him to express himself clearly.
6. Purple births
In Byzantine culture the color purple was considered the imperial color, because only those who belonged to the emperor's family could wear clothes dyed this color.
That is why children born to an emperor and his empress wife were considered porphyrogennetos -Bloods in Purple. These offspring were very loved by the people and enjoyed privileges and rights that those children did not have, even if they were older than them, who had not been born while their father held the office of the emperor.
You can learn more about them in: " Born in Purple or Pofirogéogénetas. Who were these real children? "
7. Byzantine diglossia: Latin and Greek
One of the most striking features of the Byzantine culture was its diglossy, that is, two languages . The Byzantine Empire maintained Latin as an official language inherited from its Roman origin. However, classical Greek was also widely used both as a cultured and colloquial language. This influence was due to the proximity to Greece , as well as the adoption of this language in religious use, which made the Greek language spread throughout the entire Byzantine Empire.
8. The humble origin of its greatest emperor
It is curious that the best ruler of Byzantine culture and his empire was Justiniano I, who was born in the Balkans and lived as a commoner until his uncle, Justin I, prohijó.
In spite of being evidently a man of humble origin, something that betrayed his bad Greek accent, he was a born leader. His architectural projects, his territorial conquests and reforms of the laws of the empire showed that it mattered little where the emperor had been born, since he was undoubtedly the one to increase the greatness of Byzantium.
9. Starting point of the silk route
One of the aspects that must be taken into account when understanding the economic and cultural wealth of this empire is its privileged position from a geographical point of view . Constantinople is located right on the Bosphorus Strait, which separates the Sea of Marmara from the Black Sea, as well as the European and Asian continents. In this way, it was the starting point of the silk route, which connected medieval Europe with the eastern Indian markets. This meant that the Byzantine culture was closely linked to commerce and merchants, since its capital was a point of passage for the caravans that brought silks and spices from places as far away as India or China .
10. A Christian empire by law
Another aspect that can not be overlooked when talking about Byzantine culture was its strong union with religion, which was Christian. In the year 313, Emperor Constantine promulgated the Edict of Milan , which allowed religious freedom in the Roman Empire. This caused that Constantinople also became a city especially attractive for the first Christians. However, less than fifty years later, what had once been a persecuted religion, became a persecutor. The celebration of pagan rituals was prohibited death penalty , Y the pagan temples were closed, when not looted or destroyed . This climate of violence was maintained over the following decades and, finally, the Emperor Theodosius, promulgated the Edict of Thessaloniki , that prohibited any religious cult that was not the Christian. In this way, the Byzantine Empire was built on a foundation based on Christianity, which would be reflected in all the manifestations of Byzantine culture.
As you can see, the Middle Ages is much more than the kingdoms of Western Europe to which we are accustomed. While peoples like the Goths and the Franks fought at the far end of the continent to forge their nations, right on the easternmost side of the Mediterranean an heir empire of the great Roman Empire flourished and, in one way or another, managed to survive for over a thousand .