SEMINAR: THE BYZANTINE SEVENTH CENTURY

This seminar focuses on a critical period of the Byzantine history. The violent reign of Phocas, the dogmatic disputes between the Church of Constantinople and the Eastern Churches, as well as climate changes, natural disasters, and pandemic outbreaks, weakened the Byzantine Empire, while powerful opponents appeared in the East and the West. Students are expected to produce an essay and defend it in an oral presentation.

The students will:

• Understand a critical period of the early medieval history
• Study the rise of Islam
• acquire a rich perspective on byzantine social history
• become familiar with the primary sources of the 7^th-century Byzantium
• develop an ability to write with clarity about historical events and defend it in an oral presentation

Week #1: Introduction – sources

Week #2: Historical outline

Week #3: Constantinople in the 7^th C.

Week #4: The 7^th century Byzantine society

Week #5: Byzantium and Persia

Week #6: The emergence of Islam – Byzantium and Arabs

Week #7: Balkans in the 7^th century

Week #8: Urban life

Week #9: Countryside life

Week #10: Presentation of the assignments 

Week #11: Presentation of the assignments 

Week #12: Presentation of the assignments 

Week #13: Presentation of the assignments 

J.-C. Cheynet (ed.), Ο βυζαντινός κόσμος – Η Βυζαντινή Αυτοκρατορία (641-1204) τόμ. Β’, Αθήνα 2012.

Haldon, Byzantium in the Seventh Century: The Transformation of a Culture. Cambridge 1990

Kaegi, Ηράκλειος. Αυτοκράτορας του Βυζαντίου, Αθήνα 2007

Ι. Καραγιαννόπουλος, Ιστορία του βυζαντινού κράτους, Θεσσαλονίκη 1995

Open lectures.

Critical reading and analysis of source material

Written assignment.