A Cabinet of Byzantine Curiosities : Strange Tales and Surprising Facts From History's Most Orthodox Empire

"Weird, decadent, degenerate, racially mixed, superstitious, theocratic, effeminate, and even hyper-literate, Byzantium has long been regarded by many as one big curiosity. According to Voltaire, it represented "a worthless collection of miracles, a disgrace for the human mind"; for Hegel, it was "a disgusting picture of imbecility." A Cabinet of Byzantine Curiosities will churn up these old prejudices, while also stimulating a deeper interest among readers in one of history's most interesting civilizations. Many of the zanier tales and trivia that are collected here revolve around the political and religious life of Byzantium. Thus, stories of saints, relics, and their miracles-from the hilarious to the revolting-abound. Byzantine bureaucracy (whence the adjective "Byzantine"), court scandals, and elaborate penal code are world famous. And what would Byzantium be without its eunuchs, whose ambiguous gender produced odd and risible outcomes in different contexts? The book also contains sections on daily life that are equally eye-opening, including food (from aphrodisiacs to fermented fish sauce), games such as polo and acrobatics, and obnoxious views of foreigners and others (e.g., Germans, Catholics, Arabs, dwarves). But lest we overlook Byzantium's more honorable contributions to civilization, also included are some of the marvels of Byzantine science and technology, from the military (flamethrowers and hand grenades) to the theatrical ("elevator" thrones, roaring mechanical lions) and medical (catheters and cures, some bizarre). This vast assortment of historical anomaly and absurdity sheds vital light on one of history's most obscure and orthodox empires."-- Publisher's website Weird, decadent, degenerate, racially mixed, superstitious, theocratic, effeminate, and even hyper-literate, Byzantium has long been regarded by many as one big curiosity. According to Voltaire, it represented "a worthless collection of miracles, a disgrace for the human mind" for Hegel it was "a disgusting picture of imbecility." A Cabinet of Byzantine Curiosities will reinforce these old prejudices, while also stimulating a deeper interest among readers in one of history's most interesting civilizations. Many of the zanier tales and trivia that are collected here revolve around the political and religious life of Byzantium. Thus, stories of saints, relics, and their miracles--from the hilarious to the revolting--abound. Byzantine bureaucracy (whence the adjective "Byzantine"), court scandals, and elaborate penal code are world famous. And what would Byzantium be without its eunuchs, whose ambiguous gender produced odd and risible outcomes in different contexts? The book also contains sections on daily life that are equally eye-opening, including food (from aphrodisiacs to fermented fish sauce), games such as polo and acrobatics, and obnoxious views of foreigners and others (e.g., Germans, Catholics, Arabs, dwarves). But lest we overlook Byzantium's more honorable contributions to civilization, also included are some of the marvels of Byzantine science and technology, from the military (flamethrowers and hand grenades) to the theatrical ("elevator" thrones, roaring mechanical lions) and medical (catheters and cures, some bizarre). This vast assortment of historical anomaly and absurdity sheds vital light on one of history's most obscure and orthodox empires. "Weird, decadent, degenerate, tacially mixed, superstitious, theocratic effeminate, and even hyper-literate, Byzantium has long been regarded by many as one big curiosity. According to Voltaire, it represents 'a worthless collection of miracles, a disgrace for the human mind'; for Hegel, it was 'a disgusting picture of imbecility.' [This book] will churn up these old prejudices, while also stimulating a deeper interest among readers in one of history's most interesting civilizations. Many of the zanier tales and trivia that are collected here revolve around the political and religious life of Byzantium. Thus, stories of saints, relics, and their miracles--from the hilarious to the revolting--abound. Byzantine bureaucracy (whence the adjective 'Byzantine'), court scandals, and elaborate penal code are world famous. And what would Byzantium be without its eunuchs, whose ambiguous gender produced odd and risible outcomes in different contexts? The book also contains sections on daily life that are equally eye-opening, including food (from aphrodisiacs to fermented fish sauce), games such as polo and acrobatics, and obnoxious views of foreigners and other (e.g., Germans, Catholics, Arabs, dwarves). But lest we overlook Byzantium's more honorable contributions to civilization, also included are some of the marvels of Byzantine science and technology, from the military (flamethrowers and hand grenades) to the theatrical ('elevator' thrones, roaring mechanical lions) and medical (catheters and cures to the bizarre). This vast assortment of historical anomaly and absurdity shed vital light one on of history's most obscure and orthodox empires."-- Jacket Cover A Cabinet of Byzantine Curiosities Copyright Dedication Contents Preface Chapter I Marriage and the Family Chapter II Unorthodox Sex Chapter III Animals Chapter IV Food and Dining Chapter V Eunuchs Chapter VI Medical Practice Chapter VII Science and Technology Chapter VIII War—​By Any Means Chapter IX A Menagerie of Saints Chapter X Heresy and Scandal Chapter XI A Gallery of Rogues Chapter XII Inventive Insults Chapter XIII Punishments Chapter XIV Foreign Lands and People, a.d. 330–​641 Chapter XV Foreigners and Stereotypes, a.d. 641–​1453 Chapter XVI Latins, Franks, and Germans Chapter XVII Disasters—​Mostly Acts of God Chapter XVIII The Emperors Glossary Coin Images Illustration Credits Notes Marriage and the family -- Unorthodox sex -- Animals -- Food and dining -- Eunuchs -- Medical practice -- Science and technology -- War, by any means -- A menagerie of saints -- Heresy and scandal -- A gallery of rogues -- Inventive insults -- Punishments -- Foreign lands and people, 330-641 AD -- Foreigners and stereotypes, 641-1453 AD -- Latins, Franks, and Germans -- Disasters, mostly acts of God -- The emperors Byzantium has long been regarded by many as one big curiosity - decadent, degenerate, superstitious, theocratic, effeminate. With its tales and trivia - ranging across religion, bureaucracy, food, theatre, medicine, xenophobia, warfare - this book will confirm some of these prejudices, but also open eyes to the life of this extraordinarily interesting civilization.