INTRODUCTION TO BYZANTINE CIVILIZATION

This course offers an introduction to the history and civilization of the Eastern Roman Empire (330–1453), commonly referred to as the Byzantine Empire, understood as one of the major historical formations of the medieval world. Byzantium is examined as a complex political, cultural, and religious system situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean, the Balkans, and the Near East, and characterized by the continuous reworking of Roman and Greek heritage.
From the foundation of Constantinople to its fall in 1453, the Empire emerges as a dynamic space of transformation, in which imperial structures, political languages, and cultural forms are constantly redefined. Particular attention will be devoted to Byzantium’s role in the preservation, transmission, and reinterpretation of classical culture, as well as to its interactions with the Islamic world and Western Europe.
The course consists of 40 hours of in-person teaching and combines historical analysis with direct engagement with primary sources. The guided reading of texts in English translation constitutes a central component of the course and introduces students to the methods of critical analysis.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

-demonstrate a foundational yet critically informed knowledge of Byzantine history (4th–15th century), including its main problems of periodization;
-engage with major historiographical approaches to Byzantium, identifying their methods and limitations;
-identify and analyse forms, genres, and functions of Byzantine literary production in relation to classical heritage and historical context;
-contextualize sources and historical phenomena both diachronically and synchronically;
-apply critical tools to primary sources (in translation) and modern scholarship, distinguishing between evidence, interpretation, and hypothesis;
-navigate independently the basic historiography of Byzantine studies;
-present complex historical issues in a clear and structured manner using appropriate academic language.

A general knowledge of Greco-Roman history and classical literature is recommended.

The course is structured as a progressive pathway combining historical overview, thematic analysis, and methodological reflection. Through the examination of key chronological turning points and specific domains of political, religious, and cultural life, students will be guided to understand the complexity of Byzantine civilization and its long-term processes of transformation.

Particular attention will be devoted to the interaction between institutional structures, cultural production, and forms of representation of power and society, as well as to historiographical issues and the interpretation of sources. The aim is not only to provide a foundational knowledge of major events and developments, but also to equip students with the tools necessary for critical analysis within a broader historical perspective.

-Defining “Byzantium”: historiographical categories, chronology, and historical geography
-Continuity and transformation of the Roman Empire: from Late Antiquity to Byzantium
-The emperor and power: imperial ideology, representation, and legitimation
-Political and administrative structures: bureaucracy, court, and territorial governance
-Byzantine Christianity: institutions, doctrinal controversies, and the construction of orthodoxy
-Intellectual and cultural life: education, rhetoric, literary production, and transmission of knowledge
-Writing practices and circulation of texts: material culture and manuscript tradition
-Byzantium and the Islamic world: conflict, diplomacy, and cultural exchange
-Byzantium and the Latin West: contacts, tensions, and long-term interactions
-Crisis and transformation of the Empire (13th–15th centuries)
-The fall of Constantinople and the construction of Byzantine legacy

Stathakopoulos, D., A Short History of the Byzantine Empire (London, 2014)

Additional primary sources (in English translation) and an annotated bibliography will be provided via Moodle.

Assessment

The final grade is determined as follows:
oral examination (70%)
critical review of a monograph (Critical Review) (30%)

Critical Review
Students are required to submit, at least 15 days before the exam session, a critical review of a monograph selected from a list provided on Moodle.
The review must not exceed 4 pages (approx. 3,000 words including notes).
The assignment should not be limited to a summary of the volume, but must offer a critical analysis, with particular attention to:
-the historical problem addressed and the main thesis of the work;
-the use of sources and the methodological approach;
-the positioning of the work within the historiographical debate;
-comparison with other studies discussed during the course.
Particular emphasis will be placed on the ability to distinguish between textual evidence, interpretation, and historiographical construction.

Oral Examination
The oral examination will focus on the course content and the assigned readings, and will assess:
-understanding of the main historical problems addressed;
-ability to situate events and phenomena within a coherent framework;
-appropriate use of disciplinary language;
-ability to construct arguments based on evidence rather than description.

oral

The instructor is responsible for ensuring the authenticity and originality of all examinations and coursework. In cases of suspected academic misconduct, an additional on-site assessment may be required during the exams, which may differ from the standard format.

Oral Examination
The oral examination is graded on a 30-point scale according to the following criteria:

18–24/30 (pass) → basic understanding of the material, uncertain presentation, limited ability to elaborate
25–26/30 (fair) → adequate understanding, correct but insufficiently developed argumentation
27–28/30 (good) → clear and well-structured presentation, competent use of knowledge
29/30 (very good) → solid and independent argumentation, appropriate use of sources and disciplinary language
30/30 (excellent) → full mastery of the subject, strong critical ability and clarity of presentation
30/30 cum laude → particularly refined and original argumentation, full critical independence

Critical Review
The critical review is graded on a 30-point scale according to the following criteria:

18–24/30 (pass) → largely descriptive work, limited critical engagement
25–26/30 (fair) → well-structured, but limited historiographical comparison
27–28/30 (good) → solid analysis with initial elements of critical comparison
29/30 (very good) → well-developed analysis, informed use of bibliography
30/30 (excellent) → strong problematization and excellent command of historiographical debate
30/30 cum laude → particularly refined and original analysis, with advanced historiographical engagement

Lectures combined with class discussion and guided source analysis. Active participation is expected, and students are required to complete the assigned readings in advance.

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "International cooperation" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development