Though it endured only a few years beyond this date, with Northern Italy lost, the Romans struggling to defend the Apennines - the Empire at the end of Justinian’s reign remains a staggering achievement. Always breathtaking to behold. Link to high res www.deviantart.com/cyowari/art/...

#OTD in 537 AD, the first Siege of Rome began, lasting for a year and nine days. The city was besieged by the Ostrogothic army led by king Vitiges. The Romans were commanded by general Belisarius. The siege ultimately failed, and Belisarius could continue his reconquest of Italy 🖼️Giorgio Albertini

A ghost from the past The SS United States, once the fastest ocean liner in the world, on her way to become artificial reef off the Florida's coast If you squint, you can imagine her tearing through the ocean waves again, a reminder of the golden age Courtesy of the captain of the tugboat "Vinik"

In 1400, emperor Manuel II arrived in London where he met with Henry IV. It was the first such visit to these islands by a Roman emperor since Constans arrived in Britannia in 343, more than 1,000 years before. And the first time since Constantine III left Britain in 407.

While emperor Claudius coming to Britain atop an elephant is a tempting scene, the reality was probably different, with "elephant" marking a sort of siege weapon. After all, the Romans had a history of using animal names to name military machines (aries, onager, scorpio, corvus)

After becoming "religio licita" under Constantine the Great, Christianity rapidly permeated all aspects of daily life in the Roman Empire. Signet rings with a prayer to God, like the silver ring from the Fine Arts Museum in Budapest (4th c), became ubiquitous among the wealthy

A poignant reminder of an eternal love The lions represent a married couple, female (mirror and a comb); male (pruning knife and grapes) - symbols of Aphrodite and Dionysius Under them is a Greek inscription, which once stood over a closed door, saying "The way is shut" Fine Arts Museum, Budapest

Imagine strolling down the street with a view like that to keep you amused. Mind you, that guy out on the bowsprit gives a good idea of how big some of those ships were. SS Milverton in Stewarts Dock, Manchester Road, Isle of Dogs, And no, this is not AI-generated shlock - photo taken in 1919

In 1900, Austro-Hungary opened the Bosnia Pavilion at the Paris World Fair. Its chief designer was celebrated art-nouveau artist Alfonse Mucha, who painted a stunning mural depicting Bosnia as a beautiful enthroned woman surrounded by her diverse people 🔽

#OTD in 532 AD, the Nika Riots, a protest against emperor Justinian's unpopular ministers and then a full-fledged rebellion, came to its bloody end, resulting in the death of 30,000 rioters. With stability restored, Justinian could now focus on the reconquest of the West. #byzantinebluesky

Veni, vidi, convedi, cubavi. I came. I saw. I fit. I reclined.

Καλά Χριστούγεννα! С Рождеством Христовым! Христос се роди! Today is Christmas according to the Julian calendar, which the Byzantines would have celebrated! Nativity of Christ mosaic, Santa Maria Maggiore, 5th century (one of earliest depictions of Nativity)

Happy Birthday, Professor, You've woven a world so vibrant and imbued in wonder that we find ourselves irresistibly drawn back to its shores, yearning to lose ourselves once more in its magic and lore. A part of Middle-earth shall forever reside within us.

For the start of 2025, a message from the ancient past, from the 4th century AD. New Year wishes written in Greek on a mosaic floor found in Halicarnassus (now Bodrum). Health, Life, Joy, Peace, Good Cheer, Hope. Wishes that transcend space and time. Happy New Year!

Justinian I, as a Triumphator (with a special triumphal crown decorated with peacock feathers), accompanied by the Imperial Spatharius, a member of the guard and a court dignitary in charge of carrying the Emperor's sword, and the Excubitor, the imperial bodyguard

It could be just me, but ivory miniatures are some of the most beautiful art ever made. Like this lovely Byzantine ivory carving depicting the scene of the Nativity Ca. 10th or 11th century, the time when the medieval Roman Empire was at its apex. Now, in the Vatican Museums

Did you know that emperor Justinian made #Christmas a civic holiday rather than a church festival? Now you know :) 🔽

In 274 AD, Emperor Aurelian declared the Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, or the birthday of Sol Invictus, the “Invincible Sun” - the chief god of the Roman Empire. The new festival celebrated the sun’s rebirth and symbolized hope and renewal. The day Aurelian chose was December 25.

Saturnalia, an ancient Roman festival and holiday in honor of the god Saturn, lasted seven days, from 17 December to 23 December. A public banquet was followed by private gift-giving, nonstop partying, and a carnival atmosphere that overturned all Roman social norms. IO SATURNALIA! 🖼️Fran Guil

The reconstruction of the Roman fortress of Babylon (Cairo). Built at the end of the 3rd century under the emperor Diocletian, this was the site of the stiffest resistance to the Arab invasion at the very end of the almost 700 years of the Roman rule over Egypt.

But it gets better. Despite this probably being first known contemporary portrait of the last emperor, the fresco is not envisioned as an official imperial portrait The person looking at us is a mature man, carrying the burdens of ruling the beleaguered Empire in its last years. Before the Fall.

This is huge. This stunning fresco probably shows one of the most famous figures from the long Roman Empire history - the last Byzantine emperor, Constantine XI Dragases Palaiologos! Recently discovered during renovations of the Taxiarchon Monastery in Aigialeia. #byzantinebluesky

In December 536 AD, Justinian's general Belisarius reconquered Rome from the Ostrogoths. For the first time since the fall of the Roman West, Rome again belonged to the Romans. Unfortunately, this triumph will soon turn into tragedy, with protracted war and plague ruining Italy and Rome.

Before the Guns of August... The daughters of a Prussian Garde-Landwehr officer pose with their father's helmet and sword during the last days of July 1914. Colored by @ColourbyRJM

You are a Roman soldier born in the province of Dalmatia (modern-day #Croatia). Most of your life you've spent on the Adriatic coast, in the warm Mediterranean climate. It is a paradise on Earth. And it is the heartland of the mighty #RomanEmpire. Your life is about to change... /1

Did you know that Plovdiv, ancient Phillippopolis, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited towns in the world? No wonder it's yielding priceless gems, like the head of a statue of the goddess Tyche (late 1st century AD - the middle of the 3rd century AD), unearthed last week.

Roman empress Zoe Porphyrogenita and her #cat Mechlebes (from the aromatic ground spice mahlepi); the most famous feline of the Middle Ages. As the empress' beloved pet, Mechlebes lived a life of opulence and luxury. Ioannes Tzetzes tells us the following: 🔽

A rare depiction of a sub-Saharan soldier in the Roman army, from Ashburnham Pentateuch, a late 6th- or early 7th-century Latin illuminated manuscript of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament). It shows Moses parting the Red Sea and drowning Pharaoh's army.

The German bodyguards of the Julio Claudian emperors - GERMANI CORPORIS CUSTODES - dedicate a funerary stone to a friend. During the 1st century AD, these soldiers were the only example of peregrini (or "foreigners") recruited into bodyguard units. 🔽

A fascinating example of Roman propaganda mixed with play. So-called Vettweiss-Froitzheim Dice Tower, bearing an inscription: PICTOS VICTOS HOSTIS DELETA LVDITE SECVRI "The Picts defeated, the enemy has been destroyed, play in safety." Now in Rheinisches Landesmuseum, Bonn.

A #map showing a rarely depicted period. The year is 1354, and a mighty Balkan realm - the Serbian Empire - is on the cusp of taking the remnants of the Byzantine state. It is hard to believe that only a year later, this powerful state dissolved into a mess of squabbling lords...

#OTD in 375 AD, emperor Valentinian I, a veteran soldier and capable ruler, died of apoplexy in the military camp at Brigetio (modern-day Komarom in Hungary) after an outburst of rage following the failed negotiation with the Quadi...

It is fascinating to look at the Empire of Constans II and the immense pressures it faced. Under his rule, the Roman Empire grappled with losing key territories to the Caliphate, yet Constans prevented the collapse. We can only imagine what would happen if he lived longer... 🔽

Was never into MTG, but perhaps it is time to jump in Or at least to get this card. As it is just...purrrfect :)

#OTD 332 BC, Alexander of Macedon was hailed as the Pharaoh of Egypt. Fresh of his victories against the Persians, Alexander founded Alexandria, his new capital. But he would not remain in Egypt for long. A few months later, Alexander would depart for the East and into the legend.

"Whereas the truth is that the State in which the rulers are most reluctant to govern is always the best and most quietly governed, and the State in which they are most eager, the worst." - Plato, Republic Dark times are coming...

So you wanna be a Varangian? The bodyguard of the Byzantine Emperor, ready to die for his imperial master, but also spend hours of boredom carving graffiti during a solemn mass in Hagia Sophia? It is an arduous and dangerous work, but it also brings wealth and fame. A thread 🧵

The so-called Helladia comb (ca. 395 / 641) was found in Antinoe, Egypt. This exquisite ivory artefact probably belonged to a fervent fan of chariot racing and the Blue faction. The inscription reads: "Long live the Fortune of Helladia and the Blues. Amen"

Founded in the war against Sextus Pompeius, the 'Legion of the Strait' spent most of its long history in the provinces of the Roman East, fighting Parthians, Sasanians, and zealots. The Tenth is last recorded in 410, located in Aila (a city on the northern coast of the Red Sea).

OTD in 324 AD, Constantine the Great proclaimed his son Constantius, Caesar, and bestowed the rank of Augusta on his mother, Helena, and his wife Fausta. Securing his dynasty, Consantine also upgraded the ancient city of Byzantion to the status of an imperial capital bearing his name.

A poignant reminder of an Empire long gone. The Byzantine icon known as the Nikopeia or Bringer of Victory had for centuries been carried by the Byzantine emperors into battle. After the Fourth Crusade, the icon was brought to Venice and placed in Basilica di San Marco.

“𝑀𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒, 𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡, 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑡ℎ, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑝𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟.” ~ Thucydides

An ambitious plan for a united Europe. Proposed in 1920, the aim was to create a new single, peaceful state with Vienna as its capital. The idea was bizarre and never had a chance to happen. And we all know what followed. Now, more than ever, we need a single European state.

Roman Empire expansion until the so-called Crisis of the Third Century Pay attention. The expansion to Mesopotamia was ephemeral, and the Romans controlled access to the Persian Gulf for a few months at best, if not less.

Having driven the emperor Honorius' forces into Ravenna, Alaric and his Goths laid siege to Rome. To support his siege, in 409 AD, Alaric attacked the port of Ostia at the mouth of the Tiber, capturing supplies destined for the city. A year later, Alaric sacked Rome.

#OTD in 378 AD, the Goths defeated the Roman field army of the East at the Battle of Adrianople. The emperor Valens and most of his high command perished on the battlefield. However, despite the heavy losses, the defeat did not lead to the collapse of the Roman Empire.

Everything is bigger when you are the king! This massive book is an atlas given to King Charles II of England in the 1660s by Dutch merchant Johannes Klencke. 1.75 meters in height (roughly 6 ft) by 1.9 meters wide when stretched open (about 6,5 ft) Now in the British Library

Set in the vestibule of Hagia Sophia, the 10th-century mosaic tells us the story, of the foundation of the City and the Great Church and of the Roman Empire timeless glory.

While the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople, in general, are also neglected and slowly crumbling, some parts are restored and pleasant to the eye. Still standing the test of time!

The atrium of Hagia Eirene is hiding a remarkable artifact. A sarcophagus that could belong to no one else than emperor Constantine the Great! Yet, this is how the Turks treat this valuable piece of history... And why Constantine, you ask? Well... read below for more :)