Saksagan
Icon Painting Instructions in Hermenia
The Hermenia, written by Dionysios of Mount Athos, provides detailed instructions for painting religious scenes. For example, it includes guidance on how to paint...
Thalia Gouma-Peterson’s Perspective on Byzantinising
Another important view on this subject is offered by Thalia Gouma-Peterson. She explains the term “byzantinising” mainly from an art historical point of view....
Defensive Works at the Bucoleon Palace
Some historians, including Labarte and Schlumberger, argue that Emperor Nicephorus Phocas surrounded the Palace of Bucoleon with special defensive works, effectively making it a...
Heraclius and the Defence of Hormisdas
As mentioned earlier, in 610, Heraclius appeared with a fleet before Constantinople to end the tyranny of Emperor Phocas. At that time, the quarter...
Transition from Hormisdas to Bucoleon
The name “Palace of Hormisdas” gradually disappears around the same time the term “Bucoleon” begins to appear. This supports the idea that both names...
Was There More Than One Basilike Pyle?
A key question now arises in the study of the Basilike Pyle, or Imperial Gate. Do Byzantine writers describe this gate in ways that...
Difficulty of Reaching a Final Decision
It is not easy to choose between the different opinions about the true position of the Basilike Pyle, also called the Imperial Gate. The...
Leunclavius and the Identification of the Imperial Gate
According to the historian Leunclavius, the Imperial Gate of Constantinople should be identified with the Horaia Pyle, also known as the Gate of the...
The Confusion Over the Gate’s Name
Historians do not agree about the true name of a certain entrance in the walls of Constantinople. Some believe that this gate is the...
The Golden Gate and the Changing Fortunes of the Byzantine Empire
The Golden Gate of Constantinople played an important role in the city's military and political history. This gate was not only a symbol of...
