090053 VO Introduction to Byzantine Studies (2026S)

Byzantium, the thousand-year-old medieval empire in the eastern Mediterranean, evokes a wide range of associations: golden mosaics, the metropolis of Constantinople, the Orthodox Church, and medieval emperorship are just a few of them. This lecture provides an overview of the history, culture, and society of the Byzantine Empire from the 4th to the 15th century while also introducing Byzantine Studies as an academic discipline. Upon successful completion of the course, students will be familiar with the basic features of Byzantine history and society, and will be able to navigate the field of Byzantine Studies independently.

Building on an introduction to major historical developments, the lecture addresses various fundamental aspects of Byzantine civilization, such as emperorship, the church, and cultural and social diversity. The richness of historical sources is presented, including both texts (treatises and commentaries, narrative texts, poems, letters, etc.) and material culture (e.g., architecture, artifacts, seals, coins, etc.). At the same time, the lecture outlines the basic principles of various methodological approaches within the field (social and political history, philology, philosophy, art history, archaeology, etc.). Depending on the interests of the participants, specific focal points will be set later in the semester to illustrate, through examples, the interplay of different sources and methodological approaches (e.g., concepts of body and mind, time and temporality, urban and rural life).

The knowledge is conveyed in the form of a lecture. Additionally, students are required to read and reflect on a selected text for each class. Through active discussion of these readings in class, the lecture material is further deepened.