There have been many books written about history research and writing. History is a way of telling important narratives about the past. It’s an act that goes against the common attitude of the times. People in this day and age are more interested in instant gratification than in actually doing anything that requires effort beyond their jobs. One of the reasons that I was attracted to history in the first place was because it allowed for me to get away from the travails of the modern age. I find the act of writing history to quite soothing. In comparison with many other hobbies, I love the idea of writing about history; It is a great way to connect with the past and my ancestors.
Writing vs Making videos on YouTube
The issue with writing about history is that it can mentally be grueling at times. It would so easy just to turn off the brain and simply watch television, but I refuse to do that. It is important that I continue spending my time trying to impart wisdom onto the planet. Spending time watching television can be entertaining but there are more useful uses of my time. That is why I write on this blog. However, it is a tough subject that requires time and effort. Unlike taking photographs on a smartphone, writing on one’s laptop or a piece of paper requires that one take maintenance of one’s thoughts. You need to actually be able to organize what you are thinking in order to write about history; photography is really a simplistic practice that honestly is easy to learn. Writing on other hand does not have the instant gratification that people want. It takes a special person to want to write these days; it takes someone who is creative and willing to challenge norms to want to write, especially about history.
This is not to say that video-making doesn’t have its place. It certainly is the way that many people communicate and express themselves. However, something is lost when one is not writing something. The beauty of communicating with words is that one does not need to reveal one’s physical body in order to reveal their opinions. If they wish to remain hidden behind a pen name, then they can pursue that opportunity.
This is why I write about the Byzantine Empire almost every month. I am interested in the story of how an empire went from pagan to Christian and that is very important story that needs to be told. While most people would be content to simply state that the Byzantine Empire was Christian and leave it that, I am more interested in how that transition occurred in the empire and how people were affected by that change in religion. In this day and age, Christianity is almost ignored by many people and the pagan culture of Rome is emphasized in the teaching and the learning. I believe that the time has come to people interested in the Christian empire once again.
Of course, it would be easy just to make videos on these topics but I have decided that it is probably more important to write. Making videos is easy. What’s harder is trying to write a narrative that can appeal to all kinds of people out there. Video watching is often more passive than reading, which requires putting thoughts together and making connections. While television can do the same thing, it’s not at the same level. Reading requires imagination in a way that televisual communication does not require.
That is why I decide to write. To challenge myself and to impart knowledge to others. Making videos is fun but there something really satisfying about putting words on a screen and making sentences come to life. I have always been a man who was interested in writing, and I am going to continue writing so that Byzantine history gains more prominence with the public in America and other countries. Writing is so satisfying to the human condition.
The Importance of reaching the Youth on Byzantine History
Earlier this year I purchased a pair of comic books made by highly talented and experienced people in Greece. These comic books are some of the best works I have seen with comic books. Instead of focusing on superhumans, these books focus on the exploits and lives of people that part of the Byzantine aristocracy in the 10th and 11th centuries. This book, Theophano as I have already reviewed in this article is a great example of how people are taking matters into their hands and producing valuable cultural products that will teach generations. It may seem that I am just giving flattery for the sake of it but I am not. This book as well as Basil Basilieus are examples of great pop literature. They are not Madame Bovary or A Tale of Two Cities, but they are very important parts of the Modern Greek canon. This sort of pop literature can coexist with academic literature that is made by eminent scholars from many universities. I believe that it is important that we continue to spread the knowledge about the Byzantines in any way that we can.
Writing about the Great Men of Byzantine History
When I decide to write about great figures in the history of the Byzantines, like Basil II or Manuel Komnenos, I am interested in revealing their stories and revealing new insights to them. It is important that we as amateur historians try to expand our understanding of these important historical events. It is important that we humanize these figures and give them a whole perspective that is sometimes missing in the original sources, which tend to emphasize hagiographies. I am not trying to be Eusebius, who wrote many writing that praised the glory of Constantine and denigrated his opponents like Maxentius and Licinius. I am seeking to provide a more rational and more nuanced look at these characters in history. While some of them were truly extraordinary men, it is vital that we reveal the truth behind their amazing exploits, especially Emperors like Basil II and Nikephoros Phokas.
The Importance of Highlighting the contributions of Christianity
Human beings have a tendency to glorify what is unfamiliar with them, especially when the dominant strain of thought is has a reputation for being something boring. This is the issue with Modern Christianity, at least for those of the younger generation who are infatuated with the nature idealism of Wiccans or supposed rationality of the secularists. Christianity in America tends to be heavily attacked by the people in the ivory towers. The universities are filled with people who just want to critique Christianity. It is important that some of us decide to take the fight to redeem the nature of the Byzantine Empire. It isn’t just something that professional academics can do; we need to all be part of it, making an effort to revise the view that the Byzantines were nothing more than a decadent empire that was incapable of reform.
Christianity was very important for helping the Byzantines be so successful in the tumultuous years after the conquest of Egypt and the Near East by the Muslims. That story should be told and I believe that it is my duty to impart the knowledge about the Byzantine Empire. Even though it is a tough job, I believe that it is doable and that the world will greatly benefit from learning the truth of what really made the Byzantine Empire turn and prosper for so many years.
Byzantine-Empire.com 