- Main
- History - Middle Eastern History
- A Cabinet of Byzantine Curiosities:...
A Cabinet of Byzantine Curiosities: Strange Tales and Surprising Facts from History's Most Orthodox Empire
Anthony KaldellisQuanto ti piace questo libro?
Qual è la qualità del file?
Scarica il libro per la valutazione della qualità
Qual è la qualità dei file scaricati?
Weird, decadent, degenerate, racially mixed, superstitious, theocratic, effeminate, and even hyper-literate, Byzantium has long been regarded by many as one big curiosity. According to Voltaire, it represented "a worthless collection of miracles, a disgrace for the human mind"; for Hegel, it was "a disgusting picture of imbecility."
A Cabinet of Byzantine Curiosities will churn up these old prejudices, while also stimulating a deeper interest among readers in one of history's most interesting civilizations. Many of the zanier tales and trivia that are collected here revolve around the political and religious life of Byzantium. Thus, stories of saints, relics, and their miracles-from the hilarious to the revolting-abound. Byzantine bureaucracy (whence the adjective "Byzantine"), court scandals, and elaborate penal code are world famous. And what would Byzantium be without its eunuchs, whose ambiguous gender produced odd and risible outcomes in different contexts? The book also contains sections on daily life that are equally eye-opening, including food (from aphrodisiacs to fermented fish sauce), games such as polo and acrobatics, and obnoxious views of foreigners and others (e.g., Germans, Catholics, Arabs, dwarves). But lest we overlook Byzantium's more honorable contributions to civilization, also included are some of the marvels of Byzantine science and technology, from the military (flamethrowers and hand grenades) to the theatrical ("elevator" thrones, roaring mechanical lions) and medical (catheters and cures, some bizarre). This vast assortment of historical anomaly and absurdity sheds vital light on one of history's most obscure and orthodox empires.
A Cabinet of Byzantine Curiosities will churn up these old prejudices, while also stimulating a deeper interest among readers in one of history's most interesting civilizations. Many of the zanier tales and trivia that are collected here revolve around the political and religious life of Byzantium. Thus, stories of saints, relics, and their miracles-from the hilarious to the revolting-abound. Byzantine bureaucracy (whence the adjective "Byzantine"), court scandals, and elaborate penal code are world famous. And what would Byzantium be without its eunuchs, whose ambiguous gender produced odd and risible outcomes in different contexts? The book also contains sections on daily life that are equally eye-opening, including food (from aphrodisiacs to fermented fish sauce), games such as polo and acrobatics, and obnoxious views of foreigners and others (e.g., Germans, Catholics, Arabs, dwarves). But lest we overlook Byzantium's more honorable contributions to civilization, also included are some of the marvels of Byzantine science and technology, from the military (flamethrowers and hand grenades) to the theatrical ("elevator" thrones, roaring mechanical lions) and medical (catheters and cures, some bizarre). This vast assortment of historical anomaly and absurdity sheds vital light on one of history's most obscure and orthodox empires.
Categorie:
Anno:
2017
Edizione:
Illustrated
Casa editrice:
Oxford University Press
Lingua:
english
Pagine:
248
ISBN 10:
0190625953
ISBN 13:
9780190625955
File:
PDF, 34.91 MB
I tuoi tag:
IPFS:
CID , CID Blake2b
english, 2017
Leggi Online
- Scaricare
- pdf 34.91 MB Current page
- Checking other formats...
- Convertire a
- Sbloccare file di conversione di dimensioni maggiori di 8 MB Premium
Il file verrà inviato al tuo indirizzo email. Ci vogliono fino a 1-5 minuti prima di riceverlo.
Entro 1-5 minuti il file verrà consegnato al tuo account Telegram.
Attenzione: assicurati di aver collegato il tuo account al bot Z-Library Telegram.
Entro 1-5 minuti il file verrà consegnato al tuo dispositivo Kindle.
Nota: devi verificare ogni libro che desideri inviare al tuo Kindle. Controlla la tua casella di posta per l'e-mail di verifica da Amazon Kindle Support.
La conversione in è in corso
La conversione in non è riuscita
Vantaggi dello status Premium
- Inviare a lettori di e-book
- Limite aumentato di download
- Converti i file
- Più risultati di ricerca
- Altri vantaggi