The Syrian Melkites of the Lusignan Kingdom of Cyprus (1192-1474)

The Melkites of Cyprus like the Georgians identified with the Greek Church and followed their rite. They began settling on Cyprus during the later Byzantine period and were prominent on Lusignan Cyprus (1192-1474) as traders, especially in Famagusta, the chief port of the island. In Syria and Lebanon from the time of the seventh century Arab conquest onwards they had developed a distinct religious identity in opposition to both Muslims and non-Chalcedonian Christians, expressed through a tradition of composition or translation of religious works into Arabic. This tradition continued on Cyprus. Since, however, most of the Cypriot population were Chalcedonian Christians, Latin, Greek or Maronites, the Melkites on Cyprus were absorbed by degrees into the Latin ruling class and the Greek majority population. The absence of a politically and numerically dominant Muslim ‘other’ and of important non-Chalcedonian Christian groups facilitated this absorption.

Removal of Coins From the Esophagus: Nothing New Under the Sun

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.51.2.313 ◽

1973 ◽

Vol 51 (2) ◽

pp. 313-313

Author(s):

Jack H. T. Chang ◽

John D. Burrington

Keyword(s):

Alimentary Canal ◽

Foreign Bodies ◽

Recent Literature ◽

Seventh Century ◽

The Sun ◽

Foreign Objects ◽

In the recent literature there appears to be a revival of interest in the use of Foley catheters in removing foreign objects from both orifices of the alimentary canal.1-3 During the peak of the Byzantine period, foreign bodies were extracted from the esophagus by having the patient swallow a small, dry sponge on a string, allowing it to expand in the stomach and then withdrawing the sponge. Paulus Aegineta (seventh century) wrote in Book Six of his Epitome of Medicine:

St Sabas and the Palestinian Monastic Network under Crusader Rule

Studies in Church History Subsidia ◽

10.1017/s0143045900003811 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 14 ◽

pp. 9-19

Author(s):

Andrew Jotischky

Keyword(s):

Middle Ages ◽

Fourth Century ◽

Fifth Century ◽

Seventh Century ◽

Holy Land ◽

Cultural Changes ◽

Monastic Reform ◽

Early Christian ◽

Documentary Sources ◽

The monastery founded in the fifth century by St Sabas, in the Kidron Valley a few kilometres south-east of Bethlehem, has been described as ‘the crucible of Byzantine Orthodoxy’. The original cave cell occupied by Sabas himself grew into a monastic community of the laura type, in which monks lived during the week in individual cells practising private prayer and craft work, but met for communal liturgy on Saturdays, Sundays and feast days. The laura, which differed from the coenobium in the greater emphasis placed on individual meditation, prayer and work, was the most distinctive contribution of the Palestinian tradition to early Christian monasticism. The first laura had been founded in the Judean desert in the fourth century by Chariton, and cenobitic monasteries had been in existence in Palestine both in the desert and on the coastal strip since the same period. Nevertheless, partly as a result of an extensive network of contacts with other foundations, both laurae and cenobitic monasteries, partly through Sabas s own fame as an ascetic, and partly through a burgeoning reputation for theological orthodoxy, St Sabas became the representative institution of Palestinian monasticism in the period between the fifth century and the Persian invasion of 614. The monastery’s capacity to withstand the Persian and Arab invasions of the seventh century, and to adapt to the cultural changes brought by Arabicization, ensured not only its survival but also its continued importance as a disseminator of monastic practice throughout the early Middle Ages. In 1099, when the first crusaders conquered the Holy Land, it was almost the sole survivor of the ‘golden age’ of Palestinian desert monasticism of the early Byzantine period. The monastery continued to prosper under crusader rule. It was an important landowner and its abbot was in the twelfth century a confrater of the Knights Hospitaller. Moreover, it is clear both from varied genres of external documentary sources – for example, pilgrimage accounts and hagiographies – and from the surviving manuscripts produced in the monastery between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries, that the monastery’s spiritual life also flourished in this period. The role of St Sabas and Palestinian monasticism within the broader scope of Byzantine monastic reform of the eleventh and twelfth centuries suggests that the continuing function of the monastery at the centre of a wider network of practices and ideals across the Orthodox world engendered a revival of early monastic practices in a period more often associated with decline and the struggle to preserve the integrity of monastic life.

The Chickpea (ἐρέβινϑος; Cicer arietinum L) as a Medicinal Foodstuff and Medicine in Selected Greek Medical Writings

Studia Ceranea ◽

10.18778/2084-140x.07.06 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

pp. 99-120 ◽

Author(s):

Maciej Kokoszko ◽

Krzysztof Jagusiak ◽

Jolanta Dybała

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Fourth Century ◽

Second Century ◽

Seventh Century ◽

Byzantine Period ◽

Medical Theory ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Culinary Uses ◽

Early Byzantine ◽

Medical Writings

Leguminous plants were a crucially important element in the Mediterranean diet, and, as such, these plants were second only to cereals. It is also important to note that according to medical writings preserved from antiquity and the early Byzantine period they were considered to be an accessible source of substances which could be applied in therapeutics. One of the most commonly mentioned legumes was the chickpea. The source material demonstrates that the medicinal properties of the chickpea and its therapeutic use were discussed by Greek physicians as early as in the fourth century BC. It seems that the plant was a readily accessible medicament and thus used in therapy also by those who could not afford costly medicines. The authors argue, however, that the medical theory concerning its role in therapeutics evolved into a fully developed form only in the first century AD (thanks to Dioscorides) and was not modified by Galen. The doctrine of these two physicians became part of the medical encyclopaedias of the early Byzantine period. The presented material also illustrates the fact that a significant number of medicinal Recipes which involved using the chickpea were formulated between the second century BC and the second century AD. Byzantine physicians avidly used these formulas in their practice, but failed to develop them in a significantly innovative way. The surviving medical writings make it possible to conclude that the chickpea was believed to be a highly effective medicine and as such worthy of cultivation, which only testifies to the general popularity of the plant. Medical writings may serve as a proof that the chickpea remained a key element in the Mediterranean diet throughout the period from the fourth century BC to the seventh century AD. The analysed material demonstrates the use of the same basic varieties of the erebinthos throughout the period, even though some local variants were also identified. The consistency of the data also suggests that the scale and methods of cultivation of this plant remained unchanged. The culinary uses of the chickpea must also have been the same throughout the period, given that the writers discussed similar uses of the plant as a foodstuff.

Islamic architecture in Tbilisi and Batumi: Muslim heritage in Georgia

Muzeológia a kultúrne dedičstvo ◽

10.46284/mkd.2021.9.4.5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 69-83

Author(s):

Aldona Piwko

Keyword(s):

Religious Identity ◽

Middle Eastern ◽

Field Research ◽

Seventh Century ◽

Muslim Community ◽

Cultural Wealth ◽

Architectural Elements ◽

Left Behind ◽

Political Relations ◽

Middle Eastern Art

Georgia’s cultural wealth is the result of the country’s centuries-old history and complex ethnic, religious and political relations. Islam, present in these areas since the seventh century, was of significant importance for the shaping of Georgian architecture. Architectural elements characteristic of Middle Eastern art were thus transferred to a Christian country. Arabs and Persians left behind buildings and ornamental details. The article is the result of field research carried out in Georgia, the purpose of which was to identify the issues of shaping and preserving memory and cultural and religious identity in the Muslim community. Georgian Muslim architecture is heavily neglected and requires increased protection, and above all significant financial resources that are difficult to obtain from a small number of Islamic communities. On the other hand, contemporary trends in Georgian architecture are realized and financed by Muslim businesses.

Ephesus in the Late Roman and Early Byzantine Period: Changes in its Urban Character from the Third to the Seventh Century ad

The Transition to Late Antiquity, on the Danube and Beyond ◽

10.5871/bacad/9780197264027.003.0016 ◽

2007 ◽

Author(s):

S. LADSTÄTTER ◽

A. PÜLZ

Keyword(s):

Urban Landscape ◽

Conclusive Evidence ◽

Seventh Century ◽

The Third ◽

Public Areas ◽

History Of ◽

Byzantine Period ◽

Urban Character ◽

The City

The third century marked a profound change in the urban landscape of Ephesus and proved to exert a profound influence on the city's later development. There is conclusive evidence for catastrophic disasters when the city was afflicted by a series of earthquakes which led to a temporary downturn in its economic circumstances. These destructive earthquakes not only had long-term consequences for the city's appearance, but also affected the very foundations of urbanism. This chapter traces the history of Metropolis Asiae after the earthquakes of the third and fourth centuries. The archaeological evidence proves that rebuilding took place and within public areas, such as agorae or buildings along the roads and included fountains and baths. The work was not limited only to the reconstruction of buildings but efforts were made to restore the splendid appearance of the city, reflecting the restoration of its high urban status and commercial importance. This chapter also describes the city's numerous churches that graphically attest to the growing importance of Christianity as the state religion.

Strobilos and Related Sites

Anatolian Studies ◽

10.2307/3642848 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 38 ◽

pp. 147-174 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Clive Foss

Keyword(s):

Ninth Century ◽

Historical Record ◽

Eighth Century ◽

Urban Life ◽

Seventh Century ◽

Public Works ◽

Asia Minor ◽

New Towns ◽

Dark Ages ◽

In the Byzantine period, urban life in Anatolia underwent a decay in which ancient cities shrank behind reduced circuits of walls or withdrew to the fortified hilltops whence they had descended in the Hellenistic age. Even the greatest city of the empire, Constantinople, saw a drastic diminution of population and resources, abandonment of its ancient public works and services, and consequent transformation from a classical to a medieval city. These changes began with the devastating invasions of Persians and Arabs in the seventh century. Sources reveal little about Anatolia between the early seventh and mid-ninth century, a true dark age, but the evidence of archaeology often makes it possible to visualize conditions at the time.The Byzantines, whose empire long survived these troubles, generally occupied existing sites in Asia Minor where their ruins are superimposed on those of the Romans or earlier cultures. In only a few instances, usually occasioned by the needs of defence or of a militarized administration, were new sites founded. Although the Dark Ages were not a propitious time for urban development, some new towns did come into existence or prominence. Few of them have been studied. Strobilos on the Carian coast, therefore, is of some potential interest as an example of a Byzantine town which first appears in the historical record in the eighth century, and whose remains have been preserved.

Sidi Khrebish - A Note on the Coarse Pottery

Annual report - Society for Libyan Studies ◽

10.1017/s0263718900009274 ◽

1973 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

pp. 18-20 ◽

Author(s):

J. A. Riley

Keyword(s):

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

The Body ◽

Roman Period ◽

Second Century ◽

Seventh Century ◽

First Century ◽

Third Century ◽

Byzantine Period ◽

Preliminary Study ◽

The Church

The quantity of stratified coarse pottery from Sidi Khrebish has been considerable and preliminary study has of necessity been concentrated on important groups from sealed contexts which span the period from the second century B.C. to the seventh century A.D.The earliest group is from a cistern of second century B.C. date; the next is from excavation underneath Roman period concrete floors which produced mid-first century A.D. material, while the largest group is from the infill of Roman period cisterns and destruction levels and can be dated to the mid-third century A.D. Information is somewhat scanty for the fourth and fifth centuries A.D. but groups of pottery representing the Byzantine period were recovered in some quantity from the destruction levels of the church and its cistern. A good group of Islamic glazed fine ware and coarse ware was associated with late occupation within the church.Space does not permit more than a brief survey of the most common and distinctive coarse ware forms from the excavation.In general, throughout the period of Berenice, the locally made coarse ware form shapes seem to have been influenced from the Eastern Mediterranean, especially in the second and third centuries A.D.The commonest form of second century B.C. cooking pot is rounded, having a short neck with two vertical ‘strap’ handles from the shoulder merging with the rim (fig. 1). Another distinguishing feature of pottery from this period is a semicircular handle from the body with an indentation at the top where it has been pressed to the rim (fig. 2). Both types are of the distinctive local ‘fossil gritted ware’, the fabric of which ranges from orange brown to dark pink. The clay contains fairly large roughly circular flat flakes of bluish-grey grit, which, when split open, reveal segmented spiral fossil remains. This fabric is very common in all periods.

A Pilgrim Flask of Anatolian Origin from Late Byzantine/Early Ummayyad Jerusalem

Anatolian Studies ◽

10.2307/3642922 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 45 ◽

pp. 237-241 ◽

Author(s):

Aren M. Maeir ◽

Yael Strauss

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Development Project ◽

Seventh Century ◽

Large Collection ◽

Archaeological Excavation ◽

The West ◽

Different Types ◽

Byzantine Period ◽

Small Finds

A large scale archaeological excavation was commenced in 1989, as part of the “Mamilla Project”, an urban re-development project carried out in the area to the west of Jaffa Gate, Jerusalem, Israel (Fig. 2). During the course of the first (1989) season, several complexes of buildings dating from the Late Byzantine and Early Ummayad periods were discovered. These buildings were part of the extra-mural quarters of Jerusalem at the time, and for the most part, were industrial and mercantile in nature.In area A2 of the excavations (Fig. 3), a row of shops was discovered. Of particular interest was the shop comprised of rooms L164 and L153, which contained several different types of installations, including what appeared to be washing basins and a bread-oven (Pl. XXXV (a)). In this shop a large collection of diverse finds was discovered, including a sizeable amount of local and imported pottery, coins, glass and additional small finds. This assemblage was securely dated to the mid-seventh century CE, i.e. the terminal Byzantine period and the incipient stages of the Ummayad dynasty.

Byzantine Malagina and the Lower Sangarius

Anatolian Studies ◽

10.2307/3642800 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 40 ◽

pp. 161-183 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Clive Foss

Keyword(s):

Seventh Century ◽

Asia Minor ◽

Specific Information ◽

Precise Location ◽

Military Base ◽

The Third ◽

Ottoman History ◽

Dark Ages ◽

History Of ◽

Malagina was a place of considerable strategic importance in the Byzantine period, from the Dark Ages until the final collapse of imperial rule in Asia Minor. Frequent mentions in the sources indicate that it was a major base, a station on the route of imperial armies to the East, and the seat of the stables from which the expeditions were supplied. It had an administration of its own, and grew in importance as the Empire shrank. Although its general location, on the Sangarius river, has never been in doubt, the site has so far failed to be convincingly identified, in spite of serious attempts. Thanks to investigations in the field, it is now possible to provide Malagina with a precise location, and to identify and describe its fortress, whose remains add considerably to our knowledge of the site and its history. For the sake of completeness, these remains will be discussed in the context of what is known of the Byzantine and Ottoman history of the site.The first appearance of Malagina is in a curious text, an apocalyptic prophecy attributed to St. Methodius, but actually dating from the late seventh century. Its chronology can be determined from its forecast that the Arabs would break into Constantinople. Although that never happened, the prophecy has reasonably been associated with the great siege of 674–8. In preparation for that attack, the Arabs would, it announces, divide their forces into three parts, of which one would winter in Ephesus, another in Pergamum, and the third in Malagina. Although this provides no specific information about the site, it shows that Malagina was then considered an important military base, a likely goal for an Arab attack. It may also indicate that the place was actually taken and occupied by the Arabs on that occasion. In any case, Malagina was in existence by the seventh century.

Turbulent Ethnopolitical Processes in the Eastern Taurica in the Sixth and Seventh Centuries

Materials in Archaeology, History and Ethnography of Tauria ◽

10.37279/2413-189x.2021.26.71-89 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 71-89

Author(s):

Viktor N. Zin’ko ◽

Alexey V., Zin’ko

Keyword(s):

Seventh Century ◽

Sixth Century ◽

Byzantine Empire ◽

Urban Buildings ◽

Seasonal Migrations ◽

Archaeological Materials ◽

Byzantine Period ◽

Scanty Information ◽

The One ◽

Early Byzantine

This paper presents the results of archaeological researches allowing the one to reconstruct ethnopolitical processes in the eastern Taurica in the sixth and seventh centuries. By the sixth century, the eastern Crimean steppes were depopulated and used for seasonal migrations of the Hunnic tribes. The Byzantine Empire made a significant influence on the ethnopolitical processes in the Bosporos in the sixth and seventh centuries when annexed this country in 527/528. Archaeological researches supply scanty information about the urban buildings of the Bosporan capital in the sixth century. Alternative archaeological situation developed with the preserved Early Byzantine layers of the Bosporan town of Tyritake, where continuous many-year-long archaeological research uncovered large areas. According to the archaeological materials and a few epigraphic finds, Bosporan Greeks constituted the overwhelming majority of the population of Tyritake in the sixth century as before, being mostly the persons of moderate means, engaged in fishing and agricultural production, crafts and petty trade. After the raid of the Turks in 576, Bosporos and Tyritake declined, with only isolated residential houses reconstructed in certain areas in these towns; these houses lived to the third quarter of the seventh century when they were burned down by the Khazars. Bosporos constantly experienced the pressure from nomadic hordes, which, over the centuries, moved here and there, replacing each other, along the great tract of the steppes. The turbulence of ethnopolitical processes in the Eastern Taurica especially intensified in the Early Byzantine Period. Following the Khazar devastation, all the Bosporan settlements were depopulated, and the insignificant remnants of the former population concentrated in the fire-ravaged town of Bosporos, which for centuries became an out-of-the-way provincial town forming a part of different polities.