Byzantium & Friends

158. The Book of Daniel, the Four Kingdoms, and imperial eschatology, with Chris Bonura

A conversation with Christopher Bonura (Mount St. Mary's University) about the apocalyptic tradition of identifying the Four Kingdoms prophesied in the Book of Daniel. Which one was the Roman empire? The fourth, scheduled to fall with the others, or something that came afterward (a tradition sometimes called imperial eschatology)? Among other topics we discuss Eusebios of Caesarea and the reign of Herakleios as possible turning points in this tradition. Christopher has published a monograph on one of the most important of these texts: A Prophecy of Empire: The Apocalypse of Pseudo-Methodius from Late Antique Mesopotamia to the Global Medieval Imagination (University of California Press 2025), though our discussion focuses more on two articles, 'Eusebius of Caesarea, the Roman Empire, and the Fulfillment of Biblical Prophecy,' Church History 90 (2021) 509-536; and 'Eschatology and Apocalypticism in the Age of Heraclius,' forthcoming.

157. Julian Augustus and the dream of a Platonic Roman empire, with Jeremy Swist

A conversation with Jeremy Swist (Michigan State University) on the emperor Julian (361-363 AD) and how he tried to combine his love of philosophy with ruling the Roman empire. We talk about why Julian continues to excite such passions, how in some ways he may have been more Roman than Greek, and how he read Roman history in light of the theurgical Neoplatonism that he espoused. The conversation is based on Jeremy's recent book, Julian Augustus: Platonism, Myth, and the Refounding of Rome (Oxford University Press 2025).

156. The Menologion of Basil II, with Charlie Kuper

A conversation with Charlie Kuper (University of Tennessee, Knoxville) about the Menologion of Basil II, a lavishly illustrated manuscript pairing brief notices about the saints with images of them and their ordeals, arranged according to the liturgical calendar. We talk about how this manuscript was made and how it can be read, specifically the texts in relation to the images. Charlie has just reedited those texts and made them available in translation in the DOML series (vol. 89): The Menologion of Basil II (2025). For a digitized version of the entire manuscript (Vat.gr. 1613), where you can see the images as well, go here [https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Vat.gr.1613/196]. Look around in it, skim it, zoom in, enjoy!

155. The Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library, with Nicole Eddy

A conversation with Nicole Eddy (Dumbarton Oaks) about the Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library, one of the most important publishing ventures of recent times when it comes to medieval texts and literature. DOML (as we call it) makes accessible a wide range of medieval texts in different genres and from different periods, translated into English from Greek, Latin, Old English, and the Iberian romance languages. We talk about how the series works, its mission and goals, and the challenges and decisions that Nicole faces in coordinating the whole thing. You can find the series' home page here [https://domedieval.org].

154. How and why we teach Roman history, with Beth Digeser

A conversation with Beth Digeser (University of California, Santa Barbara) about pedagogy, specifically about what we are hoping to accomplish by teaching Roman history. We talk about the limits of "influence" as a justification for it and the various ways that Rome is continually reinvented and made to speak to present concerns, from "Global Rome" to the special challenges posed by the world of late antiquity. Beth's research focuses on the reigns of Diocletian and Constantine and so she looks in both directions of Roman history, forward and backwards, from there.