Anthony Kaldellis to Examine Western Construction of 'Byzantium'

NEW YORK — Professor Anthony Kaldellis of the University of Chicago will deliver a lecture at Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus on September 16 examining how Western observers developed and perpetuated hostile images of the Eastern Roman Empire.

Kaldellis will discuss how, from the early Middle Ages through the 20th century, Western writers portrayed the empire as an exotic and decadent society whose inhabitants were allegedly servile, effeminate, treacherous, and culturally inferior. He will also examine how these ideas influenced the academic field of Byzantine Studies and continue to shape perceptions of the empire.

The lecture will consider why the Eastern Roman Empire came to be labeled “Byzantium,” despite its inhabitants identifying themselves as Romans, and what ideological purposes the Western construction of “Byzantium” served in the history of relations between Constantinople and the West.

Kaldellis is a professor of Classics at the University of Chicago and a scholar of Byzantine history, culture, and literature. His publications include "The New Roman Empire: A History of Byzantium," a comprehensive history published in 2023, as well as "Phantom Byzantium," which examines Western perceptions of Byzantium from late antiquity through World War II.

The lecture is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Lowenstein 12th Floor Lounge at Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus.

Previously, the UOJ reported on the Carolingian Latin Schism.