Should We Reject ‘Byzantium’?

Event Details

Some scholars don’t like the name ‘Byzantium’. They think that it isn’t historical because no one used it in the duration of the empire. Instead, the people under the command of Constantinople called themselves ‘Roman’.

This lecture ask the question: should we abolish the name ‘Byzantium’ and use ‘the east Roman empire’ in preference?

The answer depends on:

(i) how widespread you think words like ‘Romanía’ were,
(ii) how negative you think the name ‘Byzantium’ is anyway, and
(iii) how much do you mind suppressing Greek identity by perpetuating the superior prestige of Romans over Greeks?

For many, it’s hard to see Greeks as Romans. The reason that ‘Roman’ was preferred from the time of the first Christians is that ‘Greek’ was aggressively stigmatized as heathen. The lecture concludes that ‘Byzantium’ is ideologically sounder than the terms proposed to replace it.

About A/Prof Robert Nelson

A/Prof Robert Nelson is a Principal Honorary Fellow at Melbourne University. He trained in art history at La Trobe University with an MA in Baroque Art and PhD in Hellenistic art. Robert taught in Art, Design and Architecture at Monash University where he became Associate Dean Research & Graduate Studies. His most recent books are A history of inspiration, Routledge 2022 and A visceral history of bread: from First-Nations Australia to Byzantium, Museum of Innocence, Mildura 2023, and a collection of verse, Eclogues to Polixeni. Robert was art critic for The Age and the scene painter for Polixeni Papapetrou.

How to Participate

This is an in-person only event, so please join us at the Greek Centre, on Level M.

See our speaker live, ask questions during the Q&A and hobnob with fellow participants before and after the event.

We look forward to seeing you there.