Byzantium produced some awesome military theory.   Some of their handbooks contain really interesting information on the migrating tribes of the time as well.  It's interesting to read the Eastern perspective on the types of people who were considered Barbarians in the West.

I miss living with you. I miss feeling dumb and whispering as you walk by, "That's my roommate. Yeah - I LIVE with her." I always thought Byzantium was ignored because it's too difficult for most people to spell.

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Kaorline! Some addenda to your comments. *ALL* the church councils, not just many, were in the East. Woohoo! And as for great books - the Code of Justinian was THE great revision of Roman law which came down into modern (non-Anglo-Saxon) Europe; there were great historians and poets but we haven't noticed them because we're, well, Westerners. I can't say they were as great as those of the west but I'm still trying to factor in how much of that judgment is due to my, well, Westernism.

Thank you Mr. Callihan. I blanked out on one the councils, and couldn't remember where it was held.

I forgot the Code of Justinian! There's a great work - although not necessarily one I expect to add to my library anytime soon!

I'll certainly admit my ignorance, and my Western bias, but as far as I can tell (based on extremely limited knowledge) Byzantine poetry and Byzantine history isn't highly revered anywhere in the world. It's not that the West is a glaring exception. That's what started me wondering about the Byzantine literary tradition - that, and the fact that Byzantine art is still appreciated and admired, even in the West. If the art, why not the writing? Whose is the deficiency?

Maybe the real question IS a lot deeper. Maybe great Byzantine writing is overlooked because we've forgotten about Byzantium. In that case, I'll just keep wondering . . . .

Do you have an opinion, Mr. Callihan? :)

"Byzantine poetry and Byzantine history isn't highly revered anywhere in the world. It's not that the West is a glaring exception." It certainly does seem that way. While I want to believe it's just our western bias that has caused us to ignore the literature that *was* written there, I'm not sure that will account for it. Some (westerners) have said that Byzantine culture stagnated because of the lack of turmoil which would have kept things fresh. But I'm not sure that would entirely account for it. I don't have an opinion yet - I do have many wonderments.