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Jan 20 • 3 tweets • 1 min read
The idea that the Christianization of Scandinavia was wholly from German & Anglo-Saxon missionaries is a lie from Adam of Bremen to bolster the standing of his see over the Norse churches. Thankfully, scholars are now discussing the influences from the East; the Rus & Byzantium.
Such influences from the Christian East permeated the entire Norse world, in tandem with the lucrative trade with Constantinople’s markets & the coveted positions in the Varangian Guard that bonded the Norse world to that of Byzantium.
Check out this article to read more on the subject. ⬇️ academia.edu/10953761/Darkn…

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More from @Varangian_Tagma

Varangian Chronicler Profile picture
Jan 17
This map reminds me of @Peter_Turchin’s thoughts on the Roman/Byzantine Empire in his book “War & Peace & War.” A thread on metaethnic frontiers & imperiogenesis.
Turchin argues the Latins of Italy coalesced into the Roman Republic as a frontier people opposed to the Celtic North, centuries of war providing the framework for a larger imperial project & uniting the tribes.
Similarly, the imperial nation that emerged from the Crisis of the Third Century were the Illyrians. The conflict with the tribes across the Danube creating a hardly people ready & able to take over & transform the ailing Roman system.
Read 16 tweets
Varangian Chronicler Profile picture
Jan 4
A thread with excerpts from Streams of Gold, Rivers of Blood by Anthony Kaldellis.
The Byzantine Empire transformed into something more similar to a modern nation state than a multiethnic empire after the Arab conquests.
The Byzantine Empire’s tiered military structure; mainly the thematic farmer-soldiers of the provinces & the professional tagmatic armies. During the reconquista these distinctions will blur further.
Read 26 tweets
Varangian Chronicler Profile picture
Dec 31, 2022
There are a ton of great accounts here on Twitter.

Here are some that I recommend you follow in 2023 for excellent content:
@rfhirst focuses on Anglo-Saxon England. He writes beautifully & produces high quality threads that shine a light on this fascinating period of history. Well worth a follow!
@Paracelsus1092, the Herbalist, is an insightful anthropologist & poster whose research can be enjoyed by any who wish to expand their understanding of the human experience. A great follow for anyone!
Read 25 tweets
Varangian Chronicler Profile picture
Dec 29, 2022
The Ancient World was full of intrepid explorers & harrowing journeys.

From the ice-choked Arctic to lava-spewing volcanoes above damp jungles; one journey trumps them all.

A thread on ancient explorers & a journey so unbelievable 2,000 years would pass before it was repeated. Artwork by JF Oliveras
The Classical Age was one of economic, demographic, cultural, and scientific expansion. After the Bronze Age Collapse, the recovering civilizations of the Eastern Mediterranean looked across the wine-dark seas for land, resources, and trade.
Two of the primary zones for this expansion were the Western Mediterranean & the Black Sea. Trade, colonies, and cultural exchange brought these regions firmly into an expanding global network.
Read 25 tweets
Varangian Chronicler Profile picture
Dec 27, 2022
Hot Take:

Basil II’s conquest of Bulgaria saved the Byzantine Empire.
There was little ability to expand further into the Levant by 1000 AD & the Turkish threat couldn’t have been foreseen by Basil. Byzantium couldn’t have recovered from the loss of Anatolia under the Komnenoi without the the men & resources of Bulgaria.
What’s your hottest historical take?
Read 4 tweets
Varangian Chronicler Profile picture
Dec 14, 2022
Emperor Basil II is best known for being a conqueror & disciplinarian.

However, Psellos gives us a window into Basil’s personality, certainly informed by those who knew Basil personally.

His description of Basil rounds out the character of this ever-bellicose Byzantine. Artwork by JF Oliveras
Psellos remarks that Basil dictated his decrees to scribes & eschewed all elegance of speech in favor of brevity & clarity, universal values of military command. Basil also took after his adoptive father Nikephoros Phokas, regarding jewels & silk with disinterest.
Psellos records that Basil’s station as the most powerful man in Christendom was communicated only by a simple, dull purple robe marked with a few jewels.
Read 14 tweets

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