By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 31 March 2026
The Armenian Revolutionary Movement: 1860s to 1915
1 Reply
Tag Archives: Persia
Roman Eastern Foederati and Arab Monotheism Before Islam
Was Islam’s Ka’ba Always in Mecca?
Ahmad al-Shara Met Donald Trump, and the Islamic State is Not Pleased
A Note on Alexander the Great Inspiring Roman Invasions of Persia
By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 7 February 2025
Alexander of Macedon being a model for Roman statesman went back to the era of the Republic, and this imitatio Alexandri was often expressed by trying to repeat his feat of conquering Persia.
Assessing the Early-Codification Theory of the Qur’an
The Nature of Pre-Revolutionary Russian Imperialism
The Letter of Mara bar Serapion: Implications for the Historical Jesus and Christianity’s Triumph
The Shah’s Perspective on the Islamic Revolution That Toppled Him
When Did the “Roman” Empire Become the “Byzantine” Empire?
By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 12 June 2021
A painting representing the Byzantines use of “Greek fire” to repel the Arab siege of Constantinople, 674-78
The use of the word “Byzantium” for the Eastern Roman Empire is inescapable, though it is best thought of as a term of convenience rather than definition. For one thing, the inhabitants never called themselves “Byzantines”: they always thought of themselves as “Romans”, though using the Greek work “Romaioi”. The easiest way to see the problem is to ask: When did the Byzantine Empire begin? Continue reading
Kyle Orton's Blog 