By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 29 August 2024
The Nature of Pre-Revolutionary Russian Imperialism
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Tag Archives: Roman Empire
The Letter of Mara bar Serapion: Implications for the Historical Jesus and Christianity’s Triumph
The Ideology of Nazism
A Note on the Ancient Greek Understanding of Beauty
By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 4 April 2023
The ancient Greek assumption that physical and moral worth were inherently connected can be seen in the term “kalos”. The word is often translated into English as “beautiful”, which is literally correct but misleading in so far as it implies the word relates solely to visual aesthetics; such an understanding is too narrow and anachronistically imposes divisions between categories that the Greeks did not regard as separate. “Kalos” is better translated as “handsome” and “noble”: it was a term for things “socially sanctioned as excellent”, and axiomatically encompassed a judgment on form and spirit.
Islamic State Spokesman Announces a New Global Campaign
Dating the Gospels
By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 19 June 2021
The dates that the four canonical Gospels of the New Testament were composed has a great impact for Christians, of course, but also for historians, particularly on the matter of whether Jesus ever existed, and really for everybody living in the civilisation this religion has built. Continue reading
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
How Many Christians Were There in the Roman Empire?
By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 11 June 2021
The numbers on the growth of Christianity in the Roman Empire are very uncertain, but there are enough data points to hazard a reasonable estimate. Continue reading
Islamic State Comments on the Gaza War and Escalates in Afghanistan
By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 22 May 2021
Al-Naba 287, page three
The last two issues of Al-Naba, the weekly newsletter of the Islamic State (IS), had a number of interesting items, most obviously finally breaking its silence on the latest flare-up between Israel and HAMAS. Continue reading
The Impact of Plague: From Antiquity to the Present
By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 21 March 2021
Almost exactly a year ago, the British government announced the first lockdown to counter the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, and around the same time such measures were adopted in almost every other country. With Britain having now vaccinated nearly half the country, including all of the most vulnerable, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson having set out a timetable for the lifting of restrictions, it is possible to think of the post-COVID 19 situation and to wonder about how or if it will be different to what came before. Continue reading
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