A Crusader Question for DC

ianwfs


Joined: 08/01/2008
Posts: 563

Message Posted:
18/10/2010 10:18

I'm currently reading a book on the Crusades, "God's War" by Christopher Tyerman, at nearly 1100 pages, a weighty tome, and I'm only 150 pages in.

When referring to the Byzantines, I'm puzzled by his usage of language. He seems to use the terms Byzantine and Greek interchangeably. Is there any reason for this?

I have always understood that the Byzantines considered themselves Romans who just happened to speak Greek. Is that not the case? If the Byzantines considered themselves more Greek than Roman, why then were the Greek territorial claims of the last couple of centuries not for all of Turkey and the Balkans, rather than just the parts closer to Greece?

Lennythelion


Joined: 07/09/2008
Posts: 53

Message Posted:
18/10/2010 10:56

Take a look at what Wikipedia has to say about it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_Empire

Harold2555



Joined: 19/04/2008
Posts: 1139

Message Posted:
18/10/2010 11:09

I'm sure Hans will give you a full answer but the fact is that part of the objectives of the Greco Turkish War was the capture of Constantinople for the Greeks along with the rest of Asia Minor.





Harold

ianwfs


Joined: 08/01/2008
Posts: 563

Message Posted:
18/10/2010 11:10

An interesting read, which I'll do over a cup of coffee later on. One thing I did notice is the map of the empire just before the crusades. Apart from the northern parts of the empire, whose fate was decided before 1900, the parts in Red are more or less what Greece was claiming as war reparation after WW1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Byzantiumforecrusades.jpg

mmmmmm



Joined: 19/12/2008
Posts: 8398

Message Posted:
18/10/2010 11:21

Hi Ian



'interesting' that they were claiming Cyprus, the Crimea ( modern day Ukraine) and other southern parts of Russia, in addition to the north coastal TR strip - there were lots of Pontian Greeks there, then..

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
18/10/2010 11:29

Mark, my dear friend, before you start giving us your views on 'TRNC', the 'border' and what have you - why not answer the interesting questions of ianwfs in message 1? I mean, stick to the subject of this thread, for a change? Awaiting your reply, yours truly, etc etc.

TopTen


Joined: 15/04/2009
Posts: 1246

Message Posted:
18/10/2010 11:48

But then again Hans, why don't you?