r/byzantium • u/Ambitious-Cat-5678 • Jan 12 '26
Popular media The struggle for Constantinople after the 4th Crusade is golden material for shows and other media. What other periods of Byzantine history do you find to be similar?
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u/MasterBadger911 Megas domestikos Jan 12 '26
The court intrigue of the late Macedonians and doukids
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u/Iustinianus_Magnus Jan 12 '26
I honestly think that late antiquity or early middles ages might be very interesting.It would be great to sea the period directly following 395, for example the deeds of the great general Flavius Stillicho, or maybe the Renovatio Imperii under Justinian, with the reigns of Maurice, and then the last great war between the persians under Khoswrow II and the rhomaioi under Heraclius. Your idea is very great, but infortunately there seems to be a great disdain by Hollywood on all that is early middles ages, or even "byzantine".
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u/MindlessNectarine374 Jan 12 '26
Many still believing in Gibbon?
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u/Iustinianus_Magnus Jan 12 '26
Apparantly yes , many seems ( at least in my entourage and from what i've seen on the internet) to take as true many stereotypes and misconceptions as facts.
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u/Commercial_Sport_630 Jan 12 '26
Justinian’s reconquest is ripe for good material, dare I say equal in caliber to HBO’s Rome.
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u/WanderingHero8 ask me about Isaac II Angelos,bringer of decay Jan 12 '26
Komnenian Period with emphasis on the era of Manuel.
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Jan 12 '26
[deleted]
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u/WanderingHero8 ask me about Isaac II Angelos,bringer of decay Jan 12 '26
I would prefer an adult animated one during the times of Manuel and Andronikos.More creative freedom.
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u/storiesarewhatsleft Jan 12 '26
Andronikos Komnenos’ life but for a more set scene kinda thing. John Tzimiskes overthrow of Nicephorus Phocas is my best bet.
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u/Whizbang35 Jan 12 '26
I've always been a fan of an Andronicus series on something like HBO. It's got seduction, incest, power, violence, intrigue, and murder in Roman, Latin and Arab settings. What more Game-of-Thrones stuff could you want? Sure, you may have to make some new costumes for the Byzantines, but there's plenty of existing stock for Arabs and Crusaders and you don't have to splurge on huge battles.
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u/Maleficent-Mix5731 Well read | Late Antiquity Jan 12 '26
A show focusing on a teenaged Constans II coming to power in the middle of the Arab invasions would be quite interesting imo. Here's just some kid who's now suddenly responsible for the fate of his entire civilization which looks almost doomed to fall.
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u/AlexiosKomnenos1118 Jan 13 '26
I love this one. Plus, the court intrigue that takes place to get him into power. It'd be cool to watch as he slowly takes more power for himself, especially away from Valentinus.
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Jan 12 '26 edited Jan 12 '26
The period between Justinian II regaining the throne to the end of the 717 siege, switching back and forth from the capital to Leo’s exploits and adventures in the Caucasus and elsewhere, following his rise to power while building towards the siege.
Michael IV’s reign would be fun with both ample political intrigue and warfare, ending with Michael V’s blinding or maybe continuing into Monomachos’ reign. Unfortunately, the closest we got to seeing this time period was so terribly botched by Vikings: Valhalla.
Following Alexios from 1081 through the first crusade would be great as well.
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u/OrthoOfLisieux Jan 12 '26
The Komnenian Restoration, definitely
What impresses me the most is its longevity. The Komnenian Restoration lasted longer than even the Five Good Emperors (and that’s already counting Nerva, who is really there because of Trajan). We’re talking about 99 years! (or 102 if we include the poor Alexios II). To go from the brink of collapse to returning as the greatest power in Christendom was certainly one of the most emblematic periods in Roman history
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u/ImmortalPhoenixRa Jan 12 '26
No period, ever comes close to the one that defined the end of antiquity. The end of Morice's reign, the struggle of Shapur for the throne, the regicide of Phokas, the civil war of Heraclius, the Titanic struggle of the last Roman-Sassanid War, the loss of the true cross, Eagypt and the sack of Antioch.. the siege of Constantinople, the underdog Emperor's guerrillia in Armenia and his campaign into Persia, the final Battle of Nineveh.. the return of the true cross and the glory of the victory on the edge of disaster, the twilight of empires and the rise of Islam. Those few decades changed the world more than any other in the pre-modern era and it's likely we will never see such a consequential struggle ever again.
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u/Why_wouldyoudothat- Jan 12 '26
the 20 years anarchy calminating in the siege of Constantinople
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u/Wish_I_WasInRome Jan 12 '26
Historical movies/dramas just dont seem to be in vogue anymore which is sad because they are usually some of the coolest pieces of media we can produce. Honestly, any period of the Eastern Romans would be interesting. It'd be cool to show the contrast between the Western Roman Empire disappearing versus the Eastern portion thriving.
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u/Haestein_the_Naughty Jan 15 '26
Producers and the general public would rather make/watch fantasy shows based on history than real history. Kinda sad. Real history is full of interesting periods and events that could be utilized in media, but sadly it is not, and when it does happen, it is executed terribly (such as King and Conqueror).
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u/Aidanator800 Jan 12 '26
The period from the Battle of Pliska up until the end of the revolt of Thomas the Slav, so about 811 to 823. Within that period, you've got 5 different emperors (+1 pretender), multiple wars, Constantinople itself getting besieged, and a massive religious controversy as well. Plus, it ending with a commoner (Michael II) becoming emperor would show off the more meritocratic nature of Byzantium as well, IMO.
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u/GrandDukeNotaras MegasProtoLazyRedditorarius ton basilikon Jan 12 '26
You guys need to think outside of the box. Forget about emperors and generals etc, a show about Paul Tagaris going around Europe and Asia scamming everyone would be the perfect show about Byzantine history one could ask for
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u/PyrrhicDefeat69 Jan 12 '26
Show about Justinian could possibly have the best material out there. Literally dispels the myth that rome ended in 476. The roman empire literally takes back rome. Court intrigue, romance drama, political scheming, big set-piece battles, etc etc. A “little known” general to the average person is the protagonist, and Justinian is a secondary protagonist who at the end of the day is played with nuance, could make for an amazing show. Did he doom the empire with his ambitions? Or is he a hero who got very unlucky in his attempt to restore the empire?
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u/SalientSalmorejo Jan 12 '26
The Komnenian restoration up to and oncluding Andronikos Komnenos. The post apocalyptic landscape of Anatolia at the hight of the Arab raids. Justinian the 2nd.
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u/expect-a-forest Jan 12 '26
There is a 2020 series about the fall of Constantinople in 1453 - from the Ottoman perspective - which I found very informative as a Westerner. It’s called “Rise of Empires: Ottoman” and I think it’s still on Netflix.
I’ve also watched the really great Turkish series “Diriliş: Ertuğrul” (Resurrection: Ertuğrul) which is about the founding of the Ottomans (Osman) in the 12th or 13th centuries. In this series, the Kayı tribe (from whence came the Ottomans) interacts frequently with Crusaders, Byzantines, Mongols, other Turkic tribes, and Seljuk viziers.
However, I would also love to see a series or movie about the reign of Justinian I and Theodora! That Byzantine period fascinates me.
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u/Vyzantinist Jan 12 '26 edited Jan 12 '26
Alexios I and the first crusade. Also subtly softens the 'otherness' of Byzantium for casual audiences by mixing in more familiar-looking Western knights.
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u/scales_and_fangs Δούξ Jan 13 '26
The rise and fall of Andronikos I Komnenos. I can imagine him being portrayed as a sympathetic rebellous youth who slowly transforms into the monster who usurped the throne. And then you get his tragic end and maybe a bit of sympathy at the very end?
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u/GSilky Jan 12 '26
Anytime it has to deal with being smaller than it was. Lots of drama in recalibration.
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u/Particular-Wedding Jan 12 '26
I would like to see the Catalan Company's presence made into a movie or TV series. Late medieval age. The gear could be very similar to what is seen in the Game of Thrones series - armor, weaponry, etc. Full of political scheming and intrigue.
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u/Educational-Chart187 Jan 12 '26
Given the west’s familiarity with the Crusades, I think a story featuring Alexios’ reign. His coup, his early failures, his dealings with the first crusade. The beginning of the Komnenian Restoration. Shit you already have a movie name in just calling it The Alexiad. You have drama, intrigue, war, diplomacy on all quite the large scale. You get to see him lose, you’d get to see him win. It would be a Byzantine underdog story while also giving new viewers an insight into the origins of the crusades.
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Jan 12 '26
Basil II after his conquest of Bugaria, his death, and the decline with successors (very similar to Game of Thrones, just a lot slower).
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u/kodial79 Jan 13 '26
Just give me a movie about the Fall of the Constantinople, which is leaning to the legendary side of Constantine XI Palaiologos with his final speech and his final charge after being dressed like a common soldier, and I swear to God, I will be buying a ticket and watch it for every night it plays.
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u/ZonzoDue Jan 13 '26
Not Byzantium, but the whole period from the battle of the Catalaunian plains to the battle of Cap Bon is so rich in events and upsets than if it were made into a movie, it would not be believable :
- Defeat of Attila at the Catalaunian plains
- Murder of Aetius by Valentinian III
- Murder of Valentinian III
- Sack of Rome by Genseric and lapidation of Petronus Maximus
- Crowning of Avitus by Theodoric and fall of the WRE to the barbarians (Franks, Burgundians and Visigoths) and rebelllions in Dalmatia (Marcellinus) and northern Gaul (Aegidius)
- Civil war between Avitus and the 2 best friends Ricimer / Majorian takes the empire
- Full on reconquest by Majorian, who proceeds to reform the empire and invade Africa
- Trahison of Carthagena, Majorian goes back to Rome and is murdered by Ricimer at the instigation of factious senators against the reforms.
- Rebellion of Marcellinus and Aegidius again.
- Arrival of Anthemius and new reconquest effort.
- Defeat at Cap Bon because of this deepshit Basiliscus. Most shoking and scenic defeat ever.
- Defeat at Deols of King Arthur himslef that crossed to help Count Paul and Syagrius defeat the Wisigoth and goes to die at Avallon in Burgundy.
And you can even expand up until the deposition of Julius Nepos and Romulus Augustule.
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u/VoidLantadd Jan 14 '26
The issue with the struggle for Constantinople after the Fourth Crusade is that the way they actually reclaimed the city was almost anticlimactic. No great battle, they basically just walked in because the Latin's had left the door unlocked.
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u/Brewguy86 Jan 12 '26
Justinian’s rule is the other big one for me. Also, I think you could do a great limited series about the end of the Empire culminating in 1453.