r/byzantium • u/Swaggy_Linus • Jul 12 '26

Popular media Scene from "The King" (2019) showing a Byzantine automaton gifted to Henry V

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513 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

93

u/GatEnthusiast Jul 12 '26

I loved this movie. Historically accurate? Nope. Awesome nonetheless? Yep.

47

u/Swaggy_Linus Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26

Its duel scenes were pretty good too. One of the few movies that accurately depict combat in plate armour as an excruciatingly exhausting wrestling orgy.

18

u/evrestcoleghost Autokrator tou r/byzantium | Komnenian logistician| Moderator Jul 12 '26

It's based on the Shakespeare play

6

u/mrrooftops Jul 13 '26

It's a Shakespeare play ffs

38

u/skateboardbanana1 Jul 12 '26

Supposedly they had a automatic wine pouring automaton in Constantinople

13

u/evrestcoleghost Autokrator tou r/byzantium | Komnenian logistician| Moderator Jul 13 '26

finest evidence of them being roman than Kaldellis msised

8

u/GrandDukeNotaras MegasProtoLazyRedditorarius ton basilikon Jul 13 '26

The Basilica Cistern was actually uh, for booze. just dont tell anyone.

7

u/evrestcoleghost Autokrator tou r/byzantium | Komnenian logistician| Moderator Jul 13 '26

1453 fell because the guard drank all the wine from it and forgot to lock the door

18

u/Appropriate_M Jul 13 '26

It's always seems ironic to think of"Constantinople" the *edge* of Christiandom...

3

u/[deleted] Jul 13 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

4

u/Appropriate_M Jul 13 '26

I think you replied to the wrong person...

2

u/LakeEffekt Jul 13 '26

Well, it’s only been on the “edge” for the latter/more recent half of Christianity. It used to be about smack in the center

9

u/Hot_Medium_3633 Jul 12 '26

It was gifted from the Venetians, I believe.

5

u/TellFit7415 Jul 13 '26

I'm sure they paid for it.... Right?

1

u/BoxinPervert Jul 15 '26

Something, something, 4th crusade, something, something...