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The lost culture of Byzantine Europe

The Eagle Has Two Faces: Journeys through Byzantine Europe is a recently released 'travelogue' by Alexander Billinis, exploring the remnants of the Byzantine

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The lost culture of Byzantine Europe
29 Sep 2011
Stephen Smooker

The Eagle Has Two Faces: Journeys through Byzantine Europe is a recently released 'travelogue' by Alexander Billinis, exploring the remnants of the Byzantine Empire. Born in the US of Greek parents, it began as a quest to discover his Greek identity, and has led him to a conception of the deep relationship between Greece and the Balkan states.

"Growing up as a Diaspora Greek, I was constantly seeking what it means to be Greek," he says in an interview with Neos Kosmos.

"To me, who we are as Greeks has far more to do with the thousand plus years of Byzantine history and the 500 years of Turkish rule than the Classical Greek period." Centred around Constantinople, the Byzantine Empire lasted from the fourth century to the mid 1400s. Throughout its duration, it was perhaps the most politically, economically and culturally advanced society on earth. It finally succumbed to the Ottoman Empire in 1453. Subsequently, Byzantine achievements have drifted into obscurity.

"It is never talked about, and as a result it is easy to dismiss a whole culture, to the detriment of the Greeks, the Serbs and others who are successors to this civilization," he continues. The Eagle Has Two Faces seeks to redress this anomaly, and rediscover a vital period of history which binds the cultures of Greece and the Balkans. Alexander contends that under the Ottomans, these two geographically European entities were insulated from western influence, and therefore share a common experience which has seen them emerge behind, and out of step with the rest of Europe.

Moreover, this legacy goes a long way to explaining the prevailing condition of the region, from the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia, to Greece's current economic malaise, Alexander argues. Alexander was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and says if anything, the concentration of Mormons there made the Greek community more cohesive. After studying international business and law, he carved out a successful career in banking. Consequently, much of the analysis in his book is based on business and economics.

"When I worked in Greece as a banker, it was astonishing how nearly all Greek investment is in ex-Byzantine countries," he says. Having lived and worked in Bulgaria and Greece, and travelled widely throughout Turkey, Italy Austria and Hungary, his experience of the region is substantial. Now living in Serbia with his Serbian wife, the pattern continues. "Living in Serbia is not a foreign experience for a Greek, since so many of the symbols of identity are the same." His search has clearly yielded results; historical, cultural and even personal. "The Byzantines are where we come from, so by studying them, by visiting their sites, and what remains of their culture, I learn about myself."

The Eagle Has Two Faces: Journeys through Byzantine Europe can be purchased through www.amazon.co.uk

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Why does the title state, "The lost culture of Byzantium"? Perhaps Byzantium has been lost to the author of this article but Byzantium has never been lost to a lot of Greeks and other Orthodox peoples. It continues to endure in our literature, art, music, culture, religion, foreign politics, military and so on. Where would Elytis, Pikionis, Markopoulos be if Byzantium was lost?
Submitted by Dionysis Malanos on Tue, 2011-10-11 15:57.
This is a brilliant and timely book written by an author who goes some way in understanding Romiosini / Romanity – something which few authors and intellectuals do. The book is brilliant as it captures the essence of the Byzantine Empire (or rather the Roman Empire with its capital in New Rome - Constantinople) and its legacy in the Balkans and indeed globally. This indeed is a rare feat. This book is timely because it comes at a moment when many Greeks and Philhellenes - both in Greece and in the Diaspora - are faced with a plethora of significant strategic and long-term opportunities and challenges. These include the ongoing moral-economic-political crisis in Greece (which is closely tied to the rise of secular humanism and materialism/consumerism), the increasingly unstable Balkan-Middle East–North Africa regions, the rise of various emerging and other economies in Eurasia (notably Russia, India and China) and the relative decline of those economies in the Euroatlantic region and, most importantly, the need to retain our Faith and traditions wherever we might be. Carefully assessed and considered, the Hellenic / Romaic civilization of New Rome - Constantinople has much to offer in these modern times, both to those whose culture was fashioned by this civilisation (Greeks, Serbs, Russians, Bulgarians, Albanians etc) and those who might be less familiar. This book will be of special use to policy makers and those who develop national strategy.
Submitted by George Bouas on Wed, 2011-10-05 16:56.
Alexander Billinis’ "The Eagle Has Two Faces" is fascinating series of interlocked essays on the Ex-Byzantine zone covering the entire Balkan peninsular, Asia Minor, the Hellenic enclaves in southern Italy and the north coast of the Black sea which we Greeks know as the Pontus. In approximately 150 pages, the author manages to convey and briefly analyze significant historical events which shaped today’s Balkan states and their relationship to the western world and to each other in a disciplined and scholarly yet also engaging and readable manner. I was pleasantly surprised with the broad scope of historical and societal information covered. It is not dull, dry or filled with boring details but “alive” and connected very much with the present, offering interesting and credible explanations on the state of affairs in the region today, including events that those of us who live in the region and beyond are currently experiencing. He begins to unravel this "mystery" of the successor states of Byzantium with an introduction of the impact of the Ottoman conquests on the region, the land and terrain of the Balkans and the common legacy symbolized by the prevailing architectural styles and the natural environment which created a mostly agrarian and land-locked lifestyle contributing to the physical and ideological isolation of the region with the more “progressive” Westernized European nations. The author then interestingly anchors the reader in his own current city of residence in the Balkans located at the frontier between the cultural East and West, providing an ideal starting point for the reader’s journey. Like the author, being a Diaspora Greek myself, having being raised and educated in Australia and now living, working and raising a family in Greece, I could relate very well with his quest for self-discovery and the strong pull of the homeland, the “Patrida” which comes through very powerfully in the first chapter of the book, culminating in an abrupt landing with the culture shock and sobering effects of the “Greek Reality” (Ελληνική Πραγματικότητα). Undeterred, the author takes us on a journey through to the Hellenic enclaves of southern Italy, Mystra and the Morea, Athens, Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Thrace, Bulgaria, Romania, the hybrid Austro-Byzantine Serbian region of Vojvodina, Belgrade, the Serbian heartland, and my favorites by far: Constantinople and the Pontus. Throughout this journey, the Hellenic psyche, which manifests through the legacy of Byzantium, remains pivotal. In reading the book and reflecting, one can get a deeper understanding of how the Byzantine and Ottoman legacy goes a long way to explaining the prevailing condition of the region, from the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia, to Greece's current economic meltdown. The author clearly relates the lasting influence of the Byzantine heritage and the centuries-long Ottoman occupation to the social and political fabric of the Balkans and to how this influence continues to shape and redefine the region today. To this extent, the author's ability to tie history to current events is quite remarkable. This book is highly recommended to anyone who has a desire to learn more about the people and the common heritage of the Balkans, and especially to fellow Diaspora Greeks who recognize that understanding our past leads to a better understanding of our present and who we are. Kostas Karakonstandis Athens, Greece
Submitted by Kostas Karakons... on Sat, 2011-10-01 00:37.

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