Short course
Byzantium and Its Neighbours
Course status:
Applications being accepted
Dates:
20/01/2027 - 24/03/2027
Study format:
In-person weekly
Fees:
£315.00
For over eleven centuries, the Byzantine empire played a predominant role in the political, ecclesiastical and cultural developments in South-eastern Europe and Asia Minor. The course will use documentary sources to examine the empire's interaction with its neighbours; the Byzantine imperial ideology; the diplomatic policy of the Byzantine emperors; the political and trade relations with the Latin West, including the crusades; the ecclesiastical relations with the Latin West including the causes, events and consequences of the Schism; the reaction to the political and military rise of neighbouring nations, namely Persians, Arabs, and Armenians; the impact of the settlement of the German peoples in Central and Western Europe, of the Slavs in the Balkans and of the Turks in Asia Minor.
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Book your place online using the button below.
Programme details
Course starts Wednesday 20 January 2027
This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Wednesdays, 2.00-4.00pm.
Week 1: Byzantine Empire: an Overview (geographical and chronological definition; peoples who lived in the empire; survey of documentary sources). Course requirements
Week 2: Imperial Ideology; Relations with the Germans and the Huns
Week 3: Relations with the Persians
Week 4: Relations with the Arabs
Week 5: Relations with the Armenians
Week 6: Relations with the Balkan Slavs
Week 7: Relations with the Russians
Week 8: Relations with the Turks
Week 9: Political relations with the Latin West
Week 10: Ecclesiastical Relations with the Latin West
Teaching methods
The course will be taught by a combination of lectures, seminars and group discussions.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course students will be expected to:
- be able to evaluate aspects of the Byzantine external policy and identify its main characteristics
- gain knowledge and understanding of the characteristics of the Byzantine diplomacy
- be able to identify, interpret and evaluate a range of primary source materials
Assessment methods
Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation, in advance of the course start date, can submit coursework/assignments for assessment.
Assessment
You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.
Level and demands
The Department’s Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, ie first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.
Course aims
This course aims to enable participants to develop an understanding of the relations between Byzantium and its neighbours.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, participants will have been given the opportunity to:
- develop an understanding of the nature and development of relations between Byzantium and its neighbouring peoples and states
- explore and assess key aspects of Byzantine diplomatic policies and practices
- engage with a range of primary (documentary and visual) sources and develop skills in interpretation and critical evaluation
Programme details
Course starts Wednesday 20 January 2027
This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Wednesdays, 2.00-4.00pm.
Week 1: Byzantine Empire: an Overview (geographical and chronological definition; peoples who lived in the empire; survey of documentary sources). Course requirements
Week 2: Imperial Ideology; Relations with the Germans and the Huns
Week 3: Relations with the Persians
Week 4: Relations with the Arabs
Week 5: Relations with the Armenians
Week 6: Relations with the Balkan Slavs
Week 7: Relations with the Russians
Week 8: Relations with the Turks
Week 9: Political relations with the Latin West
Week 10: Ecclesiastical Relations with the Latin West
Teaching methods
The course will be taught by a combination of lectures, seminars and group discussions.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course students will be expected to:
- be able to evaluate aspects of the Byzantine external policy and identify its main characteristics
- gain knowledge and understanding of the characteristics of the Byzantine diplomacy
- be able to identify, interpret and evaluate a range of primary source materials
Assessment methods
Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation, in advance of the course start date, can submit coursework/assignments for assessment.
Assessment
You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.
Dr Aphrodite Papayianni
Aphrodite Papayianni holds a PhD in Byzantine History and teaches at OUDCE and the University of London. In the last twelve years, she has enjoyed spells as a Visiting Professor in the Universities of Yeditepe and Sakarya (Turkey), and the North-East Normal University, Changchun Normal University and Hebei Normal University (China). Through the years, Aphrodite has developed a wide teaching portfolio, from Greek Prehistory to the end of Byzantium, and has published articles in various topics of Ancient Greek, Byzantine, post-Byzantine, and Crusade History.
Assessment methods
Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation, in advance of the course start date, can submit coursework/assignments for assessment.
Level and demands
The Department’s Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, ie first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course fee (with no assessment) | £315.00 |
| Assessment and Accreditation fee | £60.00 |
Module code: O26P407HIW
How to enrol
Please use the ‘Book now’ button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form.
How to register for accreditation and assessment
To be able to submit coursework and to earn credit (CATS points) for this course, if you wish to do so, you will need to register and pay an additional £60 fee. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.
Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun.
If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education at the Department you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.