The Lost Capital of Byzantium by Steven Runciman

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Some might cringe at the title, but it is still interesting.

The Lost Capital of Byzantium by Steven Runciman


An interesting description of the last years of the Eastern Empire, the conflict and changing fortunes of the last stronghold of the Balkan state, which was Mistra.

From the Back cover:-

"Clinging to a rugged hilside in the lush valley of Sparta lies Mistra, one of the most dramatically beautiful Byzantine cities in Greece, a place steeped in history, myth, and romance.

Following the Frankish conquest of the Peloponnese in the 13th cent, William II of Villehardouin built a great castle on a hill near Sparta that later came to be known as Mistra. Ten years later in a battle in northern Greece, Villehardouin was defeated and captured by the Byzantine Emperor. The terms for his release included giving Mistra to the Byzantine Greeks. Under their rule the city flourished and developed into a center of learning and the arts and was a focal point for the cultural development of Europe."

Definately worth reading, if you are interested in history or if you like a good story.

[Ghostmojo]

I visited Mistra a few years ago. It was eerie. A ghost town looking down over the plain of an even more ancient city - which itself has been reborn as a modern town. It's a hell of a drive to get up there, but the views are stunning.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I haven't made it there yet, as each time my visits have been to a particular era...
Eventually, I will explore the later periods and Byzantine period sites in ernest.