Byzantium in Western Historiography

• Main Authors: Chang Kai-Chieh, 張凱傑
• Other Authors: 周惠民
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2012
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/61822688009824374188

碩士 === 輔仁大學 === 歷史研究所 === 100 === Byzantium plays an important role in the development of Western history, especially in the period from Late Classic to Medieval. However, Western scholars often thought Byzantium as an Asian empire rather than a part of Western culture in the past, and even label it as stagnant, corrupt and rigid. Moreover, it is believed that there is a large gap between Byzantium and Roman Empire. On the contrary, there is continuity in Byzantium, Roman Empire and Ancient world. The change in politics, the movement of capital and the reformation in culture are all proofs of the continuity. Byzantium shouldn’t even be separated from Roman Empire. This paper is going to discuss the gap between Byzantium’s reality and what Western people used to think of it, and how this misunderstanding is formed. The two researching aspects are as follow: First, to clarify the continuity in Byzantium, Roman Empire and Ancient world, along with the close relationship of Byzantium and the development of Western European. Second, based on former discussion, to expound how the gap between Byzantium in Western scholars’ concept and Byzantium in history is formed. Also, the negative terms that Western scholars use in describing Byzantium is similar to the vocabularies that Eurocentrists use to criticize other non-European culture. Therefore, this would also be an aspect in this paper, and the relationship of Byzantium and other non-European culture would be discussed.