Judith Herrin

The @PenguinUKBooks edition of Ravenna will be joined by @PrincetonUPress on 27 October

6th-century door plaques made of black breccia with white veins At Kalenderhane Camii/formerly the Church of Theotokos Kyriotissa

The world's richest collection of Greek graffiti was found on the walls of the basilica directly above this canal. There are thousands of inscriptions--including someone confessing, "I love someone who doesn't love me," someone leaving a votive offering to thank the gods for healing their eyes, rival fans trading barbs like "The Ephesians are number one in Asia!" and "No, Sardis is the greatest!", and even a Greek crossword puzzle scratched into the wall.

Freacoes of St. Cosmas, Archangel Michael and St. Damian at Atik Mustafa Pasha Mosque.

Porphyry imperial sarcophagus that is on display in the Istanbul Archaeological Museums. 3rd photo is a monogram which stands for σταυρός (stauros) meaning cross in Greek.

Base of the Obelisk of Theodosius, Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) by James Robertson (1855). This 1855 photograph by James Robertson captures the massive marble pedestal of the Obelisk of Theodosius in the ancient Hippodrome of Constantinople, along with a few locals who stepped into the frame. The block is divided into horizontal registers. In the upper section, the emperor and his court sit in the imperial box of the Hippodrome. Following the strict hierarchy of the ancient world, stonemasons scaled the physical size of the figures directly to their social status (see image 2). The central figure of the emperor dwarfs everyone else, and his entourage is arranged in a symmetrical, hierarchical order. In the lower section, we see rows of spectators alongside dancers and musicians. Towering above this marble block is the red granite obelisk, originally brought from Egypt. Notice the broad, engraved text just below the figures. This is a dedicatory inscription commemorating the re-erection of the obelisk -- originally carved for Thutmose III in the 15th century BC -- at the Hippodrome of Constantinople in 390 AD, summarizing this massive feat of engineering and propaganda. Speaking in the first person from the monument's perspective, the inscription recounts that the obelisk was raised in 30 days under the supervision of Proclus (Proculus). Let's look at modern photos now, because the final lines of the inscription were still buried underground in the 1855 image I shared. Now, look at the bottom line of the text, right where the name Proclus (ΠΡΟΚΛΟC) is inscribed (see image 3). You might notice that the marble surface around that word is slightly recessed and was smoothed over later. Just two years after erecting this obelisk, Governor Proclus lost the emperor's favor and was executed. Right after, the Romans subjected him to damnatio memoriae (condemnation of memory). Stonemasons came and chiseled the governor's name off this marble inscription. Four years later, when his family regained their political power, the stonemasons returned and re-carved his name right into the very hollow they had previously dug out.

Wonderful news! And what a relief that our judiciary is still fiercely independent of the government "UK ban on Palestine Action unlawful, high court judges rule. Protest group wins legal challenge against decision to proscribe it under anti-terror laws" theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/f…

Fantastic

The theatre at Myra with a view of the cavea, proédrie, orchestra, scaenae…quite impressive.

For the first time in 200 years, the Parthenon’s exterior is entirely free of scaffolding on every side. It’s also the first time in two decades that the western facade is fully visible. At least six generations have never seen the monument unobstructed.

Tower of the Winds (Horologion of Andronikos). Date of photo: c. 1890–1900. Process: Photochrom print. Collection: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs. Photographer: Unknown. Publisher: Photoglob Zürich / Detroit Publishing Co.

“Under Netanyahu's leadership, Israel has also committed the crime of all crimes, Genocide... in the WWII, the J€ws were the defenseless victims of Nazi Germany, today it's the Palestinians who are the defenseless victims of the J€wish state..” — Israeli Historian Avi Shlaim

Message from Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem to JD Vance: "It is sad and painful that you come to these Holy Lands for an unholy purpose & that is to adhere to the occupation, its oppressive policies and practices against the Palestinian people." share.google/rcrt4xLGsNN3eT…

The Marble Tower (Turkish: Mermer Kule) from Yedikule Fortress. It was a fortified complex where the Theodosian Walls and the Sea (Marmara Walls) used to meet. Nicholas V. Artamonoff, 1936 Gülmez Frères, undated SALT Research, undated

La Salle de Roger au palais des Normands de Palerme avec de très belles mosaïques du XIIe siècle. Elles ne furent redécouvertes qu’au XIXe siècle après avoir été cachées derrière une couche de crépi.

A rare and incredible thing! An imperial portrait of the last ever Roman Emperor (1449-1453), Constantine XI Palaiologos, was found at the Monastery of Taxiarches of Aigialeia in Greece in 2024! This provides a glimpse of what the heroic fallen Emperor possibly looked like.

This tweet is not the approach but @Rejoin needs a flag. How do you reassure millions who still hold tight to the stupidest decision of their lives? They would still prefer to fight on the side of failure.

Yes, they still talk about it

An accurate copy of the central figures is now on display in London at the Italian cultural institute, Belgrave square. See it before 5 September.

Ravenna mosaics in London u til 5 September. Check out the Italian cultural institute!

La célèbre mosaïque de Neptune et son épouse, la Néreide Amphitrite, une merveille...