Nature and the Environment, 53rd Spring Symposium of Byzantine Studies, University of Birmingham, March 28–30, 2020
Nature and the environment underpinned Byzantine life but have been little studied. How the Byzantines responded to and understood the landscape, however, enables crucial insights into East Roman perceptions of the world.
Modern interest in the environment and eco-history makes this theme pertinent and timely. Current research on climate change and how it affected the East Mediterranean creates new paradigms for our understanding of Byzantine interactions with the environment.
The 53rd Spring Symposium of Byzantine Studies draws together Byzantine literary and visual responses to nature and the environment as well as showcasing the most recent scientific research on historical climate change and environmental management in Byzantium.
This symposium was planned by Dr Ruth Macrides (University of Birmingham) and will be dedicated to her memory. The first two sessions of the symposium will consist of tributes to Ruth’s life and career by her former students and colleagues.