Favourite Period of Byzantine History

As expected

Really hard to choose. I have the same problem with Heraclius here

- Justinians time with the great buildingship and reconquest (the amazing general belisarius)

-The heraclius time with the first crusade  (against the persians) and the Thematic systen

-The apogium with Basil

-Or the brilliant leadership of Comneni (i really believe that if any of them was in power in 1204, constantinumple wouldn't fall, or should i say never been sieged?)

-Or the heroic effords of the last emperors and the heroic last stant?

Can't desite sorry .

Constantine XI, thanks for including 1461 (fall of Trebizond) as the last year of the late period!

I love all periods of Byzantine history.  But the late period (1204-1461) is by far my most favorite.  Specifically I like to study the late Byzantine army, in terms of its composition and armament, and the Orthodox Church (particularly the unionist councils of Lyons and Florence).

 Still no closer to making my final decision, but I have been thinking about all the false dawns Byzantium had in regard to reclaiming its past glory.

 Justinian, he had reconquered much of the western empire, but the empire was doomed to decline after his death, losing much of what he had regained, his heir was always going to be less able to deal with the problems the empire faced.

 Heraclius, defeated Persia for the last time and it seemed that after centuries of the Roman and Persian empires fighting had come to an end and Byzantium was top. Only for this victory to horribly coincide with the rise of a new power in the Arabs. Byzantium would struggle and barely survive, losing much territory it would never again reclaim.

 Basil II, brought the empire to its apogee of power, destroying the Bulgars as a threat and ushering in it seemed an even more prosperous and brighter future than had gone before. But with no son of his own, the throne passed to his brother Constantine and so began the decline yet again.

 Then the Comnemi, left to pick up the pieces from Manzikert and decades of mis-management since the death of the Bulgar-Slayer. After 99 years of Comnemi control, a period characterised by astonishing diplomatic feats and military success, of reconquest and repairing Byzantiums battered reputation. They came close, but I guess if after just shy of a century of good leadership and strength, an empire is still a mess then nothing short of a miracle would save it.

 Everytime the empire seemed to be about to move onto a new level of dominance, power and stability, a new threat or new calamity struck the empire knocking it back decades. All 4 of the periods I like most, all end on really sad notes.

Ikki, I see that you are from Spain.  Have you ever heard about the Castilian adventurer Don Francisco de Toledo, who fought at the siege of Constantinople in 1453?  He came all the way from Spain with some ships full of grain for the defenders.  He claimed that he was a long-lost cousin of the emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos and died fighting by the emperor's side at the St. Romanos Gate breach.

Yeah, it is quite interesting.  Unlike Giustiniani Longo, the Genoese noble who brought 700 heavily armed soldiers with him, de Toledo did not bring any soldiers with him and Castile did not have a large community at Constantinople to guard (and Genoa did), like you mentioned.  To me he seems like a "Don Quixote" type; a little nutty in the head but quite brave and adventerous!

 I guess "Other" is giving you the option to specify a band of time not included in the list, e.g from 640 to 800 for example, instead of 640 to 1071.

 I think the bands are to broad to give much of a definative answer, so other is a chance to specify a period of time you like most.

My favourite period, predictably, is the 640-1081 period. I see this age as one of desperate struggle by Byzantium against immense odds, from which she managed incredible triumphs which set an example to the barbarised West of what was still possible. The Emperors in this period were some of the best in the whole history of Byzantium. I will leave you to judge which ones you like, though.

This period saw Byzantium throw off most of her anachronistic features to reinvent herself as a wealthy, powerful and viable state. Thematic organisation was at its peak, while most of Europe groaned under aristocracy it was a remarkably modern bureaucracy which ran Byzantium, military science was some of the finest in the world and the later part of this era saw an intellectual flowering the world could look up to. It is a period of triumph against severe odds, which makes it so appealing.