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  • A Colorful Walk through Byzantine History
  • Angeliki Lymperaki (bio)

Many people, and especially young children, tend to think of the Byzantine period as an unattractive, dusty era full of meaningless dates and complicated battles. However, contemporary history writing has addressed this problem and brought out Byzantium's charm, either by highlighting little known or neglected historic events, or by examining already known facts from a fresh angle.

Byzantium was a crossroad between West and East and its beauty is linked to its multicultural character. In her picturebook series Byzantium in six colors, Maria Angelidou seems to embrace this aspect. The book series retells the story of the Byzantine Empire, mostly by presenting independent stories of leading figures and important people that lived in the past. Four books have been published so far, and each book includes four stories. Every chapter starts with a motto, which introduces the subject and intrigues the reader. Similarly, at the end of every story there is a postscript that provides further knowledge.

In each of the stories of Angelidou a specific color is highlighted rather than a precise year. This original way of organizing her narrative indicates that the Byzantine period was full of the colors and voices of different peoples and cultures. Besides, it is widely known that colors in Byzantium had their own meaning. Red for instance, was the imperial color. Gold symbolized glory and power. Byzantines related the black color to death and misfortune, while white was for purity. However, Angelidou often disassociates colors from their initial meaning or points out inherent contradictions.

Through narrative it is indicated that history is not single or undivided. It is composed of little pieces that make up the Byzantium jigsaw puzzle. In addition, history is not just about great emperors and winning battles like Charlemagne and the Crusades. Dreams, wishes, values and ideas, like those of emperor Justinian's wife Theodora, are also intriguing. Theodora wanted to know more about the world. As readers, we get to know each person and the historical background that shaped them. Angelidou with her fascinating narrative and Veroutsou with her interesting portraits introduce us to characters that are round and dynamic. They look the reader in the eye and welcome us to their personal story, like the pleasant family of Attila in the black book. Thus, even the stories of foreign conquerors are impartially and respectfully presented. This is obvious even from the book covers as three out of four dare to portray Byzantium's enemies. The Easterner stops being an eternal barbarian. Characters' motives come to light, while blame or credits are attributed equally to opposing parties. Even though the series mostly addresses young readers, distressing and brutal events are not twisted or omitted. Young readers are treated with respect while unpleasant scenes are remarkably balanced with caustic humor and unique spontaneity. Besides, it is the author's belief that talking to children about the past is the only way to equip them for the future.

Aneglidou tells her stories in the third person and makes use of an omniscient point of view. All sides are presented impartially, giving readers a chance to get familiar with different cultures. By picturing a kaleidoscope of human behaviors, instincts, weaknesses and sensitivities the series manages to bring out the similarity of people regardless of their differences. A great ally in this ambition are the illustrations, which complete and sometimes expand the [End Page 76] narrative. Every page, with its decorative first letters, atmospheric colors and rare scenery, creates an authentic experience of the past for the reader. Maps of the Byzantine period, relics, monuments and magnificent buildings are displayed in front of our eyes and give us magical access to history. [End Page 77]

Angeliki Lymperaki

ANGELIKI LYMPERAKI is a graduate of Kapodistrian University of Greece at the Department of Primary Education. She has a master's degree in Literature and works as a primary school teacher.

WORKS CITED

Children's Books

Angelidou, Maria. To Βυζάντιο σε έξι χρώματα: λευκό. [Byzantium in six colors: white]. Illus. Katerina Veroutsou. Athens: Metehmio, 2017. Print.
—. To Βυζάντιο σε έξι χρώματα: μαύρο. [Byzantium in six colors: black]. Illus. Katerina Veroutsou. Athens: Metehmio, 2017. Print.
—. Το Βυζάντιο σε έξι χρώματα: κόκκινο. [Byzantium in six colors: red]. Illus. Katerina...

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