Lucas McMahon
@chrysoboullon.bsky.social
PhD Princeton. The logic and logistics of empire. Foreign affairs, information security, and digital spatial history. Byzantium, sometimes the Komnenoi. British Academy International Postdoctoral Fellow @ University of Exeter. 🇨🇦
You always hear about how those pesky Turkish raiders ruined everything for Byzantium in the twelfth century, but when you put it on a map the reports of raiding tend to go both ways pretty equally.
* Danishmendids not included. Non-descendants of Qutlamish sold separately.
* Danishmendids not included. Non-descendants of Qutlamish sold separately.
November 12, 2025 at 8:49 PM
You always hear about how those pesky Turkish raiders ruined everything for Byzantium in the twelfth century, but when you put it on a map the reports of raiding tend to go both ways pretty equally.
* Danishmendids not included. Non-descendants of Qutlamish sold separately.
* Danishmendids not included. Non-descendants of Qutlamish sold separately.
This will come as a surprise to approximately no one, but Grokipedia's source for this is *me* and my article totally does not say that.
October 29, 2025 at 11:50 AM
This will come as a surprise to approximately no one, but Grokipedia's source for this is *me* and my article totally does not say that.
Back in the late twelfth century Al-Baghdadi saw your post about how ancient aliens built the pyramids and is embarrassed for you.
October 27, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Back in the late twelfth century Al-Baghdadi saw your post about how ancient aliens built the pyramids and is embarrassed for you.
October 24, 2025 at 9:12 PM
I dunno what you think, internet, but this 19th c. printer in Naples had a very pleasing Greek typeface.
October 20, 2025 at 10:55 AM
I dunno what you think, internet, but this 19th c. printer in Naples had a very pleasing Greek typeface.
Burg on the Berg in Bergland
September 14, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Burg on the Berg in Bergland
The experience of an eleventh-century English abbot, or just a normal day at Rome Termini? You decide.
June 19, 2025 at 10:51 AM
The experience of an eleventh-century English abbot, or just a normal day at Rome Termini? You decide.
First time buying a used book that happens to have the ex libris of a famous scholar on the inside.
April 30, 2025 at 11:01 AM
First time buying a used book that happens to have the ex libris of a famous scholar on the inside.
Some fabulous words were once written on just this
April 6, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Some fabulous words were once written on just this
When Canada's best foreign affairs correspondent is saying things like this we are really in trouble.
April 2, 2025 at 7:34 PM
When Canada's best foreign affairs correspondent is saying things like this we are really in trouble.
Seeing a lot of fellow Canadians pleased that Carney is going to review the F-35, but don't forget that every time politicians get involved in big procurements it's a disaster, and if we don't patrol the north, the Americans will, Canadian sovereignty be damned.
www.dundurn.com/books_/t2211...
www.dundurn.com/books_/t2211...
March 15, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Seeing a lot of fellow Canadians pleased that Carney is going to review the F-35, but don't forget that every time politicians get involved in big procurements it's a disaster, and if we don't patrol the north, the Americans will, Canadian sovereignty be damned.
www.dundurn.com/books_/t2211...
www.dundurn.com/books_/t2211...
And we have a cover!
March 12, 2025 at 10:45 AM
And we have a cover!
This is key. Most of our internet infrastructure is American, both physically and digitally.
February 23, 2025 at 10:01 PM
This is key. Most of our internet infrastructure is American, both physically and digitally.
It feels like I've been waiting forever to use @drdragases.bsky.social's best meme.
February 23, 2025 at 8:29 PM
It feels like I've been waiting forever to use @drdragases.bsky.social's best meme.
It also turned into a study of chronology, the summary of which is here in this image. Article is here, but paywalled. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... If you want a pdf, drop me a message!
February 19, 2025 at 12:47 PM
It also turned into a study of chronology, the summary of which is here in this image. Article is here, but paywalled. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... If you want a pdf, drop me a message!
Publication day! My article 'Manuel I Komnenos’ policy towards the sultanate of Rum and John Kontostephanos’ embassies to Jerusalem, 1159–61' appeared in 'Crusades'.
Did John Kontostephanos go to the Holy Land once or twice? I use this to look at Byzantine grand strategy in the mid-12th c.
Did John Kontostephanos go to the Holy Land once or twice? I use this to look at Byzantine grand strategy in the mid-12th c.
February 19, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Publication day! My article 'Manuel I Komnenos’ policy towards the sultanate of Rum and John Kontostephanos’ embassies to Jerusalem, 1159–61' appeared in 'Crusades'.
Did John Kontostephanos go to the Holy Land once or twice? I use this to look at Byzantine grand strategy in the mid-12th c.
Did John Kontostephanos go to the Holy Land once or twice? I use this to look at Byzantine grand strategy in the mid-12th c.
Me too, Thomas Jefferson, me too.
February 14, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Me too, Thomas Jefferson, me too.
Wow, Past Lucas could be really naive.
(To be fair to Past Lucas, this is a period in Byzantine history when the provincial population occasionally voted against the centre with their swords.)
(To be fair to Past Lucas, this is a period in Byzantine history when the provincial population occasionally voted against the centre with their swords.)
February 7, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Wow, Past Lucas could be really naive.
(To be fair to Past Lucas, this is a period in Byzantine history when the provincial population occasionally voted against the centre with their swords.)
(To be fair to Past Lucas, this is a period in Byzantine history when the provincial population occasionally voted against the centre with their swords.)
A ninth-century military manual penned in a state under constant attack has a more coherent vision of caring for the vulnerable than just about any western country.
Byzantium: take care of the old and infirm
US/UK/Canada: feed 'em to the woodchipper
Byzantium: take care of the old and infirm
US/UK/Canada: feed 'em to the woodchipper
February 6, 2025 at 11:39 AM
A ninth-century military manual penned in a state under constant attack has a more coherent vision of caring for the vulnerable than just about any western country.
Byzantium: take care of the old and infirm
US/UK/Canada: feed 'em to the woodchipper
Byzantium: take care of the old and infirm
US/UK/Canada: feed 'em to the woodchipper
Major's Hill Park is a green space in central Ottawa between Chateau Laurier and the National Gallery, and offers excellent views the Canadian parliament buildings. It has been a site of many pivotal events in Canadian history, like where I first read @hntdove.bsky.social's 'Justinian'.
February 4, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Major's Hill Park is a green space in central Ottawa between Chateau Laurier and the National Gallery, and offers excellent views the Canadian parliament buildings. It has been a site of many pivotal events in Canadian history, like where I first read @hntdove.bsky.social's 'Justinian'.
Martin Frobisher, with a "promising ratio of handgun to sleeve". Can't wait for the menswear guy to do a series on Elizabethan sleeves and the firearms that live in them.
January 26, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Martin Frobisher, with a "promising ratio of handgun to sleeve". Can't wait for the menswear guy to do a series on Elizabethan sleeves and the firearms that live in them.
Going east with Manuel I Komnenos. First step of the journey to Syria is to get from Lopadion to Attaleia. Contour lines are approximate 8-hour marches, the red line is from an optimal-path analysis but is close both to roads and known 12th c. routes. #historicalGIS #medieval
January 18, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Going east with Manuel I Komnenos. First step of the journey to Syria is to get from Lopadion to Attaleia. Contour lines are approximate 8-hour marches, the red line is from an optimal-path analysis but is close both to roads and known 12th c. routes. #historicalGIS #medieval
A year after the original acceptance of publication in a different venue, it looks like this will finally see the light of day!
January 17, 2025 at 11:49 AM
A year after the original acceptance of publication in a different venue, it looks like this will finally see the light of day!
Christopher of Mitylene († after 1050) on the endless media cycle of the modern world.
January 11, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Christopher of Mitylene († after 1050) on the endless media cycle of the modern world.