Intense. Overwhelming. Steeped in history. Surreal. Kyara, Rakoku, Manaban, Manaka, Sumotara, Sasora… The names echoed as I arrived. With an address in hand and a pair of socks, I headed to my ...

Empress Irene of Athens remains one of the most intriguing and controversial figures in Byzantine history. Her reign as Empress Regnant (797-802), a rarity in the male-dominated world of Byzantium, ...