#OnThisDay: On July 19, 484 AD, a Syrian named Leontius became a usurper against Emperor Zeno. General Illus convinced Leontius to defect. Since Illus was an Isaurian, the people saw the Isaurians as barbarians. The same went for Zeno. Eight days later, he came to Antioch, chose officials, and produced coins. On August 8, Zeno defeated him in Antioch with Roman and Ostrogothic foederati. They retreated to Papurius in Cilicia and stayed for four years until Leontius’ execution.
Hello, I am Kisung Yoon, but I am also Raphael.
I have loved history since I was young. I remembered seeing various replicas of Korean history, especially the Imjin War of 1592-1598 AD. Later, I immigrated to New York and visited the Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Intrepid in elementary school. I have never forgotten how much I enjoyed my time there. I started to learn more about history since nine years old. Since then, I have gotten hooked on it. I read the Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne, which further enhanced my passion. Later on, I read and listened about Ancient Rome and the Eastern Roman Empire(Byzantine Empire) and got interested in them.
Since middle school, I received high grades in social studies and history classes. I recalled the hundreds of times I participated eagerly and shared my in-depth knowledge of American and World History.
Since high school, I wanted to do something I love: history; it became more so in college, and I wanted to be a historian. However, my mother was never keen on the idea because she believed I would not make far, not do well financially, and not be taken seriously in a white-dominated profession. My father did not care but sided with my mother through her arguments. Nevertheless, I could not give up my love. History is a means to escape from the sadness of my life and bask in the intricacies, nuances, and connections of the past. I will prove my parents wrong and show you my knowledge of Roman history.
On July 8, 2021, it was a memorable day but had a negative impact. I voluntarily left my family to be homeless until September 20, 2021. I got the help and moved out of New York. Since then, I thought long and hard about my life and future. I realized I have to be true to my passion and grow. It brings a tear to my eye.
My blog will focus on Ancient Rome and the Eastern Roman Empire because they were the same Roman Empire. The Eastern Roman Empire came from the Roman Empire due to its split and considered themselves: ‘Romans.’ Also, there were three successor states: Morea, Trebizond, and Epirus. They fell under Ottoman conquest after the fall of Constantinople(1453).
Please come on the journey. Learn, grow, challenge, enhance, critique, be open, and accept uncertainties. Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Bloggow. Thank you.
I will post on Tuesdays and Fridays at 9 am. More posts will happen on other days on social media.
