Charles Diehl

Charles Diehl (1859-1944), a distinguished French Byzantinologist, was born in Strasbourg, Alsace. He studied in Paris at the École Normale Supérieure and then spent two years in Rome, where he focused on Roman and Byzantine archaeology. He became a Professor of History at the University of Nancy and later a Professor of Byzantine History at the University of Paris, eventually being elected a member of the French Academy. Diehl visited many countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, and taught for two semesters at Harvard. He cultivated all branches of Byzantine studies, and through his books and teaching, he opened new avenues in the study of Byzantine culture. His writings are particularly noted for their precision and clarity, as well as their style. His most well-known works include "Byzantine Art in Southern Italy" (1894), "Byzantine Africa" (1896), "Justinian and the Byzantine Civilization in the 6th Century" (1901), "Theodora, Empress of Byzantium" (1904), "Portraits of Byzantines" (1906-1908), "Handbook of Byzantine Art" (1910), "History of the Byzantine Empire" (1920), "Byzantine Painting" (1933), among others.