Events Calendar – British School at Athens
Teddy’s Torone, photo by Teddy Catling
Hybrid Friends’ Lecture
Dr Pamela Armstrong (University of Oxford), “The Two Castles of Torone”
Abstract: Torone sits on a headland at the southern tip of the Sithonia peninsula in the Chalkidiki on the north coast of Greece. From the headland it is possible to see eastwards beyond Athos to the island of Lemnos, to the west to Mount Olympos in Thessaly, and to the south-west the most northerly of the Sporades islands is visible. In previous centuries visibility extended further so that the island of Tenedos and the coast of the Troad could also be seen. It is not surprising then that such a location would be chosen as the site of two independent castles, one in the thirteenth and the other in the seventeenth centuries. The periods when the castles were built were turbulent and the north Aegean was being ravaged by war. In the thirteenth century the Crusaders were struggling with rump Byzantine centres of power for control of the strategically vital entrance to the Dardanelles while in the seventeenth century the Venetians and the Ottomans fought over the same issue. The lecture examines each of the castles through the lens of excavations carried out by the Greek Archaeological Society together with the Australian Archaeological Institute at Athens. The resultant material culture is examined in its broader societal contexts, illuminating the complex historical tapestry of the region with features of everyday life in a garrison setting during times of war.
Pamela Armstrong is Senior Research Fellow in Byzantine Cultural History, Campion Hall, University of Oxford.
When: 21 January, 2025 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm GMT
Where: Senate House (Room G37) – London –