Egypt in the Byzantine Period
Michael Tunnicliffe
Monday 12th January 2026
2pm Mayer Hall, Bebington
When the Roman Empire split into east and west in the year 395 Egypt was ruled from Constantinople.
Christianity was now the official religion of the Empire but disputes in the 5th and 6th centuries caused tensions
Over time a distinctive from of Coptic Christianity emerged with the monasteries as central to Coptic life
Then around the year 640 Muslim armies emerged from Arabia. Soon Egypt and much of the Middle East was lost to Byzantine control
This lecture gives an overview of this important, but often neglected period in the history of Egypt.
