Museum Interpretations of Byzantium

This chapter examines the representations of Byzantium as effected through two national museum exhibitionary complexes. The first exhibitionary complex is in the British Museum in London, UK and the second in the Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens, Greece. This chapter explains that national museum exhibitions result in the presentation of ‘mythological’ constructs of Byzantium as the only ‘truth’ to their audiences. Importantly, it demonstrates that what is finally communicated through the presentation of ‘mythological’ constructs of Byzantium is ‘national’ identity and dominant cultural values. The latter is effected through the representation of the Byzantine Empire as part of the identity of the dominant cultural group of the country to which each national museum belongs.