ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at Byzantium's reception in the modern world. An increased interest in Byzantium in the modern world has a more sinister aspect. Though by no means central, Byzantium has found a place in debates surrounding contemporary identity politics, particularly within the digital culture of the American far right. This presence manifests itself in the so-called “manosphere,” a sub-section of the broader alt-right that consists of the constellation of blogs, websites, reddit and 4chan threads, Twitter feeds, and Facebook pages that fertilise the larger “Men's Human Rights Movement” (MHRM or, as often, Men's Rights Activists, MRA). Of course, these “Byzantiums” are more a reflection of contemporary identity politics more than accurate visions of Byzantium at any point in its history. Yet, in the end, we are left to ponder, just what can these alternative—albeit simplistic and flawed—visions of Byzantine identity tell us both about the modern world's vision and indeed manipulation of the past and Byzantium's legacy now and into the future?
