“Porphyria” as a Byzantine Phenomenon: Medicine, Dynasty, and Sacred Power Introduction: A Genetic Mystery in “Purple Swaddlings” “Porphyria” (Greek. porphyra) — a precious purple dye extracted from rare mollusks and serving as an exclusive attribute of imperial power in Byzantium. Being born “in porphyria” (Porphyrogennetos) meant being born in a special chamber of the Constantinople palace, lined with purple porphyry, which highlighted the legitimacy and divine election of the heir. Usually, the phenomenon of "porphyria disease" is considered from the perspective of the instability of imperial power in Byzantium. Power was not always passed down by inheritance, especially in the early period of the state's existence. Unexpected individuals ascended to the throne: Justin I, his nephew Justinian, Empress Theodora, and others. In this case, "porphyria disease" refers to not a political metaphor, but a hypothetical genetic disease, presumably affecting Byzantine dynasties, linking a physical ailment with the sacred status of the ruler. This phenomenon is at the intersection of medical history, dynastic policy, and cultural anthropology. 1. The Hypothesis of Porphyria: A Medical Retrospective In the 1960s, the British psychiatrist and biochemist Idris McAlpine put forward a sensational hypothesis that the famous British king George III, suffering from fits of madness, was afflicted with acute intermittent porphyria — a rare genetic disease disrupting the synthesis of hemoglobin. Later, he and other researchers suggested that similar symptoms might have plagued Byzantine emperors. Porphyria is a group of diseases in which porphyrins, toxic precursors of hemoglobin, accumulate in the body. The acute intermittent form (AIP) can cause: Severe abdominal pain, not related to food poisoning. Nervous and psychiatric disorders: hallucinations, anxiety, aggression, paranoia (interpreted as "madness"). Sun sensitivity (in some forms), leading to skin erosion. Reddish urine ("port ... Read more