3 6 ▁to ▁ 1 9 3 8 , ▁he ▁participated ▁in ▁Gr é go ire ' s ▁sem inar ▁where ▁he ▁met ▁his ▁future ▁wife ▁Made le ine ▁Sch ilt z ▁and ▁be fri ended ▁the ▁lik es ▁of ▁Nicholas ▁Ad ont z ▁and ▁Paul ▁W itte k . ▁According ▁to ▁Char an is ▁himself , ▁during ▁his ▁stay ▁in ▁Br uss els , ▁he ▁acquired ▁a ▁prof ound ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁Armen ians . ▁That ▁interest ▁bore ▁abund ant ▁fruit ▁in ▁various ▁studies , ▁not ably ▁The ▁Armen ians ▁in ▁the ▁By z antine ▁Empire ▁( By z ant inos lav ica , ▁ 1 9 6 1 ) ▁and ▁A ▁Note ▁on ▁the ▁Eth nic ▁Origin ▁of ▁Emperor ▁Maurice ▁( By z ant ion , ▁ 1 9 6 5 ). ▁ ▁Char an is ▁also ▁spent ▁some ▁time ▁at ▁the ▁Arist ot le ▁University ▁of ▁Th ess al on iki ▁in ▁Greece , ▁and ▁upon ▁his ▁return ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁joined ▁the ▁R ut gers ▁fac ulty ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 8 , ▁becoming ▁Voor he es ▁Professor ▁of ▁History ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 3 . ▁At ▁that ▁time , ▁By z antine ▁Studies ▁was ▁still ▁at ▁its ▁inf ancy ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁Char an is ▁persu aded ▁the ▁history ▁department ▁to ▁begin ▁a ▁course ▁in ▁By z antine ▁Studies , ▁which ▁eventually ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁popular ▁courses ▁at ▁R ut gers . ▁From ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁to ▁ 1