Byzantine Empire

By elreichman
  • 284

    Roman Empire Splits

    The Roman Empire splits under Diocletian's rule.
  • 305

    Diocletian Retires

    Diocletian retires from rule.
  • 305

    Constantine Becomes Emperor

    Constantine is the new emperor of the Byzantine Empire.
  • 305

    Constantine Renames Capital and Changes Religion

    The capital of the city, Byzantium, is renamed Constantinople. (now Istanbul, Turkey) Christianity is now the official religion of the empire.
  • 476

    Western Half of Roman Empire Falls

    The other half of the now-split Roman Empires falls.
  • 500

    Constantine Reunites Western and Eastern Half

    Under Constantine's rule, the fallen western half is reclaimed by the Byzantine Empire. The entire empire is now able to use many different major bodies of water, such as the Mediterranean Sea, and the Silk Road for trade.
  • 500

    Constantinople is Well-Protected

    The city of Constantinople is extremely well-protected, with multiple walls and a moat system.
  • 527

    Justinian and Theodora Come to Power

    Justinian and Theodora come to power after Constantine.
  • 527

    Justinian Fixes Law Codes and Expands Empire

    Justinian condenses the old and new laws into a new set called the Justinian Codes, and expands the empire into Europe.
  • 569

    Nika Revolts

    The Nika Revolts were a series of uprising caused from Justinian's harsh laws. In the end, Justinian enlisted the help of military general Belisarius and he taps and kills 50,000 rioters in the Hippodrome, a chariot racing stadium.
  • 574

    Hagia Sophia is Rebuilt

    After the Nika Revolts, Justinian hires architects to rebuild a new and improved Hagia Sophia, which was finished just 5 1/2 years afterwards. The domes in particular had a huge affect on other buildings in the rest of the empire and other surrounding cultures.
  • Jan 1, 1453

    Empire Weakens

    The empire slowly starts to fall in 1453 from outside forces, such as the Ottoman Turks.
  • Jan 1, 1453

    Internal Weakening

    The empire also has problems such as a series of weak rulers, corruption, and lost land.

  • Empire Falls to Ottoman Turks

    The empire finally falls after 500 years to the Ottoman Turks, because of both internal and external weakening in Constantinople.