The Byzantine Empire

Emperor Constantine I Founded the Byzantine Capital

330

Emperor Diocletian of Rome divided the empire into a tetrachy. When Constantius died, his son, Young Constantine, rose to power in the west. He defeated Maxentius, his rival, so he could become the only emperor of the west. He also defeated Lucinius who ruled the east. Constantine reunited the empire. He decided to locate his new city at the cite of old Byzantium. In 330 AD, Constantine declared the city to be the Empire's new capital which would later become Constantinople.

General Belisarius Military Campaigns

532

General Belisarius first put down the Nika revolts in Constantinople in 532. He then went and won many victories against Persia in 533. Justinain sent him to win back African provinces to the empire, and Belisarius was successful by destorying the Vandal power and restoring the provinces to Byzantine rule. He also won a number of victories against the Ostrogoths in Italy in 525. Because of this, he conquered Sicily, Naples, Rome, and Ravenna. He was then later replaced by Narses.

Nika Revolt

532

In the first years of Justinian's reign, he punished the leaders of both the Blue and Green factions with death because of violent clashes between the two in the Hippodrome. This made Justinian unpopular with the people. The Blue and Green factions united for the first time. For five days, several churchs and public buildings were burned down. Everyday, the rioters went to the Hippodrome with demands, but one day, the rioters assembled in the stadium and were massacred which ended the riots.

Hagia Sophia Completed

537

The church of Hagia Sophia was first built in 360 by Emperor Constantius. The name Hagia Sophia came into use around 430. Before, it was called Megale Ekklesia. Due to riots, the first church structure was destroyed in 404. The second church was built in 415 by Emperor Theodosius II but burned down during the Nika revolt in 532. Finally, the new building was completed on December 27, 537 by Emperor Justinian I. Although,the first dome collapsed in 558 and was rebuilt in 562 to a greater height.

Early Islamic Military Campaigns

Jan 1, 634

Syria was the first Byzantine land to be conquered by the Islamic military. Next, the Byzantine province of Egypt fell to Islamic rule in 642. It's been said that Egypt was the fastest and most complete early conquest. Many other territories have been conquered by Islamic rule such as North Africa, Armenia, and Italy.

Emperor Basil II Military Conquests of Bulgaria

Jan 1, 986

Bulgaria was the northern enemy of Byzantium. Basil II attempted to campaign against Bulgaria to establish his reputation as a soldier but failed in 986. In 990, Basil tried again and created a 25 year long war between King Samuel of Bulgaria and himself. Samuel became worn down and Basil captured the main Bulgarian army and blinded every man but left one in every hundred with one eye to serve as a guide back to Samuel. Samuel died from shock when he saw his men.

Great Schism

Jan 1, 1054

The Great Schism refers to the division of the Byzantine church. In the east, it became known as the Eastern Orthodox Church. In the west, it became known as the Roman Catholic Church. There were mutual excommunications which resulted in this permanent schism.

Emperor Alexios I Contacts Pope Urban II

Nov 27, 1095

Despite the fact that Roman popes and Byzantine emperors are longtime rivals, Urban II agreed to help Alexios. Alexios asked Urban if he could help fight the Muslim turks because they were disrupting travel to the Holy Land and were threatening the continuance of the Byzantine Empire. The Pope calls for war, and by 1096, thousands of knights were on their way to the Holy Land.

Fourth Crusade

Apr 12, 1204

The fourth crusade was initially intended to conquer Jerusalem but resulted in sacking the city of Constantinople. The Crusader leadership made a deal with the Byzantine prince Alexios to restore his deposed father as emperor in exchange for financial and military assistance. But Alexios was murdered which led the crusaders to decide to conquest Constantinople instead. In April 1204, they conquered the city and set up a new Latin Empire.

Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks

May 29, 1453

Mehmed II had already been making preparations to reduce the Byzantine capital, but thanks to the Fourth Crusade, the Byzantine empire was already weakened. Mehmed took control of the strait that connects Constantinople to the Black Sea which eliminated any potential help. Eventually, the Ottomans moved into the city and took it. It is believed that Constantine died during a desperate attack against the enemy.