History of the Byzantines

History of the Byzantines

Period: 300 to 1500

Emperor Constantine I Founded the Byzantine Capital

330

Constantine rebuilt the Ancient Greek city Byzantium after Germanic tribes attacked the western half of the Roman Empire. He named it Constantinople after himself. The city became a trade city due to the large amount of connections it had to the world around itself.

Nika Revolt

532

At a chariot race, a fight began between the Blues and the Greens. People were sentenced to be hanged but survived. This created a unity between the two groups against the government. Also, at the time, Justinian raised taxes throughout the empire, which angered many. The groups showed their solidarity, but they were shut down; as a result, the people flooded into the streets and set fire to the town. The riots lasted for days. The Nika Revolt was the end of chariot racing in the empire.

General Belisarius Military Campaigns

533

Justinian sent Belisarius to regain the territories of the Ancient Roman civilization that were conquered by Germanic tribes. He recovered North Africa from the Vandals in a few months by winning two battles. He temporarily regained control of Rome from the Ostrogoth Empire, but it never lasted. He was a great commander who conquered a great amount of territory for Justinian and the Byzantine Empire.

Hagia Sophia Completed

537

The second Hagia Sophia was destroyed after the Nika Revolt in 532. Emperor Justinian demanded that the church be rebuilt immediately. The architects are believed to have been influenced by Archimedes. The dome of the structure has been called the dome of heaven.

Early Islamic Military Campaigns into Byzantine Territory

634

An Islamic army invaded Syria in 634, which was a part of the Byzantine empire. They conquered the territory, however, after their defeat, the Byzantines sent full forces to regain their land. Later, in 636, the Battle of Yarmuk was a deadly battle for the Byzantines. The Muslims turned the terrain into a trap. By 637, the Muslims obtained northern Syria -- excluding upper Mesopotamia.

Emperor Basil II Military Conquests of Bulgaria

986

Basil's first conquest of Bulgaria was a failure when his men were wiped out from an unsuccessful battle in a mountain pass. Also, they failed in an attempt to over take the Bulgar capital. 28 years later, he won an important battle against the Bulgars. He was cruel to his captives. Ultimately, the Bulgarian Empire was merged into the Byzantine Empire.

Great Schism

1054

In 1054, the Eastern Christian churches and the Western Christian churches separated. The Eastern churches were led by Michael Cerularius and the Western by Pope Leo IX. The churches of the East used Greek philosophies, where as the Western churches were based on Roman laws. Many misunderstandings occurred throughout the years leading up to the separation.

Emperor Alexios I Contacts Pope Urban II

1095

The Seljuk Turks were an urgent threat to the Byzantine empire. The emperor at the time -- Alexios I -- felt the mounting pressure and reached out to Pope Urban II to aid the empire in their fight. He agreed to send Christian Knights to help the empire -- even though relationship between the Popes and the emperors were not always the best. This connection began the infamous crusades.

Attack on Constantinople in the Fourth Crusade

1204

An ex-emperor asked some excommunicated Crusaders to help him regain his throne, and in turn, he would pay for the whole crusade. They succeeded in giving him his throne in 1203, but the emperor did not pay the men. He died soon after. The men were angry, so in 1204, the Crusaders attacked and looted the city of Constantinople. Many people were killed.

Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks

1453

The entire city of Constantinople was surrounded by the Ottoman Turks in the expansion of their empire. Their forces broke the city walls and murdered many. The Ottoman Turks took over the city and moved their own capital from Adrianople to Constantinople. The Byzantine Empire was no more.