The Byzantine Empire

Constantine I

306

Constantine's father was the Western emperor of the Roman empire after his death Constantine fought to take over the throne and did. Eventually he became Roman emperor of both Western and Eastern empires. Constantine was the first emperor to acknowledge Christianity and eventually convert to the religion before dying. He also issued the Edict of Milan which allowed Christians to practice their religion. Constantine also moved the capital of the Empire from Rome to Byzantium or Constantinople.

The Byzantine Empire

Period: 330 to 1453

The Byzantine Empire, Eastern Roman Empire, or Byzantium lasted for more than 1,000 years after the Western Empire fell. The Empire flourished in art, literature, religion, and architecture. The Empire had its struggles like constant attacks from outsiders that eventually led to the empire's downfall but, the Empire left an influence on how Europe's future states would be.

Constantinople

334

This city was formally known as Byzantium until emperor Constantine I made the city the capital of the Eastern Empire it then remained the capital of the Byzantine Empire. The city was known as Nova Roma or New Rome and it's structures like the Hagia Sophia displayed the Empire's wealth and incredible architecture. Unfortuanlly the city was constantly captured by outsiders and the city fell with the Byzantine Empire and is now the city of Istanbul.

The Hagia Sophia

359

The Hagia Sophia is a great display of the architecture in the Byzantine Empire it has been rebuilt over and over. It was first built by Constantinus then burned in a riot, rebuilt again by Theodosios II and burned in the Nika revolts. Instead of rebuilding it again Justinian destroyed the Hagia Sophia and built it new in 537. The Hagia Sophia has a large dome with smaller domes on the side, with many columns holding it up, and tall mosaics on its arches. Today the Hagia Sophia is a mosque.

Justinian I

526

Justinian would rule from 526 till 565 during his rule he would build famous churches like the Hagia Sophia, he would also reform the government with the Code of Justinian, and regain territory near the Mediterranean and North Africa.

Code of Justinian

529

The code of Justinian was made by Justinian I to speed up process for punishments and reduce the number of unnecessary cases. The Justinian code were all of Roman laws that were then revised by legal experts. It had over a million words and would last for many centuries. The code would also influence future western legal systems.

Nika Revolts

532

The Nika revolts started by rival Charioteers who influenced the people for Justinian to release two of his unpopular officials. After Justinian gave into their wishes the people weren't appeased so the riots turned into a revolt. Justinian insisted on fleeing but the empress Theodora would not give. So Justinian sent the General Belisarius to put down the revolt which resulted in 30,000 being slaughtered ending the Nika revolt.

Arab Invansions

Period: 700 to 900

During this time The Byzantine Empire would face with constant sieges, the Islamic conquests which took many of its territories, and the Arab expansion into Europe.

Leo III

717

Leo III was the first to start the Iconoclasm movement in 730 by instituting policy's that prohibited displays of religion. An example of this is the Chalke gates that displayed a large golden statue of Christ over the gates this was an important icon of the Byzantine empire. At the time people were leaning into the Iconoclasm movement so Leo ordered to replace the golden Christ with a simple cross. In the Italian peninsula the Popes rejected Iconoclasm weaking the power of Byzantine empire.

Iconoclasm

Period: 730 to 843

Iconoclasm means "the smashing of images". Leo III started prohibiting worship of ideals and images from the iconoclast movement. The people felt that the images of Christianity were being worshipped rather than God being worshipped. Then Micheal III ended the destruction of images.

Micheal III

859

Micheal III or Micheal the Drunkard would launch a campaign against the Arabs which resulted it reach the Euphrates river.

Basil I

878

Basil I or Basil the Macedonian became emperor after assassinating Micheal III and won victories over the Arabs in the Eastern side of the Asia minor. Basil regained southern Italy but losing Sicily and Syracuse.

Crisis and Fragmentation

Period: 1018 to 1071

This period was the beginning of the end for the Byzantine empire. During this period the empire no longer relied on the military but instead on mercenaries. Also the empire's cost of paying mercenaries, the attacks on its borders, and its campaigns left the empire in need for money so high taxes were imposed. At the same time campaigns were launched to regain territory from the Turks but failed and the Byzantine empire lost their power in Southern Italy to the Normans.

Church Schism

1054

The Church Schism of 1054 is when the Christian church split into the Orthodoxy church and the Catholic church. This split was caused by the differences the churches of the West and East had like, who was more important the Pope or the Patriarch of Constantinople. The churches on the West and East had many different ideas on how to practice Christianity, adding to that were the political ambition of emperors that eventually led to the split of the Christian church.

Siege of Bari

1071

Bari was an important city in Italy as it connected the Byzantine empire to western Europe. So when it was sieged by the Normans, and then eventually taken that ended the presence and power that the Byzantine empire had left in the Italian peninsula.

The Crusades

Period: 1095 to 1571

The Crusades were religious military expeditions formed by European Christians to fight back against the Muslim wars. They prevented the expansion of Islam, retake the Holy Land or Jerusalem, conquer pagan territory, and reconquer former Christian territories. They would constantly fight against Muslims to conquer territory and establish Christianity around the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

The First Crusade

1099

Alexios I Byzantine emperor wanted to regain the lost territory in the Asia Minor that was taken by the Muslim Seljuks. So, he went to the Pope Urban II who agreed to help so they could take back Jerusalem or the Holy Land which had been taken by the Muslim Seljuks. The Pope gathered people to join and take back the Holy land. And to their surprise the crusades took back Jerusalem. They then established 4 states to defend the gained land although there would be conflict between them.

Alexius III

1195

Alexius III Angelos took the throne from his brother Isaac II and become the Byzantine emperor in a coup. He was a weak and greedy emperor and would fail from receiving help from the Bulgars to repair the empire. He would be emperor until the Fourth Crusade that placed Isaac II and Alexius IV on the throne again. He would escape and fail to become the emperor of Byzantine again until his death.

Decline and Collapse

Period: 1195 to May 29, 1453

During this time will be when the Byzantine empire loses their power and status in the world since there will be terrible emperors, the empire being looted and attack, with the economy becoming almost destroyed. Until eventually the Ottoman empire's Sultan Mehmed II takes Constantinople.

The Fourth Crusade

1202

The Western part of Europe wanted to take Constantinople since it would solve their problems and have access to trade. So Pope Innocent III launched the Fourth Crusade with the excuse to put Isaac II and his son Alexius IV on the throne, since his son had gone to them for help and promised to repay them back but when it was done they didn't fulfill their promise. So the Venetians and Crusaders took Constantinople looted and destroyed parts of the city. Constantinople was left poor and destroyed.

End of Byzantine Empire

May 29, 1453

Near the end of the Byzantine empire, it's emperors had been paying tribute to the Ottoman empire's Sultan for almost a century. Until Murad II took the privileges of the Byzantines and started the siege of Constantinople. Eventually his successor Mehmed II launched the Ottoman army into Constantinople where the last Byzantine emperor Constantine XI and his small outnumbered army died in battle. Which marked the end of the Byzantine empire.