WHI.7 Byzantine Empire

Byzantium Becomes Constantinople

330

Constantine, ruler of the Roman Empire at the time, moved the capital from Nicomedia to Byzantium, renaming it Constantinople in the process. Constantinople (now Istanbul) is surrounded by water on three sides which meant it was easily fortified against invaders. Its location was also along the crossroads of trade between Europe and Asia, so it flourished and prospered economically. It remained the capital throughout the Byzantine empire until it was conquered by the Ottoman Turks.

Fall of Rome

476

In 476, the Roman Empire started to decline for a variety of reasons. It had an unstable government flooded with corrupt leaders, a weakened military full of foreigners, and the empire had been split into two parts by Constantine. These vulnerabilities allowed the empire to be easily sacked by Vandals and Visigoths along with other Germanic invaders like the Huns. The Western empire fell as a result.
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Justinian becomes Ruler

527

Justinian is easily the most well known emperor of the Byzantine empire. He came from a poor family but after coming into rule he quickly gained a following due to his codification of Roman law (Justinian's Code) and reconquering of former Roman territories. He had complete power over both the church and state, and it was under his rule that the famous Hagia Sophia church was built. He also helped convert Russians to Christianity and his code of law helped to influence other European law codes.

Nika Revolt

532

Justinian's wife and co-advisor Empress Theodora was a powerful woman. She pushed for women's rights, establishing laws against men beating women, and also allowing women to sue for divorce and own property. She had a crucial part in consoling Justinian during the Nika Revolt, where a crowd attending games at the Hippodrome led a rebellion against Justinian's high tax rates and autocracy. Theodora advised him to stand his ground. 30,000 rebels were slaughtered and Justinian regained control.

Hagia Sophia is (re)built

532

There had been previous churches constructed under the name "Hagia Sophia" (meaning "Holy Wisdom") but the cathedral as its known today started its construction in 532 directly after the Nika Revolt under Justinian's command. It was a complicated building located in Constantinople with poor structural integrity which caused the giant dome in the middle to collapse multiple times during its construction. When the Ottoman Turks invaded, they converted the Hagia Sophia into a mosque.

Great Schism

1054

When the western Roman empire became the Byzantine Empire, Roman Catholic Christianity was carried over and popularized. With Greek influence, a sect of Christians developed a new form of Christianity called Orthodox. The churches had different languages, traditions, and beliefs, leading to controversy, especially over use of icons. In 1054 the Byzantine Church split because the Roman Pope and Emperor of the Western Church did not want to listen to the Patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Crusaders loot Constantinople

1204

In the fourth Christian Crusade, commanded by Pope Innocent III, European Christians sacked and looted Constantinople, Byzantine's capital, robbing it of artwork and riches. The original motive of the Crusades, a series of battles developed to regain the Holy Land (Jerusalem) from Islamic invaders seemed to be forgotten. This Crusade is seen as more of a financial expedition to gain profit rather than a battle for religious territory.

Ottoman Turks Invade and Conquer

1453

After Justinian's rule the Byzantine empire shrunk greatly in size due to invasions by foreign groups. The Seljuk Turks invaded in the 1000's and a series of Crusades took place to drive them out. The Byzantines reconquered Constantinople but then, 200 years later, the Ottoman Turks capture Constantinople in 1453 and rename it Istanbul.