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6 days ago · History and geography of the Byzantine Empire, the eastern half of the Roman Empire, which survived for a thousand years after the western half had crumbled into various feudal kingdoms. In the 14th century the Ottoman Turks began to encroach on Byzantine territory, and the empire fell to them in 1453.
- Istanbul
Climate. The prevailing northeast wind, or poyraz, comes...
- Byzantine Empire Summary
Byzantine Empire, Empire, southeastern and southern Europe...
- Constantine I
Constantine reigned during the 4th century CE and is known...
- From 867 to The Ottoman Conquest
From 867 to the Ottoman conquest The Macedonian era:...
- The 6th Century
Byzantine Empire - East Rome, Christianity, Constantinople:...
- The Age of Iconoclasm
Byzantine Empire - Iconoclasm, Religion, Empire: For more...
- Diocletian, Constantine, Reforms
Byzantine Empire - Diocletian, Constantine, Reforms: The...
- The Successors of Justinian: 565–610
The aging Heraclius was unequal to the task of containing...
- The Last Years of Justinian I
Byzantine Empire - Justinian I, Constantinople, Legacy:...
- Pillars of Heracles
Pillars of Heracles, two promontories at the eastern end of...
- Istanbul
- The Name 'Byzantine' & Dates
- Constantinople
- Byzantine Emperors
- Byzantine Government
- Corpus Juris Civilis
- Byzantine Society
- Territories of The Byzantine Empire
- The Byzantine Church
- Byzantine Art
- Byzantine Architecture
The name 'Byzantine' was coined by 16th-century historians based on the fact that the capital city's first name was Byzantium before it changed to Constantinople (modern Istanbul). It was and continues to be a less-than-perfect but convenient label which differentiates the Eastern Roman Empire from the Western Roman Empire, especially important aft...
The beginnings of the Byzantine Empire lie in the decision of Roman emperor Constantine I to relocate the capital of the Roman Empire from Rome to Byzantium on 11 May 330. The popular name Constantinople or 'City of Constantine' soon replaced the emperor's own official choice of 'New Rome'. The new capital had an excellent natural harbour on the Go...
The Byzantine emperor or basileus (or more rarely basilissa for empress) resided in the magnificent Great Palace of Constantinople and ruled as an absolute monarch over a vast empire. As such, the basileusneeded the assistance of an expert government and a widespread and efficient bureaucracy. Although an absolute ruler, an emperor was expected - b...
The Byzantine government followed the patterns established in imperial Rome. The emperor was all-powerful but was still expected to consult such important bodies as the Senate. The Senate in Constantinople, unlike in Rome, was composed of men who had risen through the ranks of the military service, and so there was no senatorial class as such. With...
Byzantine government was greatly assisted by the creation of the Justinian Code or Corpus Juris Civilis (Corpus of Civil Law) by Justinian I. The corpus, drawn up by a panel of legal experts, collected, edited, and revised the huge body of Roman laws which had been accumulated over the centuries - a massive number of imperial edicts, legal opinions...
The Byzantines gave great importance to the family name, inherited wealth, and the respectable birth of an individual. The individuals in the higher levels of society possessed these three things. Wealth came from land ownership or the administration of land under an individual administrator's jurisdiction. However, there was no aristocracy of bloo...
The geographical extent of the Byzantine Empire changed over the centuries as the military successes and failures of individual emperors fluctuated. Territories which were held in the earlier part of the empire's history included Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine. Greece was less important in practical terms than it was as a symbol of th...
Paganism continued to be practised for centuries after the foundation of Byzantium, but it was Christianitywhich became the defining feature of Byzantine culture, profoundly affecting its politics, foreign relations, and art and architecture. The Church was headed by the Patriarch or bishop of Constantinople, who was appointed or removed by the emp...
Byzantine artists moved away from the naturalism of the Classical tradition towards the more abstract and universal, displaying a definite preference for two-dimensional representations. The rarity of signatures on works of art produced before the 13th century suggests that artists did not enjoy a high social status. Artworks which promoted a relig...
Byzantine architects continued to employ the Classical orders in their buildings and took ideas from the Near East, amongst other places. Designs became more eclectic than in antiquity, especially given the common habit of reusing the materials from older buildings for new structures. There was, too, a definite emphasis on function over form and a ...
- Mark Cartwright
The Byzantine Empire varied in size over the centuries, at one time or another, possessing territories located in Italy, Greece, the Balkans, Levant, Asia Minor, and North Africa. More about: Byzantine Empire
- Mark Cartwright
- Publishing Director
Mar 10, 2024 · Discover the fascinating historical geography of the Byzantine Empire with an interactive map. Explore the vast territories that once belonged to this powerful civilization, including iconic cities like Constantinople and Alexandria.
- Origins. Constantine I took control of the Roman Empire after winning the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in October of A.D. 312. The events before the battle are steeped in legend, but Constantine is said to have had some sort of religious experience that resulted in his warming to Christianity.
- Justinian I. Justinian I became emperor in 527. While it is said that the golden age of Byzantium occurred during his reign Justinian's rule certainly did not start off as golden.
- The Byzantine Dark Age. The centuries after Justinian’s death are sometimes referred to as the Byzantine “Dark Age” and for good reason, as a series of misfortunes befell the empire.
- Byzantine comeback? Byzantium never returned to the “golden age” it had reached during Justinian’s rule. Nevertheless, the military situation stabilized in the ninth century and by the 11th century, Byzantium had gained back a considerable amount of territory that it had lost.
Aug 17, 2016 · The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, had a long and complex history spanning over a millennium. It emerged as a continuation of the Roman Empire in the East and lasted from the 4th century AD to the 15th century AD. The map below shows the rise and fall of the Byzantine Empire (602 – 1450).
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History of the Byzantine Empire. Preceding. Roman Empire. Dominate. Early period (330–717) Tetrarchy era. Constantinian–Valentinianic era ( Constantinian dynasty – Valentinianic dynasty) Theodosian era. Leonid era. Justinian era. Heraclian era. Twenty Years' Anarchy. Middle period (717–1204) Isaurian era. Nikephorian era. Amorian era.
