History of the Byzantines

Byzantines Timeline

Period: 300 to Jan 1, 1500

Emperor Constantinople l Founded the Byzantine Capital

330

Byzantium took on the name Konstantinoupolis after its re-foundation under Roman emperor Constantine l, who transferred the capital of the Roman Empire from Rome to Byzantium and designated his new capital officially as Nova Roma(New Rome).

General Belisarius Military Campaigns

527

Belisarius was the leading military figure in the age of the Byzantine emperor Justinian. As one of the last important figure in the Roman military tradition, he led imperial armies against the Sasanian empire(Persia), the vandal kingdom of the North Africa, the ostrogothic regime, and the barbarian tribes encroaching upon Constantinople.

Nika revolt

532

The Nika riots or Nika revolt, took place against Emperor Justinian l in Constantinople over the course of a week in AD 532. They were the most violent riots in the city's history, with nearly half Constantinople being burned or destroyed and tens of thousands of people being killed.

Hagia Sophia Completed

537

Hagia Sophia, also called Church of the Holy Wisdom or Church of the Divine Wisdom, Cathedral built as Constantinople in the 6th century under the direction of the Byzantine emperor Justinian l. By general Consensus, it is the most important Byzantine structure and one of the world's great monuments.

Emperor Basil ll military conquests of Bulgaria

Feb 23, 986

with the aristocracy dominating the military high commands, Basil decided early to establish his own reputation as a soldier. An initial attempt at campaigning against Bulgaria, the deadly Northern enemy of Byzantines, In 986 had proved an embarrassing failure. In 990, however, Basil resumed his efforts against Bulgaria, which would become the prime target of his mature military efforts.

The great Schism

Jan 1, 1054

An event that precipitated the fuel separation between the Eastern Christian Churches( led by the Patriarch of Constantinople, Michael Cerularius) and the Western Church( led by Pope Leo lX). The mutual excommunications by the pope and the Patriarch that year became a watershed in church history. The excommunication were not lifted until 1965, when Pope Vl and Patriarch Althenagaras l, following their historic meeting in Jerusalem in 1964.

Emperor Alexius l contacts Pope Urban ll

Nov 27, 1095

Since the 6th century, Christians frequently made pilgrimages to the birthplace of their religion, but when the Seljuk Turks took control of Jerusalem, Christians were barred from the holy city. When the Turks then threatened to invade the Byzantines, Emperor Alexius l made a special appeal to Urban for help. Wanting to reinforce the power of the papacy, Urban seized the opportunity to unite Christian Europe under him as he fought to take back the holy land from the Turks.

Early Islamic military campaigns into Byzantine territory

Feb 7, 1180

After a period of multiple wars, a few victories by the Byzantines allowed three Byzantine Emperors, named Nikephoros ll Phocos, John l Tzimiskes and Basil ll, to recapture territory lost to the Muslim conquests in the 7th century.

Fourth Crusade attack on Constantinople

Jan 22, 1204

The siege and sack of Constantinople occurred in April 1204 and marked the culmination of the fourth crusade. Mutinous Crusader armies captured, looted, and destroyed parts of Constantinople, the capital of Byzantine Empire.

Fall of Constantinople

May 29, 1453

After ten centuries of wars, defeats, and victories, the Byzantine empire came to an end when Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks in May 1453. The city's fall sent shock waves throughout Christendom. It is widely quoted as the event that marked the end of the European middle ages.