History of the Byzantines

Byzantines

Period: 300 to 1500

General Belisarius Military Campaigns

530

General Belisarius was a military leader who worked under Byzantine Emperor Justinian. He made countless numbers of military campaigns during his life and a great amount of victories. He put down the Nika uprising, defeated the Vandals in North Africa, fought in Mesopotamia and took Sicily, Naples, and Carthage among many other feats.

Nika revolt (riots)

532

The Nika revolts took place over the coarse of one week. They were the most violent riots ever in Constantinople. Nearly half the city was destroyed by fire and thousands of people were killed. They were a result of bad governing by Emperor Justinian and the people were upset about heavy taxation.

Early Islamic military campaigns into Byzantine territory

646

Multiple Muslim conquests into Byzantine resulted in the loss of Byzantine's southern provinces. Over the coarse of fifty years, the Muslims would make repeated attempts at conquering the capital city of Constantinople and other territories in the Byzantine Empire.

Emperor Basil II military conquests of Bulgaria

986

Byzantine emperor Basil II lead an army of 30,000 men to Bulgaria's capital city, Sophia. The army laid siege to Bulgaria but was later ambushed and defeated. Then in 1000, Basil II lead another invasion to the center of Bulgaria. He captured 15,000 prisoners and killed many others. He was then nicknamed the "Bulgar-slayer".

Great Schism

1054

The Great Schism, also known as the East-West schism was the rift that occurred within the Christian church in 1054. The church split into two sides: Western Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.

Emperor Alexios I contacts Pope Urban II for military help in Middle East

1095

Pope Urban II responds to Byzantine Emperor Alexius' call for help in fighting the Turks and Islam. This played a huge role in starting the First Crusade and the Crusade movement in general. It also had a big role in starting the two century long feud between the Islam and Christian worlds.

Fourth Crusade (attack on Constantinople)

1204

A trade rivalry sparked violence between the Byzantine empire and Venice, Italy. In 1204 Venetian merchants were able to persuade knights of the fourth crusade to attack Constantinople. For three days the knights plundered and burned the city, sending many treasures to the west.

Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks (official end to Byzantines)

1453

An army of the Ottoman Empire invaded and captured the capital city of Byzantine. The fall of Constantinople marked the end of the Byzantine Empire and the end of the 1500 year old Roman Empire. It also marked the end of the middle ages.