Byzantine Empire Timeline

  • Period: 300 to Jan 1, 1500

    Byzantine Empire

  • Emperor Constantine
    330

    Emperor Constantine

    Roman emperor Constantine shifted their base to the eastern Mediterranean. He rebuilt the Greek city of Byzantine and renamed it after himslf. He called this rebuilt city Constantinople and it became the new capital of the empire. The eastern Roman empire became know as the Byzantine empire.
  • New Emperor Justinian
    527

    New Emperor Justinian

    Justinian ruled from 527 to 565. He was determined to bring back ancient Rome by recoveing the lands that had been taken over by foriegn invaders. He rebuilt the church of Hagia Sophia to restore Roman glory after the fire that destroyed Constantinople. He also created the Justinian Code which was a massive collection of laws brought together from Roman assemblies, Roman judges, or Roman emperors.
  • General Belisarius
    533

    General Belisarius

    He was loyal to Emperor Justinian's big project of reconquering much of the former Western Roman Empire. He was eventually given the name ¨The Last Of The Romans.¨ He is debated to be one of the best generals of the Byzantine Empire.
  • Hagia Sophia Completed
    537

    Hagia Sophia Completed

    The Hagia Sophia was built to restore Roman glory. Hagia Sophia means Holy Wisdom. Its immense arching domes improved on Roman architecture. The interior glowed wiht colored marble and embroidered silk curtains.
  • Islamic Conquests
    Jan 1, 600

    Islamic Conquests

    Arab armies gradually gained control of the Mediteranean. Constantinople witheld thes attacks and Byzantine still controlled the Balkans and Asia Minor
  • Emperor Basil II Military Conquests
    Jan 1, 1025

    Emperor Basil II Military Conquests

    Coquered Bulgaria and expanded the Byzantine empire. He led many powerful miltary groups to take over other Asia Minor counties until his death in 1025
  • The Great Schism
    Jan 1, 1054

    The Great Schism

    The split between eastern and western christianity was known as the Great Schism. The Byzantine Church became known as the Eastern, or Greek, Orthodox Church.The western branch became known as the Roman Catholic Church.The contacts between the two churches became guarded and distant. They treted eachother as rivals rather than two branches of the same faith.
  • Emperor Alexios I and Pope Urban II
    Jan 1, 1095

    Emperor Alexios I and Pope Urban II

    The inherited a collapsing empire and were faced with constant warfare during his reign against both the Seljuq Turks in Asia Minor and the Normans in the western Balkans.
  • Fourth Crusade
    Jan 1, 1204

    Fourth Crusade

    Venetian merchants persuaded knights to attack Constantinople. For three days, the crusaders burned and destroyed the city, spending much treasure westward.
  • The End of the Byzantines
    Jan 1, 1453

    The End of the Byzantines

    The Ottoman forces surround Constantinople. They brought cannons and broke through the city's walls.the last emperor said "God forbid that I should live an emperor without an empire. He chose to die fighting against the turks after the 2 month long invasion.