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Emperor Constantine I founded the city of Constantinople at the existing city of Byzantium. He named the city after himself, and it became the capital of the Byzantine Empire. Constantinople later became the largest and wealthiest city in Europe for an extended period of time.
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Belisarius was a general of the Byzantine Empire. He led many military campaigns. He put down the Nika uprising in Constantinople in 532. He was sent to defeat the Ostogroths in 535 and won many victories against them, eventually defeating them. He quelled the uprising of the goths and he crushed the Bulgers as they tried to invade the Byzantine Empire in 559.
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The revolt started with an angry populace at the Hippodrome for the races. At race 22 the crowds broke out and assaulted the palace. The siege of the palace lasted five days and the fires resulted in the loss of much of the city, including the Hagia Sophia. Justinian then devised a plan to separate the Blues and Greens and had his generals Belizarius and Mundus Storm the Hippodrome and kill all of the rebels. Justinian then retook control of the city exiling all of the traitors.
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Hagia Sophia means "Holy Wisdom". It was an Orthodox Christian patriarchal basilica. The building is well known for its architectural dome. The building was constructed during the time of Justinian I. The building was said to have changed the history of architecture.
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In the 630's the Arabs took over much of the Byzantine provinces in Seria and Egypt. Over a fifty year period they launched repeated attacks against the Byzantines, conquering much of their territory and even threatening their capital twice. The Byzantines lost all of their territories in Africa during this time as well.
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Basil II gathered a 30,000 man army and marched into Bulgaria and laid siege to the city of Sofia. But Basil began to worry about the wavering loyalty of his nobility and began to march his army back towards Byzantine Thrace, and was ambushed and defeated at the battle of the Gates of Trajan. By 1000 Basil led another invasion of Bulgaria, this time taking it over piece by piece, rather than attacking one central city. This time Basil was victorious and conquered Bulgaria.
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The Great Schism was the break of communion between the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Churches. The two religions could not agree an many subjects including, whether the Pope should be in charge or the Emperor of the Byzantines, the source of the Holy Spirit, and whether the bread should be leavened or unleavened for the Eucharist.
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Emperor Alexios I of the Byzantine Empire contacted Pope Urban II for military support to repel the invasion of Seljuk Turks from Anotalia. The Pope answered by commissioning a crusade to free the Eastern Christians from Muslim rule.
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The fourth crusade was an attack on the Byzantine capital, Constantinople. The attackers consisted of about 20,000 men and 200 ships crewed by Venetian sailors and warriors. This army broke into and sacked the city of Constantinople.
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The Ottomans commanded by Mehmed the Conqueror started a 53-day siege on the city of Constantinople. The city fell to the Ottomans and marked the end of both the Byzantine and Roman Empires.
