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Period: 284 to 305
Reign of Emperor Diocletian
Under the reign of Emperor Diocletian, reforms would be made that would divide the Roman Empire into Eastern and Western halves. -
Period: 306 to 337
Reign of Constantine I
Constantine the Great was the first Christian emperor of the Roman Empire. His reign would mark the toleration of Christendom across the Empire and the founding of Constantinople, capitol of what would become the Byzantine Empire. -
330
Foundation of Constantinople
Roman Emperor Constantine the Great establishes a new capitol in the eastern half of the Empire, on the foundations of the city of Byzantium. -
337
Death of Constantine I
His sons divide the Empire amongst themselves, the East-West divisions would deepen further by political and administration lines. -
395
Split of the Roman Empire
The Byzantine Empire is permanently split between east and west after the death of emperor Theodosius I. His sons rule each half of the Empire separately, marking the technical start of the Byzantine Empire. -
410
Sacking of Rome
Rome falls to Visigoth invaders, greatly weakening the western half of the Empire. The Eastern half remains intact and more resilient -
451
Council of Chalcedon
Affirms Jesus Christ as both fully God and fully man. Causes schism with what would become the Oriental Orthodox Churches in places like Egypt and Syria. -
476
Fall of The Western Roman Empire
The last emperor in the west is deposed by Germanic tribes. The eastern Byzantines would survive for another 1000 years. -
Period: 527 to 565
Reign of Justinian I
Justian sought to reform Rome's former glory through military conquest and legal reforms. His rule is considered a golden age for the Empire and marks its cultural and territorial peak. -
532
The Nika Revolt
A large political revolt erupts in Constantinople, leading to half of the city being burned. Justinian crushes the riots and kills thousands in the city's Hippodrome. It is considered the largest riots in the City's history. -
537
Completion of the Hagia Sophia
The monumental basilica is completed under Justinian. It becomes a symbol of Christianity and imperial strength. It remains the largest church in the world for almost 1000 years. -
Period: 541 to 549
Plagues of Justinian
A deadly plague devastates large parts of the Empire, setting economy back for decades. -
554
Territorial peak of the Byzantines
Under Justinian, the Byzantines hit their territorial peak and reclaim much of the west. -
Period: 602 to 628
Byzantine-Sassanid Wars
A brutal series of wars with Sassanid Persia nearly collapses both empires. The Byzantines come out victorious yet weakened. -
Period: Oct 5, 610 to Feb 11, 641
Reign of Heraclius
Emperor Heraclius reorganizes the army and officially replaces Latin with Greek. His long reign marks many cultural shifts despite numerous invasions from the Sassanids and Caliphate -
Period: 622 to 750
Muslim Conquests
Arab armies conquer Syria, Egypt, and North Africa bringing the new religion of Islam with them. The Empire permanently loses these territories and with them loses vital land and tax revenue. -
632
Formation of the Caliphate
The first Islamic Caliphates form and quickly conquer over half of the Byzantine Empire. These former Imperial lands would embrace Islam and continually come into conflict with the remaining Byzantine Empire. -
Period: 674 to 678
Arab siege of Constantinople
Arab forces besiege the City for several years. The Byzantines are able to push them back using their naval forces and a unique type of fire simply known as "Greek Fire" -
Period: 717 to 718
Second Arab siege of Constantinople
The Arab Muslims try again to siege Constantinople; The Empire once again defeats them and halts Islam from entering Europe. -
726
Start of Iconoclasm
Emperor Leo III bands the use and veneration of Icons in Christian worship. This sparks major religious and political turmoil across the Empire for over a century. -
787
Second Council of Nicaea
Church leaders officially condemn Iconoclasm as a heresy. This does not fully end Iconoclasm which would fully cease a few decades later. -
843
Official end to Iconoclasm
Empress Theodora puts an official end to Iconoclasm and restores icons to Christian worship. This settles the dispute permanently. -
Period: 862 to 886
The Mission of Cyril and Methodius
Christian monks Cyril and Methodius go on a mission to evangelize the Slavs and while on their mission invent the Cyrillic Alphabet. Their work officially spreads Christendom northwards. Slavic languages use the Cyrillic alphabet to this day. -
Period: 864 to 927
Christianization of Bulgaria
Tsar Boris I adopts Christianity. Over the next decades Bulgaria develops a Slavic Christian Culture becoming a religious partner to Byzantium, despite the wars that they have been waging on the Byzantines for centuries. -
867
The Macedonian Dynasty
Emperor Basil I founds a new ruling dynasty. This new dynasty begins a long period of military success and cultural flourishing. -
Period: Jan 10, 976 to Dec 15, 1025
Reign of Basil II
Emperor Basil II crushes all internal rebellions within the Empire and also finally defeats Bulgaria. Under his reign the Empire reaches its greatest territorial gains since Justinian. -
988
Conversion of the Kievan Rus'
Prince Vladimir converts to Christianity and adopts Byzantine rites and customs. This further spread what would become Eastern Orthodoxy into the Slavic world. -
1018
Fall of Bulgaria
After numerous years of war, Bulgaria finally collapses and is annexed by the Byzantines. Byzantium now has full control of the Balkans -
1054
The Great Schism
The Eastern and Western halves of The Church mutually excommunicate each other. This permanently splits the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. -
1071
Battle of Manzikert
The Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine army and capture the emperor. The Byzantines would quickly lose much of Anatolia after this loss.