Chapter 7

Constantinople becomes capital of eastern Roman empire

330

Constantinople, previously Byzantium, becomes the capital of the eastern half of the Roman empire. This is significant as it would become a center of trade in the Byzantine empire, and would connect Europe and Asia.

Reign of Justinian

Period: 527 to 565

The reign of Justinian is important as he did many significant things for the Byzantine Empire. He was able to expand the Christian church, Hagia Sophia, and codified the law, aka the Justinian Code. Along with this the empire grew and conquered more land under his rule although this action did cause the empire to be close to bankruptcy which weakened the empire.

Slavic migrations into eastern Europe

650

The Slavs begin to move into eastern Europe which is significant as eventually their presence, alongside Norse travelers, would create the city of Kiev, the first beginnings of Russia.

Arab attack on Constantinople defeated

718

The Arab attack Constantinople, and although they were eventually defeated, the attacks left the city in a weaker state. There was now a constant threat on the city's borders, and there were new economic hardships.

Rurik king of Kievan Russia

855

According to the legend, Ruruik is the first monarch in Kievan Rus. This is significant because Kievan Rus was the predecessor to modern Russia.

Beginning of Christian missionary work of Cyril and Methodius in Slavic lands.

864

Cyril and Methodius were missionaries who had the goal of spreading God's word. They created a new alphabet known as Cyrillic, which was the written form of the Slavic language. this was important because allowed some literacy and literature to develop in eastern Europe.

First kingdom in what is now Czech and Slovak republics

870

The missionaries Cyril and Methodius traveled to what is now the Czech and Slovak republics, but ultimately this area were more inclined to the Roman Catholic Christianity rather than what they had to offer.

Magyars settle in Hungary

896

In the late 9th century, Hungary was taken over by Magyar (Turkish people) who began to settle there. This is significant because it foreshadows the rise of power with the Turk, and their eventual victory over Constantinople.

Emergence of Polish state

960

Poland began to grow as a kingdom was active in trade and industry for the most part. Poland’s emergence is important because it was home to the single largest concentration of Jewish people, who at the time, were largely looked down upon in Eastern Europe.

Conversion of Russia to Christianity

Period: 980 to 1015

The King of Russia, Vladimir was faced with the duty to choose a religion for high country, and ended up choosing Orthodox Christianity. This choice was significant because it would play a big role in his country’s relationship with the neighboring kingdom of Byzantine, and it extended Christianity further east.

Byzantine defeat of Bulgarian kingdom

1018

The Bulgarians had been putting pressure on the Byzantine Empire for some time which is why their defeat was so important. The emperor of the Byzantines used wealth to bribe the Bulgarian generals and nobles, to defeat the Bulgarian armies, taking 15,000 soldiers captive and blinding them. These events lead to the death of their king, and Bulgaria was added to the Byzantine Empire.

Reign of Yaroslav, king of Rus'

Period: 1019 to 1054

The reign of Yaroslav was important because he was the very last of the great Kievan monarchs. He issued the legal codification of the law, translated religious literature form Greek to Slavic, as well as build churches.

Schism between Eastern and Western Christianity

1054

Tension had been building between the western roman catholic church and the eastern orthodox church for a long time, and they finally split apart. This is significant because the split would cause the eastern and western parts of Europe to develop separate ideas and would run their civilizations in very different ways especially when it came to tradition.

Byzantine decline; under growing attack by Ottomans

Period: 1100 to 1453

The Byzantine Empire began to decline with pressure coming from Turkish invaded on the east, the army getting annihilated in a battle the empire couldn’t recover form, and a Crusade turning on Constantinople and attacking. This is all significant because these events all lead to the fall of the Byzantine empire.

Fourth Crusade, Westerners sack Constantinople

Period: 1203 to 1204

A crusade that had been sent to conquer the Holy Lands from the Muslims, turned against the Byzantine and conquered Constantinople. This was lead by some Venetian merchants, and while The Byzantine empire was restored and gained back control, it's significant because the attack greatly weakened the empire who would survive ina delicate sate for another two centuries.

Mongols (Tartars) capture Russia

Period: 1237 to 1241

Tartars, also known as the Mongols, invaded Russia and were both feared and hated by the native Russians. This event is significant because the presences of Tartars lead to a lot of Russian culture to languish and fade away for a long time in some cases. However, the Tartars did allow Russia Orthodoxy and aristocracy to survive.

Ottoman Turks capture Constantinople; end of Byzantine empire

1453

The Byzantine Empire had been declining for years, but that last straw was when a Turkish sultan brought an army with artillery to Constantinople, and capture the city after just two months. This is significant because while it marks the end of the Byzantine Empire, it also will impact the future for other societies such as the Ottoman Empire.

Expulsion of Tartars from Russia

1480

The expulsion of Tartars from Russia was important as traditional Russian culture and politics could reemerge. For two centuries Tartars had been feared, and their presence influenced and changed a lot of culture in some areas of Russia. However they were eventually forced out in the late 15 century.