History of the Byzantines

  • Period: 300 to Jan 1, 1500

    Byzantine Timeline

  • Emperor Constantine I Founded the Byzantine Capital
    324

    Emperor Constantine I Founded the Byzantine Capital

    Constantine worked on the Greek city of Byzantium, which already been extensively rebuilt with Roman patterns. The city was founded in 324, renamed Constantinopolis.
  • Nika revolt
    532

    Nika revolt

    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
  • General Belisarius Military Campaigns
    533

    General Belisarius Military Campaigns

    Belisarius was the regaining of the western Roman territories occupied by Germanic peoples. Despite some successes, Belisarius had difficulties with his unruly soldiers, and he was stripped of his command on charges of disloyalty
  • Hagia Sophia Completed
    537

    Hagia Sophia Completed

    The Hagia Sophia was completed at Constantinople in 537. It is the most important Byzantine structure and one of the world’s greatest monuments. It has a huge 105 foot dome, and many great marble columns. It was considered one of the most beautiful engineering feats at the time.
  • Early Islamic military campains into Byzantine
    634

    Early Islamic military campains into Byzantine

    The invasions began in 634, within two years the Arabs were able to score two impressive victories over the Byzantines. The Byzantines made a counteroffensive and, the various Arab armies’ abandoned their recent conquests in Syria. The Byzantines delayed their attack which lead to their demise.
  • Emperor Basil II military Conquest in Bulgaria
    986

    Emperor Basil II military Conquest in Bulgaria

    mperor Basil II military conquests of Bulgaria
    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.
  • Great Schism
    1054

    Great Schism

    The Great Schism, was the rift that occurred within the Christian church in 1054. The church split into two sides: Western Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.
  • First Crusade
    1095

    First Crusade

    The First Crusade was the first attempt to regain the holy land from Islamic expansion.
  • 1200

    Fourth Crusade

    The Fourth Crusade was a amphibious war in another attempt to regain the holy city of Jerusalem.
  • Fall of Constantinople
    1453

    Fall of Constantinople

    The Byzantine Empire came to an end when Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks in May 1453. By the mid fifteenth century the Byzantine Empire been in heavy decline, only Constantinople held out behind its supposedly impenetrable walls. Initial attacks where a failure but eventually through simultaneous assaults from the sea and land Constantinople to Mehmed II.