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330
Emperor Constantine I Founded the Byzantine Capital
Soon after Constantine began his rule as emperor, he renamed the city of Byzantium. Therefore, the city of Constantinople was founded. -
527
Justinian Becomes Emperor of the Byzantines
Once Justinian became emperor, he tried to regain the western part of the empire that had been lost. He only partially succeeded. -
537
Hagia Sophia Completed
Hagia Sophia means "Holy Wisdom" and was first built as a church. It then was used as a mosque and now is a museum in Istanbul. -
545
General Belisarius Military Campaigns
Belisarius was the military general under Justinian's rule. He helped Justinian in his quest to regain part of the western empire. Belisarius is also sometimes known as the "Last of the Romans". -
Jan 1, 700
Islamic Conquests Parts of the Byzantine Territory
Muhammed started the Islamic Conquests. Syria, North Africa, and Armenia were overtaken by the Rashidun and Umayyad caliphates. -
Dec 15, 1025
Emperor Basil II Military Conquests
Basil, just like Justinian, had tried to regain some of the lost empire. He was later nicknamed "the Bulgar-Slayer" because of his conquests in Bulgaria. -
Jan 1, 1054
Great Schism
The Great Schism was the division of Christianity into two different branches: the Greek branch and the Latin branch. Some of the reasons of this schism include disagreements between different rituals, and where Constantinople stood in terms of Pentarchy. -
Jan 1, 1095
Emperor Alexios I and Pope Urban II
Emperor Alexios I started what was called the Komnenian Restoration which dealt with the military, the government, and financial restoration in the Byzantine empire. Pope Urban II started the First Crusade which was an attempt to regain territory lost during the Islamic Conquests. -
Jan 1, 1204
Fourth Crusade
The original idea of the Fourth Crusade was to conquer Jerusalem, but instead was used to attack Constantinople. This marked the last attempt at conquering the Holy Lands. -
Apr 6, 1453
End of the Byzantines
Ottoman forces took over the Byzantine empire by means of a seven week war. This meant that the Roman empire had ended.
