Civilization · 330 – 1453 CE
Byzantine Empire
The Roman Empire that endured for another millennium in the Greek East.
Capital: Constantinople · Eastern Europe & Eurasian Steppe
Overview
Founded by Constantine on the site of Byzantium in 330 CE, the Eastern Roman Empire preserved Roman law, Greek learning and Orthodox Christianity through a thousand years of pressure from Persians, Arabs, Bulgars, Crusaders and Turks.
Timeline
- 330Constantine dedicates Constantinople
- 527 – 565Justinian I: reconquest and Corpus Juris Civilis
- 1054Great Schism with Rome
- 1204Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople
- 1453Ottoman conquest under Mehmed II
Rulers
Founder
Reconquered the West, codified law
Bulgar-slayer, empire at 11th-c. peak
Last emperor
Wars & conflicts
- Byzantine–Sasanian wars
- Arab–Byzantine wars
- Byzantine–Bulgarian wars
- Crusades
Architecture
Hagia Sophia's dome, cross-in-square churches, mosaic-lined interiors, Theodosian walls.
Religion
Orthodox Christianity; the emperor as God's vicegerent on earth.
Economy
Solidus gold coinage stable for seven centuries; silk monopoly, Mediterranean trade.
Technology
Greek fire, sophisticated fortifications, preservation of classical texts.
Art
Icons, illuminated manuscripts, cloisonné enamel, monumental mosaics.
Influence
Transmitted Roman law and Greek learning to the Slavs, the Renaissance and Islamic civilization.
Decline
Population loss, Crusader sack of 1204, Ottoman advance, fall of Constantinople.
Key sites
- Hagia Sophia
- Chora Church
- Ravenna
- Mystras
- Mount Athos