BYZANTINE EMPIRE

324: Constantine I becomes sole Roman Emperor: A period of civil war concludes with Constantine I as sole emperor of the eastern and western Roman Empire. He commences construction of ew Rome !Constantinople" on the site of the old #ree$ cit% of &%'antium. 32(: )he Council of icaea: Constantine is not prepared to tolerate divisions within the Christian Church* a threat to Roman stabilit% that he re+ards as ,formidable as an% war or battle,. 33-: Constantine founds the new capital of the Roman Empire on the e.istin+ site of the ancient #ree$ cit% &%'antium: &%'antium was renamed Constantinople and it would become the capital of the &%'antine Empire. 3/(: )he Roman Empire divides in half* with the Eastern Roman Empire based in Constantinople and the 0estern Roman Empire based in Rome1Ravenna. 42- : Rome is sac$ed b% Alaric the 3isi+oth 423: Construction of Constantinople4s triple walls be+in. )he walls were built on the orders of Anthemius to counter an immediate threat from the Huns. 4((: Rome is sac$ed for the second time b% the 3andals. 456: )he 0estern Empire 7alls: )he Eastern Empire survives and now is labeled as the &%'antine Empire. (28 : 9ustin I becomes &%'antine Emperor. 9ustin was an illiterate peasant soldier who rose to the Imperial throne thou+h his command of a palace +uard re+iment. )he real power la%s behind the throne* in the person of 9ustin4s nephew : 9ustinian. (25 : 9ustinian I becomes Emperor. A clever* dedicated and ambitious man* 9ustinian is partnered b% his e;uall% impressive wife : the former actress and courtesan )heodora. 9ustinian also appoints a series of able !thou+h not alwa%s scrupulous" senior le+al and financial officials and +ives primar% command of his armies to the %oun+ +eneral &elisarius. (2/: He codifies the previous Roman <aws into one document. (32: Construction of Ha+hia =ophia be+ins (42:(44: &ubonic pla+ue ma$es its first $nown appearance in the >editerranean. Hundreds of thousands die across the ?ersian and &%'antine Empires. Empire4s financial and militar% stren+th has been +ravel% dama+ed b% the pla+ue. ((2 : )he &%'antine con;uest of Ital% is completed. (68: <ombards invade Ital%* eventuall% ta$in+ orthern Ital% from the &%'antines. 62-: Heraclius becomes emperor. )emporar% possession of >esopotamia. )he theme s%stem is installed. )he Empire4s lan+ua+e chan+es to #ree$. Eventual <ost of =%ria* ?alestine* and E+%pt to >uslims. 653: 7irst Arab attac$ upon Constantinople 6/-: <oss of orth Africa to >uslims 6/3: >uslims attac$ Constantinople. 526: &e+innin+ of the Iconoclast Controvers%. Emperor <eo III bans the use of Icons. 58-: Enemies defeated &ul+ars converted to orthodo. Christianit%. <ombards defeated at Ravenna. obod% is able to con;uer state. 82/ to 842: Rei+n of the Emperor )heophilos. )he rei+n of )heophilos is notable for a si+nificant level of cultural contact between &%'antium and the Abbasid Caliphate. 842: )he end of Iconoclasm. )heophilos is the last Iconoclast emperor. @pon his death his widow* )heodora presides the restoration of Icons as an accepted form of Arthodo. worship. 865 &asil I: to the throne in mar$s the be+innin+ of the >acedonian d%nast% /24: &ul+ars unsuccessfull% attac$ Constantinople . /56: &asil II becomes Emperor. //(: &asil II recon;uers =%ria from the >uslims. //6: &asil II recon;uers #reece from &ul+ars. 2-24: &asil II destro%s the &ul+ar arm%* earnin+ the epithet &ul+aro$tonos !,&ul+ar =la%er," 2-((: <oss of southern Ital% to the ormans. 2-52: Befeat at >an'i$ert to the =elCu$ )ur$s. ?ermanent loss of most of Asia >inor.

2-5(: <oss of =%ria to >uslims. 2-(4: )he #reat =chism: )he <atin Roman Church and the #ree$ Arthodo. Church e.communicate each other. 2-/(: Ale.ius appeals to @rban II at Council of ?iacen'a for help a+ainst the )ur$s. )he 7irst Crusade is proclaimed at Council of Clermont. !@rban saw Ale.iosD re;uest as a dual opportunit% to cement 0estern Europe and reunite theEastern Arthodo. Churches with the Roman Catholic Church under his rule " 22-2: 7ourth Crusade is assembled at 3enice. to con;uer E+%pt* now the centre of >uslim power in the <evant 22-4: 7ourth Crusade captures Constantinople. )he <atin Empire of Constantinople is formed as well as man% &%'antine successor states. )he capture of Constantinople in 22-4 was a blow from which the &%'antines never full% recovered. 2262: Constantinople is liberated from the Crusaders. )he successor state of recaptures Constantinople and restores the &%'antine Empire. icaea

2345: )he &lac$ Beath $ills off the &%'antine Empire )he &lac$ death was a pla+ue that swept throu+h Europe and Asia. )he wea$ empire couldnDt stand a+ainst this last fatal blow. 24(3: 7all of Constantinople to the Attomans. End of the &%'antine Empire.