Byzantine Empire: the eastern section of the defunct Roman Empire (formerly known as Eastern Roman Empire).
Constantinople: the capital city (original name Byzantium, currently known as Istanbul, Turkey).
The Byzantine Empire existed from the year 395 (AD) to the year 1453. Its possessions: Greece, the Balkans, Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt.
Constantine I (born 272 AD died 337) Roman Emperor A. D. 306 � 333:
312: Constantine�s claim of a vision from God: Due to an imposition of taxes on Italian citizens, Maxentius, the Roman emperor in Italy, led a rebellion against the emperor. On the night before the battle of the Milvian Bridge Constantine said that he saw a vision of the cross in the clouds and a message written in Latin reading IN HOC SIGNO VINCES. Translated, that meant, �In this sign conquer�. Constantine placed the sign of Christ on his standards and had it painted on his soldier�s armor and shields. Constantine won the battle and converted to Christianity.
313: The Edict of Milan: Constantine ended the persecution of Christians and allowed for religious freedom.
330: Constantine began rebuilding Byzantium, renaming it Constantinople and making it the capital of the Roman Empire. Constantinople was multi-ethnic and mostly Greek in nature. A portion of the city walls and towers still stand.
Constantine also enlarged an earlier hippodrome which was located adjacent the palace. The hippodrome, used for public entertainment and ceremony, had an imperial box and monuments. Like the wall, a portion of the hippodrome and some monuments survive. There were aqueducts in the East as there were in Rome and small portions of these structures remain.
450: Rome sacked by Germanic tribes, but the eastern section continues.
6th century: Justinian I regained some of the lost Roman provinces, conquering much of Italy, North Africa and Spain. After this, however, came the Lombards, a Germanic tribe that controlled Italy from the late 6th century to the 11th century. Also in the 6th century Slavs encroached into the Balkans and the Persians gained domination of most of the eastern provinces, Syria, Palestine, and Egypt. The Vandals took North Africa and the Goths invaded Rome and elsewhere in Italy.
Art and architecture:
The Byzantines had their own approach to mosaics, sculpture and painting. Chief of all was the religious paintings known as icons. These items were painted �flat� and the artists of the East had less freedom and creativity than those of the West.
The Hagia Sophia (the Church of Holy Wisdom):
This beautiful church is still standing, although it in now in the hands of Islamic Turks. After being damaged twice during the previous two centuries by fire and riots, it was rebuilt during the years 532 � 537 by Emperor Justinian.
During the years 533 � 540 the following territories were reclaimed by the Roman General Belisarius: North Africa, Sicily, Dalmatia, Rhegium and much of Italy including Naples, Rome and Milan. After reclaiming more Italian land in 562, they took back Spain.
622�628: Emperor Heraclius recovered the provinces from the Persians, but during the next decade the Muslims capture these provinces.
670 and 717: Muslims attempts to conquer the Empire fail. The Slavs had become less of a problem in the 7th century as they adopted Byzantine religion and customs.
Iconoclasm (image breaking):
In the Byzantine East, it was decided that the worship of images, or icons, was paganism. The Catholic Church, with its statues, relics, and the emphasis put on the Pope believed otherwise. This movement, which lasted from the 8th to 9th century, caused a permanent division between the Christian churches of the East and West.
Circa 950: The Byzantines regain most of Syria.
1054: The Church in Constantinople separates itself from the Church in Rome
1071: Seljuk Turks (Moslem converts from Central Asia) began to war with the Byzantine Empire and took land in Asia Minor.
1081 - 1085: The Normans, led by Robert Guiscard heads for the Balkans to war against the Byzantine Empire. He defeated the Byzantines in the Battle of Durazzo and at Durr�s, Albania. The Empire, also plagued by the Seljuk Turks, made an alliance with Venice (and also later with the Genoese) for naval assistance. In return, these two cities joined Almafi and Pisa in the importing and exporting of trade.
1095: The first Crusade and this helped Emperor Alexius Comnenus recover territory from the Turks.
1204: During the fourth Crusade, Alexius granted the city of Venice access to several Byzantine ports. The Frankish crusaders then captured Constantinople. They plundered the city of gold, silver and other valuables and set their own king on the throne.
1261: Although Emperor Michael Palaeologus liberates Constantinople the Empire no longer exists.
1453: Ottoman Turks take Constantinople and other cities. After a two-year siege and the bombarding of the walls of Constantinople with cannon balls the Byzantine Empire was taken.