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Byzantine History Timeline

By HCP03
  • Period: 284 to 305

    Reign of Emperor Diocletian

    Under the reign of Emperor Diocletian, reforms would be made that would divide the Roman Empire into Eastern and Western halves.
  • Period: 306 to 337

    Reign of Constantine I

    Constantine the Great was the first Christian emperor of the Roman Empire. His reign would mark the toleration of Christendom across the Empire and the founding of Constantinople, capitol of what would become the Byzantine Empire.
  • 325

    First Council of Nicaea

    First Council of Nicaea
    Convened by Constantine I, the first ever Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church. Affirmed the deity of Christ and codified Christian belief in the Nicene Creed. Established imperial involvement in Christian doctrine.
  • 330

    Foundation of Constantinople

    Foundation of Constantinople
    Roman Emperor Constantine the Great establishes a new capitol in the eastern half of the Empire, on the foundations of the city of Byzantium.
  • 337

    Death of Constantine I

    Death of Constantine I
    His sons divide the Empire amongst themselves, the East-West divisions would deepen further by political and administration lines.
  • 395

    Split of the Roman Empire

    Split of the Roman Empire
    The Byzantine Empire is permanently split between east and west after the death of emperor Theodosius I. His sons rule each half of the Empire separately, marking the technical start of the Byzantine Empire.
  • 410

    Sacking of Rome

    Sacking of Rome
    Rome falls to Visigoth invaders, greatly weakening the western half of the Empire. The Eastern half remains intact and more resilient
  • 451

    Council of Chalcedon

    Council of Chalcedon
    Affirms Jesus Christ as both fully God and fully man. Causes schism with what would become the Oriental Orthodox Churches in places like Egypt and Syria.
  • 476

    Fall of The Western Roman Empire

    Fall of The Western Roman Empire
    The last emperor in the west is deposed by Germanic tribes. The eastern Byzantines would survive for another 1000 years.
  • Period: 527 to 565

    Reign of Justinian I

    Justian sought to reform Rome's former glory through military conquest and legal reforms. His rule is considered a golden age for the Empire and marks its cultural and territorial peak.
  • 532

    The Nika Revolt

    A large political revolt erupts in Constantinople, leading to half of the city being burned. Justinian crushes the riots and kills thousands in the city's Hippodrome. It is considered the largest riots in the City's history.
  • 537

    Completion of the Hagia Sophia

    Completion of the Hagia Sophia
    The monumental basilica is completed under Justinian. It becomes a symbol of Christianity and imperial strength. It remains the largest church in the world for almost 1000 years.
  • Period: 541 to 549

    Plagues of Justinian

    A deadly plague devastates large parts of the Empire, setting economy back for decades.
  • 554

    Territorial peak of the Byzantines

    Territorial peak of the Byzantines
    Under Justinian, the Byzantines hit their territorial peak and reclaim much of the west.
  • Period: 602 to 628

    Byzantine-Sassanid Wars

    A brutal series of wars with Sassanid Persia nearly collapses both empires. The Byzantines come out victorious yet weakened.
  • Period: Oct 5, 610 to Feb 11, 641

    Reign of Heraclius

    Emperor Heraclius reorganizes the army and officially replaces Latin with Greek. His long reign marks many cultural shifts despite numerous invasions from the Sassanids and Caliphate
  • Period: 622 to 750

    Muslim Conquests

    Arab armies conquer Syria, Egypt, and North Africa bringing the new religion of Islam with them. The Empire permanently loses these territories and with them loses vital land and tax revenue.
  • 632

    Formation of the Caliphate

    Formation of the Caliphate
    The first Islamic Caliphates form and quickly conquer over half of the Byzantine Empire. These former Imperial lands would embrace Islam and continually come into conflict with the remaining Byzantine Empire.
  • Period: 674 to 678

    Arab siege of Constantinople

    Arab forces besiege the City for several years. The Byzantines are able to push them back using their naval forces and a unique type of fire simply known as "Greek Fire"
  • Period: 717 to 718

    Second Arab siege of Constantinople

    The Arab Muslims try again to siege Constantinople; The Empire once again defeats them and halts Islam from entering Europe.
  • 726

    Start of Iconoclasm

    Start of Iconoclasm
    Emperor Leo III bands the use and veneration of Icons in Christian worship. This sparks major religious and political turmoil across the Empire for over a century.
  • 787

    Second Council of Nicaea

    Second Council of Nicaea
    Church leaders officially condemn Iconoclasm as a heresy. This does not fully end Iconoclasm which would fully cease a few decades later.
  • 843

    Official end to Iconoclasm

    Empress Theodora puts an official end to Iconoclasm and restores icons to Christian worship. This settles the dispute permanently.
  • Period: 862 to 886

    The Mission of Cyril and Methodius

    Christian monks Cyril and Methodius go on a mission to evangelize the Slavs and while on their mission invent the Cyrillic Alphabet. Their work officially spreads Christendom northwards. Slavic languages use the Cyrillic alphabet to this day.
  • Period: 864 to 927

    Christianization of Bulgaria

    Tsar Boris I adopts Christianity. Over the next decades Bulgaria develops a Slavic Christian Culture becoming a religious partner to Byzantium, despite the wars that they have been waging on the Byzantines for centuries.
  • 867

    The Macedonian Dynasty

    The Macedonian Dynasty
    Emperor Basil I founds a new ruling dynasty. This new dynasty begins a long period of military success and cultural flourishing.
  • Period: Jan 10, 976 to Dec 15, 1025

    Reign of Basil II

    Emperor Basil II crushes all internal rebellions within the Empire and also finally defeats Bulgaria. Under his reign the Empire reaches its greatest territorial gains since Justinian.
  • 988

    Conversion of the Kievan Rus'

    Conversion of the Kievan Rus'
    Prince Vladimir converts to Christianity and adopts Byzantine rites and customs. This further spread what would become Eastern Orthodoxy into the Slavic world.
  • 1018

    Fall of Bulgaria

    After numerous years of war, Bulgaria finally collapses and is annexed by the Byzantines. Byzantium now has full control of the Balkans
  • 1054

    The Great Schism

    The Great Schism
    The Eastern and Western halves of The Church mutually excommunicate each other. This permanently splits the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches.
  • Aug 26, 1071

    Battle of Manzikert

    Battle of Manzikert
    The Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine army and capture the emperor. The Byzantines would quickly lose much of Anatolia after this loss.
  • Period: Apr 1, 1081 to Aug 15, 1118

    Reign of Alexios I

    Under the reign of Emperor Alexios I, the empire restabilizes after losses to the Seljuk Turks. He also directly leads to the Crusades when he asks the Pope for aid in reclaiming Christian lands from Muslims and other non-Christians.
  • 1095

    Appeal to the Pope

    Appeal to the Pope
    Emperor Alexios I requests military aid against the Turks and other Muslims. Pope Urban II, responds to his appeal by calling the First Crusade.
  • Period: Apr 8, 1143 to Sep 24, 1180

    Reign of Manuel I Komnenos

    Emperor Manuel sought to revive Imperial power in the Mediterranean. He briefly strengthens ties with the west but faces a few military defeats.
  • 1176

    Battle of Myriokephalon

    The Byzantines suffer another major defeat against the Seljuk Turks, officially ending Byzantine efforts to retake Anatolia
  • 1204

    Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople

    Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople
    Western Crusaders betray the Byzantines and sack Constantinople. They loot the city and install the Latin Empire which would rule for a few decades.
  • Period: 1204 to 1261

    Rule of the Latin Empire

    The Latin Empire was installed after the Crusader siege of Constantinople. It was intended to replace the Orthodox Byzantine Empire with a Catholic Empire loyal to the West but was recaptured by the Byzantines, who were in exile in Nicaea.
  • 1259

    The Palaiologos Dynasty

    The Palaiologos Dynasty
    Emperor Michael VIII establishes the final ruling Byzantine dynasty. He soon after retakes Constantinople from the Latins. The dynasty oversees a brief cultural revival but ultimately the fall of the Empire.
  • 1261

    Recapture of Constantinople

    Emperor Michael VIII recaptures Constantinople from the Latin Empire. The Byzantine Empire is restored but greatly weakened.
  • Period: 1299 to 1326

    Rise of the Ottomans

    Founded by Osman I, the Ottoman State emerges from the weakened Seljuk and Byzantine frontiers. It quickly takes the place of the Seljuks as the Byzantine's most dangerous long term threat.
  • Period: 1341 to 1347

    Byzantine Civil War

    Rival emperors, John V Palaiologos and John VI Kantakouzenos, plunge the Empire into a civil conflict which further drains resources and invites foreign interventions.
  • 1347

    Bubonic Plague enters Europe

    Bubonic Plague enters Europe
    The Bubonic Plague enters Europe. It would go on to spread quicky across both Europe and the Islamic World. It is estimated that upwards of 50 million total people may have died during what became known as "the Black Death"
  • Period: 1347 to 1351

    The Black Death

    The Bubonic Plague ravages across Europe, killing huge portions of the population. This causes the Byzantine economy to collapse and military strength to decline.
  • Mar 1, 1354

    Ottoman Siege of Gallipoli

    The Ottomans win their first major stronghold in Europe. This victory would open up further conquests in the Balkans and the spread of Islam in the region.
  • Sep 25, 1396

    Battle of Nicopolis

    Battle of Nicopolis
    A crusader army is defeated by the Ottomans. With its defeat, any hopes of rescuing the Byzantines from the Turks begin to fade.
  • Sep 10, 1422

    Failed Ottoman Siege

    Failed Ottoman Siege
    The Ottomans try and fail to take Constantinople. It is a brief and temporary reprieve for a collapsing Empire.
  • May 29, 1453

    The Fall of Constantinople

    The Fall of Constantinople
    Sultan Mehmed II finally conquers Constantinople on May 29th. Emperor Constantine XI dies in the siege. With his death and the capture of the city, the Byzantine Empire officially ends, and along with it the very last remnants of the Roman Empire.