What good things did Constantine do?
What Good Things Did Constantine Do? As one of the earliest Christians to acknowledge Christ as his religion, Constantine I brought Christianity to Rome. In the 4th century, he ruled, with particular importance as he led the construction of Constantinople in order to maintain the reforms that Diocletian initiated.
What are facts about the Byzantine Empire?
211 Byzantine Empire Facts: Battles, Architecture, Inventions, And More
- Facts About The Byzantine Empire. The age of the Byzantine Empire was one of the most influential periods in history. ...
- The Byzantine Empire's Architecture. The architecture of that era is one of the key components for understanding the Roman Empire. ...
- The Byzantine Empire's Inventions. ...
- Battles of The Byzantine Empire. ...
What are some interesting facts about the Byzantine Empire?
- They had a mechanical tree in the Imperial Palace in Constantinople on which there were fake birds, and they actually chirped. ...
- They had a ridiculous number of titles. ...
- Leo the Mathematician invented a beacon system that could produce various long-distance messages, so it was a telegraph.
- The “sidewalks” were covered with roofs in Constantinople.
Who created the first Christian empire?
Constantine created the first Christian empire. TRUE. Log in for more information. Search for an answer or ask Weegy. Constantine created the first Christian empire. TRUE. Log in for more information. This answer has been confirmed as correct and helpful.
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What was the empire in the east known as?
In the east however the empire was only known as the Roman Empire . It was quite recently in the history of the Byzantine studies when the terms Byzantine and Byzantium became the norm .
How did Augustus help the Empire?
He established secure frontiers and stationed garrisons to ward off foreign threats and he stabilized the internal political situation to stave off civil strife and conflict. He boosted the revenue of the Empire and vastly improved its infrastructure. He built an administrative bureaucracy that could stand the test of time.
What countries did the Muslim Arabs invade?
This, despite the fact that a mere 30 years later, the same emperor would see all of his gains reversed as the Muslim Arabs invaded from Arabia, severing Egypt, Palestine and Syria from the empire.
How old was Constantine when he became Emperor?
As a result, a 39-year-old Constantine became Emperor in his own right. While he pursued an aggressive policy to the east that was mainly successful, he was also ready to use diplomacy when necessary. He also pursued the Christianization of the Kievan Rus, but also ensured that the Varangians’ Pecheneg rivals were strong enough to counterbalance them. He warmed relations with Bulgaria, the Papacy, the HRE, and even the Umayyads. Most importantly, though, was his legacy as a scholar. Constantine personally commissioned the creation of over fifty historical works, and he personally wrote several books on Byzantine history and the Macedonian dynasty.
What did Basil do to protect the Byzantine treasury?
Protecting small landowners and seizing assets of those who had overly powerful holdings enriched the Byzantine treasury while neutralizing potential internal threats. Abroad, Basil expertly combined diplomacy and military leadership to make great gains and secure the Byzantine frontier.
Why is Constantine VII so underrated?
Part of the reason that Constantine VII is so underrated is the lack of militarism he expressed. He was overshadowed by the soldier-Emperors that succeeded him - Nikephoros II, who recovered Crete, Cilicia, Northern Syria, and Cyprus; John I, who broke the spine of the Bulgarian Empire; and Basil II, who completely destroyed Bulgaria and famously blinded the Bulgari
Did Justinian drained the resources of the Empire?
Justinian did not. He drained the resources and heavily taxed the citizens of the Empire on expensive foreign wars, thus leaving the average citizen less well off than they had been before his reign. The citizens of Syria and other Eastern provinces were especially unfortunate, as neglect on Justinian’s part allowed their homes to be pillaged and their cities to be sacked by the invading Persians.
What happened to the Byzantine Empire after 1056?
After 1056, the long-lived Macedonian Dynasty ended and a period of decline began, though the emperor Isaac I Komnenos (r. 1057-1059) tried his best to revive Byzantine power but due to sickness he had to abdicate in 1059 passing the throne to his friend, the general Constantine X Doukas (r. 1059-1067), who was more or less only a general in title but turned out to have no military skill and only interested in endless debates on philosophy and theology. Constantine X only came to power after Isaac I’s daughter convinced her father to appoint the man most loyal to him as emperor, and this choice was a total disaster. Seeing that the Byzantine Empire’s economy was already weak, Constantine X decided it would be best to disband most of the army to save up but he had turned out to make a very bad decision as the Hungarians had invaded the northern parts of the Byzantine Balkans and in the east the worse came when the Seljuk Turks under their sultan Alp Arslan began invading in Asia Minor while the Normans began invading Italy. Constantine X no matter how obscure he was, was one emperor who made one of Byzantium’s biggest mistakes in disbanding the army at such a wrong time and when he died in 1067, his son Michael VII Doukas was old enough but interested so Constantine X’s wife Empress Eudokia married the general Romanos Diogenes as Byzantium’s senate and people were seeking a strong military leader in a time of invasion so Romanos IV Diogenes (r. 1068-1071) became emperor and was determined to crush the invading Seljuk Turks. The Seljuks meanwhile never really had the intention to invade Byzantium but to invade Egypt instead but Romanos IV wanted to finish the Seljuks once and for all so the now undisciplined Byzantine army and surprisingly powerful army of the Seljuks met at the Battle of Manzikert in 1071 where the Byzantines were heavily defeated and the emperor Romanos IV captured. The emperor however made peace with the Seljuk Turk sultan Alp Arslan but when returning to Byzantine territory he was declared deposed by his stepson, now Emperor Michael VII Doukas (r. 1071-1078) who had Romanos IV blinded causing his death. Michael VII then would be another disastrous weak emperor making the worst decisions as during his reign, Byzantine currency devalued by a quarter and a rogue Norman mercenary proclaimed himself emperor making Michael VII ask their enemy the Seljuks for their help in dealing with this mercenary, though the Seljuks failed to capture him but in return for their services, Michael VII still had to surrender them most of Asia Minor. Court intrigues and corruption took place in Michael VII’s court mostly by his corrupt court official Nikephoritzes and rebellions rose up against him and in 1078, the general Nikephoros III Botaneiates (r. 1078-1081) overthrew him and became emperor but in 1081 Nikephoros III was overthrown and the young general Alexios I Komnenos (r. 1081-1118) who had previously succeeded in capturing the mercenary became emperor restoring Byzantium’s glory for a time.
What happened to Byzantium after Phocas came to power?
Less than a century after Phocas came to power, Byzantium would have another emperor that would ruin everything although not in being useless but in being too ambitious especially in a time where it was impossible for Byzantium to once again rise and become the powerful empire it had been in the 6 th century. The Dynasty of Heraclius beginning with Heraclius in 610 had competent and innovative rulers including Heraclius’ grandson Constans II (r. 641-668) and great-grandson Constantine IV (r. 668-685) but the last ruler of this dynasty Justinian II (r. 685-695/ 705-711) did not have any of the practical skills of his father Constantine IV and grandfather Constans II, instead his reign was driven by his ambitions to restore Byzantium into the world power it was in Justinian I’s time all because his name was Justinian being named after Justinian the Great but in Justinian II’s time, Byzantium was troubled being surrounded by enemies including the Arabs, Bulgars, and Lombards. Justinian II did have Justinian I’s ambitions but the empire of the late 7 th century had limited resources, though the young Justinian II was a religious fanatic and was determined to finish off the Arabs once and for all and he spent his first reign constantly campaigning against the Arabs while his constant was against them bankrupted the empire. Justinian II too had bad diplomatic relations with the west going as far as to attempting to arrest the pope for not agreeing with his religious policy and back in Constantinople, his reign was corrupt as despite the low treasury of the empire, Justinian II spent the rest of the money in building lavish palaces that in 695 the army, the patriarch, and the people of Constantinople rose up against him, overthrew him, and cut his nose off banishing him to the far Byzantine colony of Cherson in today’s Ukraine for the next 10 years. Following Justinian II’s overthrow in 695, the anarchy period of Byzantium began where there would be 7 emperors in 22 years beginning with Leontios in 695 who was overthrown by Tiberius III in 698 who would be overthrown in 705 when Justinian II despite not having a nose returned to power with the help of the new Bulgarian kingdom. Justinian II’s 2 nd reign from 705-711 then would be much worse than his first one as he turned into a super villain having revenge on anyone who had previously removed him from power. Turning into a sadistic tyrant, Justinian II executed almost everyone including bishops who opposed him and still did not learn from his mistakes still thinking himself as the new Justinian the Great even though the Byzantine Empire had grown even weaker. Finally in 711, a rebellion in Cherson rose up against him and at the end of the year deposed and beheaded him wherein the general Philippikos Bardanes came to power for only 2 years and order would only return when Leo III became emperor in 717; Justinian II’s 2 nd reign then left Byzantium in a point of serious decline and massive reduction in territory that it could already possibly fall to an Arab invasion but from 717-718 under Leo III, Byzantium was saved from a large scale Arab invasion.
What was the importance of Andronikos III?
Andronikos III’s reign was successful with many judicial reforms and military successes which were mostly due not only to the emperor but to his friend and advisor the general John Kantakouzenos who helped him come to power in the civil war against his grandfather and would later be Byzantine emperor. The military successes of Andronikos III were in taking back many Greek islands from the Latins and more importantly defeating the breakaway Byzantine state of Epirus and adding it back to Byzantium but against the new powerful enemy, the Ottomans Andronikos III never succeeded in battle against them allowing them to take most of Asia Minor while Byzantium had lost it, thus Byzantium’s power would now be mostly focused in Greece and Thrace. Andronikos III thought his reign would last long but when getting malaria, he suddenly died in 1341 without even naming his 9-year-old son John his heir, thus beginning another civil war between the side of his son John and John Kantakouzenos from 1341-1347. Andronikos III’s story is one of true character development like those seen in many books and movies going from a selfish decadent young man to a responsible, energetic, and committed ruler and perhaps he was the last great Byzantine emperor with great ambitions to restore Byzantium to its former glory as after him, the whole story of Byzantium would be a story of decline, although his unknown success makes him something like a Byzantine “fan-favourite”. At the same time Andronikos III was Byzantium’s millennial emperor since he reigned at the year 1330, 1000 since Constantine the Great founded Byzantium and Constantinople.
How did Constantine VII rule?
Constantine VII reign as senior emperor from 945-959 was a successful one more in cultural than military matters as he was not so much a military strategist but a scholar and artist and these skills made Byzantium now a rich empire into a cultural power that many looked up to for the splendor of the imperial court including an elevated throne and mechanical lions. Constantine VII’s greatest works were the many books he wrote on managing the Byzantine Empire and on dealing with foreigners giving detailed information about their cultures and behaviors; these books including De Administrando Imperio contain valuable information on the Byzantine Empire of the 10 th century. Constantine VII died mysteriously in 959 and was succeeded by his son Romanos II (r. 959-963) and the successes of the Macedonian Dynasty would continue.
What was John III's greatest achievement?
John III’s reign was one full of military and diplomatic success and his greatest achievements were in defeating the Crusaders that had taken over Byzantium one by one re-establishing Byzantine rule in Northern Greece that his victories had made it possible for the Byzantines to retake Constantinople.
What happened in 1204?
1204 was a tragic year for the Byzantines as Constantinople fell to the armies of the 4 th Crusade, the Byzantine Empire was temporarily destroyed , and the new Latin Empire ruled by the Crusaders was established in Constantinople . Meanwhile, the Byzantine Empire was rebuilt in exile based in the city of Nicaea in Asia Minor and over the years it would rebuilt itself. This part now will focus on a Byzantine Empire who did rule the actual Byzantine Empire in Constantinople itself but rather a Byzantine emperor in exiled which is Emperor John III Doukas Vatatzes (r. 1222-1254), a Byzantine general and son-in-law of the first Nicaean Byzantine emperor Theodore I Laskaris (r. 1204-1222). John III only came into power by marrying into the imperial Laskaris family and the beginning of his reign was met with opposition to him but he defeated all opposition to his rule and began a strong rule over an exiled Byzantine Empire. John III’s reign was one full of military and diplomatic success and his greatest achievements were in defeating the Crusaders that had taken over Byzantium one by one re-establishing Byzantine rule in Northern Greece that his victories had made it possible for the Byzantines to retake Constantinople. In 1235 he made an alliance with the new Bulgarian Empire which had formed in 1185 in order to retake Constantinople but this reconquest failed when it could not be decided on who would take control of Constantinople; though John III further made alliances with the Holy Roman Empire in Germany, the Papacy, and even the Seljuk Turks deep in Asia Minor. John III’s reign was nothing more but successful mainly because he was able to restore Byzantine power after a time of serious defeat and the loss of the capital that he was able to lay down the groundwork for the eventual Byzantine reconquest of Constantinople in 1261. John III was not only a military man but a scholar and modern-minded reformer known for promoting arts and culture as well as free education in the exiled empire of Nicaea as well as promoting self-sufficiency in his empire banning the import of foreign goods showing that the Byzantine even if in exile were able to become rich. John III was very popular among his people but still remains one of Byzantium’s least known but underrated emperors without much attention given to him mainly because there is not much record about his reign; however he suffered chronic epilepsy throughout his life and died in 1254, but if he lived longer it would have been more epic as he would have actually retaken Constantinople and actually become the restored Byzantine emperor with the Laskaris Dynasty in charge of the new empire.
How many dynasties did the Byzantine Empire have?
Also, I will usually mention 1 emperor per dynasty as the Byzantine Empire had a total of 15 dynasties and to shorten things up, 1 emperor would be enough for 1 dynasty especially if this emperor did the greatest work out of all the rulers of his dynasty.
What did Justinian do to help the empire?
Justin taught Justinian all he knew and enlightened him on the complexities of politics and economics. Justinian would not be alone in his quest to perfect and advance the empires interests. His wife Theodora became an accomplished empress by introducing reforms that gave women new rights and supporting the Monophysite Christians of the empire. Justinian was also lucky to have enlisted the famed General Flavius Belisarius who scored an astounding victory against the Sassanid forces at Dara in 520, Justinian would order Belisarius to undertake one of the most ambitious campaigns in Roman history, to reclaim and re-establish the western Roman world.
Where did Belisarius go to conquer?
Belisarius sailed to Byzacena in Africa and move into Vandalic territory defeating their forces and annexing the kingdom in its entirety, from there Belisarius moved into Ostrogothic Sicily and occupied the Island, most of Belisarius’s campaign was met with little resistance to start with, however in the latter half of the conflict Belisarius would struggle with his advisors and the enemy General Totila. While this was taking place a Byzantine force was encroaching on Ostrogothic Dalmatia, however this army was crippled by an Ostrogoth army, the eventuality of this conflict being the utter destruction of the Ostrogothic Kingdom at the hands of the Byzantines and the Lombard’s from beyond the Alps. While the collapse of the Ostrogoths might lead you to believe it was a resounding Roman victory, you would be wrong, the Lombard’s were intent on pushing back Belisarius’s forces and while Roman grip lasted in parts of Italia for centuries to come the campaign overall was a near disaster. If this wasn’t bad enough the empire was continuously humiliated by the Sassanids of whom won many wars against them during this time, Justinian would die in 562 roughly a decade after his wife Theodora died of Cancer.
What was Herakleios' role in the Arab invasion?
Herakleios would come to see the world completely changed when the Arab Invasion hit the empire in 633, the Arabs swept through Byzantine Egypt, Africa and partially breached the defensive line into Anatolia. Eventually the Arabs would come to possess these regions and would continue to assault Byzantine holdings in Anatolia, Cyprus & Sicily while pushing further into the Iberian Peninsular and Central Asia simultaneously. Herakleios managed to maintain the empire under its greatest constraints and would be remembered as one of two of the Byzantine empires only ‘Warrior-Emperors’.
What was Julian's first experience of leadership?
Julian’s first experience in the field of leadership was in Gaul, where his father assigned him as representative. He would quickly become a figurehead and fight off Germanic invasions.
How did the Eastern half of the Empire prosper?
While the west faded from memory, the Eastern half largely prospered through technological advancements, military might, efficient infrastructure and an enriched economy. Most of this success can be owed to their leadership. At times, the empire prospered directly because of the efforts of intelligent rulers and survived cataclysmic events due ...
What happened in 476?
In 476, the entire Roman west collapsed. Mass migrations from the north by the Germanic and Gothic tribes sowed chaos from Dalmatia all the way to Spain, while the leadership of the west disintegrated. Eventually the once mighty and powerful Roman Empire would be reduced to Greece, Anatolia, Cyprus, Crete, Egypt, Tunisia, Moesia, Syria, ...
Why did the Byzantine Empire prosper?
At times, the empire prospered directly because of the efforts of intelligent rulers and survived cataclysmic events due to the military prowess of these rulers. In this article I will address four of the Byzantine Empire’s greatest Emperors.
What was the Byzantine Empire?
The Byzantine Empire was the direct legal continuation of the eastern half of the Roman Empire following the division of the Roman Empire in 395 . Emperors listed below up to Theodosius I in 395 were sole or joint rulers of the entire Roman Empire. The Western Roman Empire continued until 476.
Why did the Byzantines use nicknames?
Instead, the Byzantines used nicknames and patronymics to distinguish rulers of the same name. The numbering of Byzantine emperors is a purely historiographical invention. ^ By the 4th century, the name Flavius had become a part of the imperial title: Cameron, Alan (1988). "Flavius : a Nicety of Protocol".
What was the standard imperial formula of the Byzantine ruler?
Towards the end of the Empire, the standard imperial formula of the Byzantine ruler was " [Emperor's name] in Christ, Emperor and Autocrat of the Romans" (cf. Ῥωμαῖοι and Rûm ).
When was Caesar born?
18 January 350. Born c. 323, the third surviving son of Constantine I. Caesar since 333 and Augustus from 9 September 337, he inherited the central third of Roman Empire upon his father's death, and became sole emperor in the west following the death of Constantine II in 340.
Who was the first Christian emperor?
Traditionally, the line of Byzantine emperors is held to begin with the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor, who rebuilt the city of Byzantium as an imperial capital, Constantinople, and who was regarded by the later emperors as the model ruler.
Who was Constantine's second son?
The second son of Romanos II, Constantine was born in 960 and raised to co-emperor on 30 March 962. During the rule of Basil II, he spent his time in idle pleasure. During his short reign he was an indifferent ruler, easily influenced by his courtiers and suspicious of plots to depose him, especially among the military aristocracy, many of whom were blinded and exiled. On his deathbed, he chose Romanos Argyros as husband for his daughter Zoe.
When was Augustus born?
Born in 377/378, the eldest son of Theodosius I; proclaimed Augustus on 19 January 383. On the death of Theodosius I in 395, the Roman Empire was permanently divided between the East Roman Empire, later known as the Byzantine Empire, and the West Roman Empire.
