Byzantine Empire
the Eastern Roman Empire, so called from its capital, Byzantium or Constantinople. The Byzantine Empire was founded in A. D. 395, when Theodosius at his death divided the Roman Empire between his sons Arcadius and Honorius. In this Empire the Greek language and civilization were prevalent; but the rulers claimed still to be Roman Emperors, and under their sway the laws and official forms of Rome were maintained. It lasted for about 1,000 years after the downfall of the Western Empire. It is also known as the Greek Empire or Lower Empire. Its capital was natu- BYZANTINE EMPIRE rally Constantinople, a city established by Constantine in 330 as the new capital of the whole Roman Empire. The Eastern Empire, then comprising
The Eastern Empire, ther Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, Greece, Thrace, Mœsia, Macedonia, and Crete, fell to Theodosius' elder son Arcadius, through whose weakness and that of several of his immediate successors it suffered severely from the encroachments of Huns, Goths, Bulgarians, and Persians. In 527 the celebrated Justinian succeeded, whose reign is famous for the codification of Roman law, and the victories of his generals, Belisarius and Narses, over the Vandals in Africa, and the Goths in Italy, which was henceforth governed for the Eastern Empire by an exarch residing at Ravenna. But his energy could not revive the decaying strength of the Empire, and Justin II., his successor (565-578), a weak and avaricious prince, lost his reason by the indeed he overthrew. But a far more dangerous enemy to the Byzantine Emindeed he overthrew. But a far more med and the caliphs, which gradually extended its conquests over Phoenicia, dangerous enemy to the Byzantine Emfounded among the Arabians by Mohammed and the caliphs, which gradually extended its conquests over Phoenicia, the countries on the Euphrates, Judea, Syria, and Egypt (635-641). In 641 Heraclius died, nor was there among his descendants a single prince capable of The Arabians took part of Africa, Cy- prus and Rhodes (653), inundated Africa The Arabians took part of Africa, Cyprus and Rhodes (653), inundated Africa The Empire was in sore straits when attacked Constantinople by sea.
The Empire was in sore straits when the Army of the East, mounted the throne (716), and a new period of comparative prosperity began. Some writers date the beginning of the Byzantine Empire proper, and the end of the Eastern Roman Empire, from this era.
ST. SOPHIA, CONSTANTINOPLE reverses encountered in his conflicts with plundering Lombards, Avars, and Persians. Tiberius, a captain of the guard, succeeded in 578, and, in 582, Mauricius; reverses encountered in his conflicts with cas, proclaimed Emperor by the army, succeeded, and produced by his incapacity the greatest disorder in the Empire. Heraclius, son of the governor of Africa, who headed a conspiracy, conquered Constantinople, and caused Phocas to be executed (610). He was an excellent general, and finally succeeded in repressing the Avars and recovering the prov inces lost to the Persians, whose power Numerous reforms, civil and military, were now introduced, and the worship of images was prohibited. Leo repelled the Arabians or Saracens from Constantinople, but allowed the Lombards to seize the Italian provinces, while the Arabians plundered the Eastern ones.
Constantine V. (741) recovered part of Syria and Armenia from the Arabians; and the struggle was carried on, not unsuccessfully, by his son, Leo IV. Under Syria and Armenia from the Arabians; and the struggle was carried on, not unambitious mother of the latter, raised a large faction by the restoration of image worship, and, in conjunction with BYZANTINE EMPIRE her paramour, Stauratius, deposed her son, and had his eyes put out (797). A revolt of the patricians placed one of their order, Nicephorus, on the throne, who fell in the war against the Bulgarians (811). Stauratius, Michael, Leo V., and Michael II. (820) ascended the throne in rapid succession. During the reign of the latter the Arabians conquered Sicily, lower Italy, Crete, and other countries. The long dispute as to image worship was brought to a close in 842, when the practice was finally sanctioned at the council of Nicea, under Michael III. He was put to death by Basil the Macedonian, who came to the throne as Basil I., in 867, and whose reign formed a period of great glory in the history of the Byzantine Empire. He founded a dynasty (the Macedonian) which lasted till 1056. Among the greatest of his successors were Nicephorus II. (Phocas), and John Zimisces (969), who carried on successful wars against the Mohammedans, Bulgarians, and Russians. Basil II. succeeded this Prince in 976. He vanquished the Bulgarians and the Arabians. His brother, Constantine VIII. (1025), was succeeded by Romanus III. (1028), who married Zoe, daughter of Constantine. This dissolute but able princess caused her husband to be executed, and successively raised to the throne Michael IV. (1034), Michael V. (1041), and Constantine X. (1042).
Russians and Mohammedans meanwhile devastated the Empire. Her sister, Theodora, succeeded her on the throne (1054).
After the short reign of Michael VI. (1054-1057) Isaac Comnenus, the first of the Comnenian dynasty, ascended the throne, but soon after became a monk.
The three chief emperors of this dynasty were Alexius, John, and Manuel Comnenus. During the reign of Alexius I. (1081-1118) the Crusades commenced.
His son, John II., and grandson, Manuel I., fought with success against the Turks, whose progress also was considerably checked by the Crusades. The Latins, the name given to the French, Venetian, etc., crusaders, now forced their way to Constantinople (1204), conquered the city, and retained it, together with most of the European territories of the Empire. Baldwin, Count of Flanders, was made Emperor; Boniface, Marquis of Montferrat, obtained Thessalonica as a kingdom, and the Vene tians acquired a large extent of territory. Theodore Lascaris seized on the Asiatic provinces, in 1206 made Nice (Nicea) the capital of the Empire, and was at first more powerful than Baldwin. Neither Baldwin nor his succes- BYZANTIUM sors, Henry, Peter, and Robert of Courtenay, were able to secure the tottering throne. John, Emperor of Nice, conquered all the remaining Byzantine territory except Constantinople, and at last, in 1261, Michael Palæologus, King of Nice, conquered Constantinople, and thus overthrew the Latin dynasty.
Thus again the vast but exhausted Byzantine Empire was united under Michael Palæologus, founder of the last Byzantine dynasty. Internal disturbances and wars with the Turks disturbed the reigns of his descendants, Andronicus II. and Andronicus III. For a time the Cantacuzenes shared the crown with John Palæologus, son of Andronicus III.; but in 1355 John again became sole Emperor. In his reign the Turks first obtained a firm footing in Europe, and conquered Gallipoli (1357). In 1361 Sultan Amurath took Adrianople. Bajazet conquered almost all the European provinces except Constantinople, and was pressing it hard when Timur's invasion of the Turkish provinces saved Constantinople for this time (1402).
Manuel then recovered his throne, and regained some of the lost provinces from the contending sons of Bajazet. To him succeeded his son John, Palæologus II. (1425), whom Amurath II. stripped of all territories except Constantinople, and laid under tribute (1444). To the Emperor John succeeded his brother Constantine Palæologus. With the assistance of his general Giustiniani, a Genoese, he withstood the superior forces of the enemy with fruitless courage, and fell in the defense of Constantinople, by the conquest of which (May 29, 1453) Mohammed II. put an end to the Greek or Byzantine Empire. The Byzantine Empire, which thus lasted for over 1,000 years, was of immense service to the world in stemming the tide of Mohammedan advance, in spreading Christianity and civilization, and in maintaining a regular system of government, law, and policy in the midst of surrounding barbarism.