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HISTORY
TIMELINE
Timeline of Byzantine
Events from 324 to 1453.
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A DAY IN
THE LIFE IN ... BYZANTIUM
by Jacquelin Cangro
Meet Procopia and his brother Eustadios as they shop in the
market in Constantinople and attend the chariot races at
the Hippodrome.
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CONSTANTINOPLE: THE PHOENIX CITY RISING FROM THE ASHES
Abigail Mieko Vargus
Constantinople didn’t start as Constantinople. In fact,
the city was founded a millennium before its rebirth as Constantinople
and it has been rebuilt many times in its nearly three thousand
years. But without Constantine I, it’s likely that Byzantium
(as it was originally known) would have been far less resilient.
In fact, there might be no such place as modern-day Istanbul – find
out why.
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FAITH, LAW, AND FORCE THE GOLDEN AGE OF BYZANTIUM
Deborah Bryson
Have you ever dreamed of building your
own empire? How would you set about creating
a superpower? When Justinian I was elected
emperor in Constantinople in 527 A.D.,
he inherited a declining empire. Fueled
by a sense of divine destiny, he combined
faith, law, and force to regain the former
grandeur of the Roman Empire. Let’s
find out how Flavius Petrus Sabbatius,
born in humble circumstances in Illyria,
became known as the “last Roman
emperor.”
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THE GREAT CHURCH OF HAGIA SOPHIA
Rachel Hartman
Emperor Justinian walked through the doors of the large
church. He glanced at the glittering gold, silver, and
marble surrounding him. He looked up and saw a large dome
and many windows. Amazed at the church’s size and
glorious decorations, Justinian exclaimed, “Solomon,
I have surpassed you!” Learn the details of how this
magnificent structure was built and how it has fared through
history.
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PLAGUE! A STRANGE AND DEADLY VISITOR
Deborah Bryson
As spring breezes warmed the city in 542, and workers toiled
in the huge fields outside the stone walls, people complained
about infestations of fleas. Children and adults alike scratched
at itchy red bites. Here and there about the city, people succumbed
to a strange sickness. Read about the deadly plague that devastated
the city of Constantinople.
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THE INCREDIBLE RISE & LIFE OF EMPRESS THEODORA
Barbara Diggs
Listen in on a conversation with Empress Theodora, wife of
Justinian the Great, as she recalls her life during the high
point of the Byzantine Empire.
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LETTER FROM CONSTANTINOPLE 556 A.D.
Rebecca Anthony
The bustling Byzantine city of Constantinople was at the crossroads
between the civilizations of Europe and Asia, attracting people
from all over. Read the letters of a young man from Gaul as
he describes the city to his father back home.
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THE SUNKEN PALACE OF ISTANBUL
Lorie Lee Steiner
The sights and sounds of twenty-first century Istanbul mingle
with days of old in the bustling marketplace and a mysterious
place lies as hushed as a secret in the depths below - the
Basilica Cistern. Learn the importance of this underground
water source in Byzantine times and what it is used for today.
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ICONOCLASTIC CONTROVERSY: WHAT’S IN A PICTURE?
Bob Nunnally
In the Byzantine Empire, religion was a very important part
of society and icons – religious images – were
important in people’s lives. However, in the eighth century
a debate began over whether icons were really appropriate.
History calls this struggle the Iconoclastic Controversy. It
tore the empire apart and left a lasting legacy –uncover
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WINDOWS TO THE MYSTICAL: THE CREATION OF BYZANTINE ICONS
Carol Keith
Byzantine icons are glowing treasures that were created with
paint made from semiprecious stones and pure gold. The images
were powerful, like windows into a spiritual world through which
mortals could gaze upon the divine. Explore how these icons
were created and more about the materials used. |
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WEAPON OF TERROR: GREEK FIRE
Steve Carper
The Saracen fleet thought it had little to fear from the small
Byzantine galleys rowing toward them in the Marmara Sea. Suddenly,
a metal animal’s head reared at them, spitting fire.
The fire arced in a liquid stream that reached as far as fifty
yards. Instantly the wooden boats began burning furiously.
Worse, the fire clung to the bodies of the sailors. Even when
they dove into the sea the fire would not go out. The Saracens
fled.They had been routed by Greek fire! Learn how this secret
weapon was feared by all.
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THE GREAT EMPIRE OF BASIL II
Rachel Hartman
There were many emperors that ruled during the Byzantine Empire.
What set Basil II apart from the rest? During his reign, the
empire reached its greatest height in nearly five centuries.
Basil II was a great general and took special care of his troops.
When he died, he left a full treasury – something very
few rulers before or after him accomplished. All of these qualities
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THE GREAT SCHISM BETWEEN THE EASTERN AND WESTERN CHURCH
Michael Dimitri
In 1054, the patriarch of Rome and the patriarch of Constantinople
excommunicated one another, meaning that neither could receive
Holy Communion. This became known as the
“
Great Schism” or split within the church into its western “Catholic” and
Eastern “Orthodox” halves. Learn the details behind
the split and the events that led up to it.
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THE DISASTROUS FOURTH CRUSADE
Rick Archer
Today in a museum in the Italian city of Venice, four bronze
horses are on display. They stood above the city’s main
square at St. Mark’s Basilica for more than seven hundred
and fifty years before they were taken down to protect them
from modern pollution. Replicas of the horses have taken their
place. For hundreds of years before that, they stood over the
Hippodrome, a racetrack in Constantinople. Hear the story of
how they got where they are today - it is the story of the
Fourth Crusade.
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THE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE AND THE END OF BYZANTIUM
Pamela Toler
On May 29, 1453, at the end of a fifty-four day siege, Ottoman
cannons blasted through the double city walls that had protected
Constantinople since the reign of Theodosius II in the fifth
century. Four miles long and fortified with 192 towers and
11 gates, the walls had remained unbreached for more than one
thousand years. Now Ottoman soldiers poured into the city.
The Turks met with fierce resistance from the Byzantines, led
by the emperor, Constantine XI. Constantine fell in the city’s
defense; within hours the Ottomans had taken Constantinople.
Byzantium, the Rome of the East, was dead.
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