Territorial development of the Byzantine Empire (330–1453)
Preceding
Roman Empire
Dominate
Early period (330–717)
Tetrarchy era
Constantinian–Valentinianic era (Constantinian dynasty – Valentinianic dynasty)
Theodosian era
Leonid era
Justinian era
Heraclian era
Twenty Years' Anarchy
Middle period (717–1204)
Isaurian era
Nikephorian era
Amorian era
Macedonian era
Doukid era
Komnenian era
Angelid era
Late period (1204–1453)
Fourth Crusade and Latin rule
Latin Empire
Principality of Achaea
others
Byzantine successor states
Nicaea
Epirus/Thessalonica
Trebizond
Theodoro
Palaiologan era
Despotate of the Morea
Decline of the Byzantine Empire
Fall of Constantinople
Timeline
By topic
Art
Government
Economy
Army
Navy
Byzantine Empire portal
v
t
e
The Byzantine Empire experienced cycles of growth and decay over the course of nearly a thousand years, including major losses during the early Muslim conquests of the 7th century.
In the 11th century the empire experienced a major catastrophe in which most of its distant territories in Anatolia were lost to the Seljuks following the Battle of Manzikert and ensuing civil war. At the same time, the empire lost its last territory in Italy to the Norman Kingdom of Sicily and faced repeated attacks on its territory in the Balkans. These events created the context for Emperor Alexios I Komnenos to call to the West for help, which led to the First Crusade. However, economic concessions to the Italian Republics of Venice and Genoa weakened the empire's control over its own finances, especially from the 13th century onward, while tensions with the West led to the Sack of Constantinople by the forces of the Fourth Crusade in 1204 and the dismemberment of the empire.
Although a number of small Byzantine successor states survived, one of which eventually reclaimed Constantinople in 1261, the empire had been severely weakened. The Byzantines had withdrawn to Bithynia relocating their capital to Nicaea (present-day Iznik) during the Fourth Crusade. It would be nearly 60 years before they returned to the capital, leaving Bithynia weak and vulnerable. The early history of the eventual rise of Ottoman power remains shrouded in obscurity. One Byzantine chronicle refers to a skirmish between "Othman" and Byzantine forces in 1302 in the Marmara region near present day Yalova. What historians can agree on is that by the early 1330s Ottomans had taken Byzantine towns in Prusa (Bursa), Nicaea (Iznik) and Nicomedia (Izmit).
Constantinople was left isolated as the Islamic empire gained a foothold in the Balkans under the leadership of Orhan Gazi and his son Murad I. They rapidly conquered the Byzantine heartland over the course of the 14th century leading to the Fall of Trebizond and the Fall of Constantinople by the army of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror in the 15th century. While internal struggles continued between the Ottomans and other Turkish rulers in Anatolia, with the fall of Trebizond the last truly Byzantine outpost in Anatolia was lost.[1] While conflict continued between the Ottomans and other Muslims in Anatolia, the Ottomans mostly ignored them to focus on westward expansion into the Christian lands of southeastern Europe.
^Lowry, Heath. "Early Ottoman Period". In Heper, Metin; Sayari, Sabri (eds.). The Routledge Handbook of Modern Turkey. Routledge.
and 25 Related for: Decline of the Byzantine Empire information
TheByzantineEmpire experienced cycles of growth and decay over the course of nearly a thousand years, including major losses during the early Muslim...
This history oftheByzantineEmpire covers the history ofthe Eastern Roman Empire from late antiquity until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453 AD. Several...
TheByzantineEmpire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation ofthe Roman Empire centered in Constantinople during Late Antiquity...
TheByzantineEmpire was ruled by emperors ofthe Doukas dynasty between 1059 and 1081. There are six emperors and co-emperors of this period: the dynasty's...
theEmpire's integration of Christianity, and the predominance of Greek instead of Latin. TheByzantineEmpire was the direct legal continuation of the...
TheByzantineEmpire under the Macedonian dynasty underwent a revival during the late 9th, 10th, and early 11th centuries. Under the Macedonian emperors...
TheByzantineEmpire underwent a golden age under the Justinian dynasty, beginning in 518 AD with the accession of Justin I. Under the Justinian dynasty...
TheByzantineEmpire was ruled by the Palaiologos dynasty in the period between 1261 and 1453, from the restoration ofByzantine rule to Constantinople...
with the rapid decline, collapse and eventual fall ofthe Western Roman Empire. Following the end ofthe Western Empire, Emperor Zeno abolished the position...
Subdivisions oftheByzantineEmpire were administrative units ofthe Eastern Roman or ByzantineEmpire (330–1453). TheEmpire had a developed administrative...
TheByzantineEmpire was ruled by emperors ofthe Komnenos dynasty for a period of 104 years, from 1081 to about 1185. The Komnenian (also spelled Comnenian)...
TheByzantineEmpire was ruled by emperors ofthe dynasty of Heraclius between 610 and 711. The Heraclians presided over a period of cataclysmic events...
Succession ofthe Roman Empire Comparative studies ofthe Roman and Han empiresDeclineoftheByzantineEmpire (Fall ofthe Eastern Roman Empire) Historiography...
TheByzantineEmpire under the Amorian dynasty (or Phrygian dynasty) ruled from 820 to 867. The Amorian dynasty continued the policy of restored iconoclasm...
TheEmpireof Nicaea (Greek: Βασιλεία Ῥωμαίων) or the Nicene Empire was the largest ofthe three Byzantine Greek rump states founded by the aristocracy...
The History oftheDecline and Fall ofthe Roman Empire, sometimes shortened to Decline and Fall ofthe Roman Empire, is a six-volume work by the English...
throughout the history oftheByzantineEmpire. After thedeclineofthe Greek-speaking Hellenistic Judaism in ancient times, the use ofthe Greek language...
TheByzantineEmpire was ruled by the Isaurian dynasty (or Syrian dynasty) from 717 to 802. The Isaurian emperors were successful in defending and consolidating...
lands oftheByzantineEmpire (Eastern Roman Empire), of Constantinople and Asia Minor (modern Turkey), the Greek islands, Cyprus, and portions ofthe southern...
The term Byzantine Dark Ages is a historiographical term for the period in the history ofthe Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, during the 7th and 8th...
Since its fall, the issue of succession to theByzantineEmpire has been a major point of contention both geopolitically, with different states laying...
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to theByzantineEmpire: ByzantineEmpire (or Byzantium) – the Constantinople-centred...
Global Information
Byzantine Empire portal