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Byzantine Empire

60 cards · 🇺🇸 English

The Eastern Roman Empire from Constantinople's founding to its fall in 1453.

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What was the Byzantine Empire?

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  1. 1What was the Byzantine Empire?
    The continuation of the Roman Empire centered on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages, lasting from 330 to 1453
  2. 2When did the Byzantine Empire fall?
    1453, with the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire
  3. 3What did Byzantine citizens call themselves?
    Romans (Rhomaioi in Greek); the term 'Byzantine Empire' was coined only after its demise
  4. 4Who was Constantine I and what was his significance?
    Roman Emperor (r. 324-337) who legalized Christianity and moved the capital to Constantinople
  5. 5What was Constantinople originally called?
    Byzantium (a Greek settlement); Constantine rebuilt it as 'New Rome' which was later named Constantinople
  6. 6Who was Theodosius I and what did he do?
    Emperor (r. 379-395) who made Christianity the state religion and was the last emperor to rule both western and eastern halves of the empire
  7. 7When did Greek gradually replace Latin for official use?
    After Theodosius I's reign; Greek gradually replaced Latin as the official language
  8. 8Who was Justinian I?
    Emperor (r. 527-565) under whom the Byzantine Empire reached its greatest extent, briefly reconquering much of Italy and the western Mediterranean coast
  9. 9What was the Corpus Juris Civilis?
    Justinian I's legal code that streamlined Roman law across the empire
  10. 10What was the Hagia Sophia?
    A magnificent church rebuilt by Justinian I in Constantinople after the Nika Riots in 532
  11. 11What was the Nika Revolt of 532?
    A major riot in Constantinople that Justinian I ruthlessly subdued; afterward he rebuilt much of the city including the Hagia Sophia
  12. 12Who was Belisarius?
    A general under Justinian I who subjugated the Vandal Kingdom in North Africa (533) and then invaded Italy
  13. 13What was the Plague of Justinian?
    A devastating plague beginning around 541 that killed a large proportion of the population and severely reduced the empire's social and financial stability
  14. 14What were the Arab conquests?
    In the 630s-640s, Arab armies defeated Byzantine forces in Syria and Egypt, resulting in permanent loss of those provinces to the Rashidun Caliphate
  15. 15What happened in 698?
    Africa was lost to the Umayyad Caliphate at the Battle of Carthage
  16. 16What was the Isaurian dynasty?
    A dynasty under which the empire stabilized after Arab conquests, notably under Leo III and Constantine V
  17. 17What was the Macedonian dynasty known for?
    The empire expanded once more and experienced a two-century-long renaissance (Macedonian Renaissance)
  18. 18What was the Komnenian restoration?
    Recovery of the empire during the Komnenos dynasty (1081-1185), when Constantinople remained the largest and wealthiest city in Europe
  19. 19What happened during the Fourth Crusade in 1204?
    Constantinople was sacked by crusaders, and the empire was largely dismantled; its territories were divided into competing Greek rump states and Latin realms
  20. 20When was Constantinople recovered after the Fourth Crusade?
    In 1261 by Michael VIII Palaiologos, founder of the Palaiologos dynasty
  21. 21What was the Tetrarchy?
    A system instituted by Diocletian (r. 284-305) that divided the empire into eastern and western halves, recognizing the state was too big to be ruled by one person
  22. 22What was Constantine I's currency reform?
    He instituted the gold solidus as a stable currency
  23. 23Who was Julian the Apostate?
    Constantine's nephew who died in 363 during a lengthy conflict against Sasanid Persia
  24. 24What was the Battle of Adrianople (378)?
    A battle where Emperor Valens was killed by the Goths, marking the end of the Valentinianic dynasty in the East
  25. 25What were the Theodosian Walls?
    Walls constructed by Anthemius under Theodosius II (r. 408-450) that protected Constantinople; crucial during the 717-718 Arab siege
  26. 26Who was Attila and what was his impact?
    Leader of the Huns who ravaged the Balkans and exacted large tribute from the eastern empire; he switched attention to the west and his people fractured after his death in 453
  27. 27When did the Western Roman Empire fall?
    476, when warlord Odoacer deposed Romulus Augustulus; the office of western emperor was abolished in 480 after Julius Nepos' assassination
  28. 28Who was Theodoric the Great?
    An Ostrogoth king convinced by Emperor Zeno to take control of Italy from Odoacer
  29. 29Who was Anastasius I?
    Emperor (r. 491-518), a capable administrator who instituted successful financial reforms including abolition of the chrysargyron tax
  30. 30What was the Byzantine-Sasanian War of 602-628?
    A prolonged warfare with Persia that placed fiscal and military strain on the empire

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