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The Byzantines

CHRONOLOGICAL CHART OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE AND WORLD EVENTS

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CHRONOLOGICAL CHART OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE AND WORLD EVENTS

BYZANTINE WORLD ENGLAND AND WESTERN EUROPE NEAR EAST AND ASIA WESTERN HEMISPHERE

A.D. 300-400 Constantine the Great establishes capital of Roman Empire at Constantinople on site of ancient Byzantium, 330 Teutonic and Asiatic barbarians overrun Roman Empire ↓ Successive wars between Persians and Romans

First division of Roman Empire into East and West, 364 ↓ Golden Age of Hinduism in India

Final division of Roman Empire into East and West, 395 ↓ Divided empire in China (Tartar and Chinese rule)

400-500 Visigoths sack Rome, 410

Huns under Attila invade Europe, 445-453

Period of decline Western Europe lost to Roman Empire

First Saxon kingdom in Britain, 477: Clovis I founds Frank kingdom in France, 481

500-600 Justinian the Great (Great advancement of Byzantine civilization), 527-565 Beginning of modern Western European civilization

Laws codified

Empire reaches greatest territorial extent (from Spain to Persia)

Santa Sophia built, 532-537

First great age of Byzantine art

600-700 Persians defeated by Heraclius, 641; end of Persian dominion Beginning of Arab Empire, 632

Byzantines drive Arabs away from Constantinople with "Greek fire," 677 Byzantines defeat Persians, 641; end of Persian dominion

700-800 Iconoclast controversy; image worship forbidden by Leo the Isaurian, 726 Charles Martel defeats Moslems at Tours, France, 732; stops Arab expansion into Europe Moslem defeat at Tours, 732, stops Arab expansion into Europe

↓ Golden Age of Arab Empire, 750-1258: Revival of Chinese Empire under Tang dynasty

800-900 Image worship restored, 843 Charlemagne crowned emperor of Holy Roman Empire at Rome, 800

Byzantine missionaries convert Bulgarians to Orthodox Christianity, 864 Bulgarians converted to Orthodox Christianity, 864

Macedonian dynasty (founded by Basil I), 867-1056 Beginning of Russia

↓Second great advancement of Byzantine civilization

900-1000 ↓ Arab rule in Spain at height; Cordova greatest intellectual center in Europe Arab rule in Spain at height; Cordova greatest intellectual center in Europe Maya civilization in Mexico and Central America

↓Russians converted to Orthodox Christianity, 989 Russians converted to Orthodox Christianity, 989 Eric the Red discovers Greenland, about 985

1000-1100 ↓Basil II conquers Bulgarians; rules from Asia Minor to southern Italy, 1014 William the Conqueror invades England, 1066 Baghdad seized by Seljuk Turks, 1055 Leif Ericson visits America (Vinland), about 1000

↓Defeat by Seljuk Turks in Armenia, 1071; decline of Byzantine military power Crusades against Moslems in Holy Lands, 1096-1270 Crusades against Moslems in Holy Lands, 1096-1270

↓ Jerusalem captured by crusaders, 1099

1100-1200 Comnenus dynasty unable to restore Byzantine power ↓

1200-1300 Crusaders take Constantinople, 1204 Magna Charta in England, 1215 Genghis Khan conquers central Asia and China, 1206-1221 Inca civilization in Peru

Michael VIII reconquers Constantinople; restores Greek rule, 1261 ↓ Mongols destroy Baghdad; overthrow Arab Empire, 1258

Marco Polo at court of Kublai Khan in China, 1271-1295

Ottoman Empire (Turks) founded, 1288

1300-1400 Ottoman Turks invade Europe, defeat Serbs, 1389; Byzantine Empire reduced to Constantinople and surroundings Tamerlane ruler of Asia from Russia to Persian Gulf, 1369-1405 Aztec civilization in Mexico

1400-1500 Tamerlane defeats Ottoman Turks at Ankara, 1402; delays fall of Byzantine Empire Renaissance

John VIII agrees to unite Greek and Roman churches to gain Western aid, 1439; plan fails Invention of printing, 1439

Ottoman Turks capture Constantinople; end of Byzantine Empire, 1453 Ottoman Turks conquer most of Asia; block trade routes to Far East

Moors expelled from Spain: Beginning of Spanish exploration in New World Columbus discovers America, 1492

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