Byzantium and Constantinople

Greek colonists from Megara, an ancient city of Greece, led by King Byzas settled in a city which they named Chalcedon, which is now Kadikoy district on the Asian side of Istanbul.

The Greek settlers spread their colony to the other side of the Bosphorus strait, which is the European side of modern day Istanbul. They named it Byzantium in honor of their king.

The city of Byzantium was captured by the Persian Empire under the emperor Darius.

The Persians retreated from the city and it became part of the Athenian League, therefore coming under the protection and authority of Athens, Greece.

Byzantium was taken over by the Roman Empire.

The city was officially incorporated into the Roman Empire by Emperor Vespasian; however, it retained its status as a free state.

Post the death of Emperor Pertinax, the war of succession took place in which Septimius Severus won and ended up launching a three year long siege on Byzantium which completely ravaged the city.

Emperor Septimius Severus rebuilt the city and named it Augusta Antonina. The new city was almost double the size of the original Byzantium and was much more prosperous.

Emperor Constantine won the civil war within the Roman Empire by defeating Licinius, thus taking over the city.

The city was made the official capital of the Roman Empire by Emperor Constantine and its name was changed to Constantinople.

The death of Constantine saw the Roman Empire being divided into his three sons – Constantius, Constantien and Constans. The city of Constantinople came under Constantius’ share of the empire.

A series of defensive walls known as the Theodosian Walls were built under the rule of Emperor Theodosius II encircling all the seven hills of the city of Constantinople.

The Theodosian Walls were brought down by a string of earthquakes only to be rebuilt again within the next two months.

The western half of the Roman Empire declined completely with the last emperor being toppled by Germanic mercenaries.

One of the most popular emperors of the Byzantine Empire, Justinian I, took over the city of Constantinople.

A series of riots known as the Nika Riots broke out between the Emperor Justinian I and the general public of Constantinople, which was subdued when almost 30,000 rioters were killed in the Hippodrome. It was in the same year that the construction of the Hagia Sofia began after a church built on the same site was destroyed by fire during the riots.

The construction of the original structure of the Hagia Sofia was completed.

The Iconoclastic Crisis began under Emperor Leo III, who intended to remove all kinds of idol worship from the empire.

Empress Eirene took the mantle to overturn the efforts of Leo III and restore idol worship in the empire.

Empress Theodora, mother of child emperor Michael III, put an end to the Iconoclastic Crisis as she restored all the idols in the city of Constantinople.

The Rus’ – Byzantine War took place when a principality set up in Kiev crossed the Bosphorus and attacked the city of Constantinople. However, the invaders were subdued by Emperor Michael III.

Emperor Basil II put an end to the attacks of the Bulgarians on Constantinople. He was given the name ‘the Bulgar-slayer’ because of this reason.

Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes, the Byzantine Emperor, and his army were defeated by the Seljuk Turks in the Battle of Manzikert and the emperor was himself captured.

The first group of crusaders arrived in the outskirts of Constantinople marking the beginning of the First Crusade.

The Byzantine Empire declined in power and the city of Constantinople was taken over by the Latin Empire when they ransacked the city as a part of the Fourth Crusade. Count Baldwin of Flanders was chosen to be the first Emperor of the Latin Empire.

Emperor Michael VIII Palaeologus and his armies comfortably overthrew the Latin Empire and the Byzantine Empire was once again established in the city of Constantinople.

A dangerous plague, known as Black Death, spread across the city of Constantinople and accounted for the life of many of its citizens.