At its greatest extent, the Byzantine Empire covered much of the land surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, including what is now Italy, Greece, and Turkey along with portions of North Africa and the Middle East.
What region was the Byzantine Empire?
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinople.
What region influenced the Byzantine Empire?
As it incorporated Greek and Christian culture, it transformed into a unique Byzantine culture. Additionally, the Byzantine Empire was influenced by Latin, Coptic, Armenian, and Persian cultures . Later on, it was influenced by Islamic cultures as well. Constantinople was an extremely diverse city.
What are two areas that became part of the Byzantine Empire?
Under the sixth-century emperor Justinian I, who reigned 527–565, the Byzantine Empire expanded to its largest geographical area: encompassing the Balkans to the north, Egypt and other parts of north Africa to the south, Anatolia (what is now Turkey) and the Levant (including including modern Syria, Lebanon, Israel, ...
What religion did the Byzantine Empire start off as?
In 330 A.D., Roman Emperor Constantine I chose Byzantium as the site of a “New Rome” with an eponymous capital city, Constantinople. Five years earlier, at the Council of Nicaea, Constantine had established Christianity — once an obscure Jewish sect — as Rome's official religion.
What race were the Byzantines?
During the Byzantine period, peoples of Greek ethnicity and identity were the majority occupying the urban centres of the Empire. We can look to cities such as Alexandria, Antioch, Thessalonica and, of course, Constantinople as the largest concentrations of Greek population and identity.
What is Byzantine called today?
Byzantium (/bɪˈzæntiəm, -ʃəm/) or Byzantion (Greek: Βυζάντιον) was an ancient Greek city in classical antiquity that became known as Constantinople in late antiquity and Istanbul today .
Who influenced the Byzantine Empire the most?
Byzantines were influenced strongly by both the Greek and the Roman cultures .
What caused the fall of the Byzantine Empire?
No single issue caused the end of the Byzantine Empire. ... Add in civil unrest, natural disasters and powerful enemies such as the Arabs, Seljuk Turks, Bulgars, Normans, Slavs, and Ottoman Turks, and you can see why the Byzantine Empire eventually crumbled.
What language did the Byzantines speak?
Byzantine Greek language, an archaic style of Greek that served as the language of administration and of most writing during the period of the Byzantine, or Eastern Roman, Empire until the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453.
What is the difference between Byzantine and Roman Empire?
The main difference between the Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire concerned the official religions they practiced . Whereas the Roman Empire was officially pagan up for most of its existence, the Byzantine Empire was Christian.
What is the Byzantine Empire known for?
The Byzantine Empire was the longest-lasting medieval power , and its influence continues today, especially in the religion, art, architecture, and law of many Western states, Eastern and Central Europe, and Russia.
What does it mean if something is Byzantine?
a : of, relating to, or characterized by a devious and usually surreptitious manner of operation a Byzantine power struggle. b : intricately involved : labyrinthine rules of Byzantine complexity. Byzantine.
What happened to Byzantines after the fall of Constantinople?
The Bulgarian Empire and the Serbian Empire conquered many Byzantine lands , and the Turks overran Asia Minor altogether. Anatolia gradually transformed from a Byzantine Christian land into an Islamic land dominated by the Turks. It would ultimately become the Ottoman Empire.
Are there any Byzantines left?
The existence of genuine male-line descendants of any Byzantine emperor today is considered doubtful .
What is the difference between Roman Catholic and Byzantine?
Byzantines held more theoretical view about Jesus. Though Byzantines believe in humanity of Christ, but his divinity is more emphasized in Greek Orthodoxy or Eastern Church. Roman Catholics believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ but emphasizes on his humanity.
