Ancient Civilizations
Ancient Byzantine Civilization
Posted by cosmic • Filed under ancient civilizations, cultures
The Byzantines
Byzantium is the name of the eastern part of Rome in the Middle Ages. The Byzantines while considering themselves Romans were actually part of something else after Rome was split. Due to the fact that Byzantine split from Rome, this also made Byzantium a Christian empire. The major city was Constantinople, which was the richest and most well known. At the peak of Byzantines power it ruled over the lands of Asia Minor, the Balkans, and Greece.
Byzantine Government was setup based on a monarchy giving the ruler more power than his opposition in Rome. The government was setup based on four major parts, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Arm, the Noble Families, and the Imperial Bureaucracy.
The Tribal Migration formed a danger within the Empire. The Hun Turks proved to pose as a great threat towards the Empire. However, the Byzantines seemed to establish a great relationship with the Huns by means of money. In the meantime religious conflicts began to evolve. Fighting for authority between the Roman and Byzantine churches began to breakout. One group of Christians supported the divinity of god, while others valued him more as a person rather than an actual god.
In an attempt to end the ongoing religious strife, Marcianus held a religious council at Kadikoy. This led to even more tension and caused the appearance of two Byzantine groups, the Blues and Greens. Justinianos I took control of the Empire and promptly reached an agreement with the Pope, thereby relieving all conflicts between the east and west.
The Byzantines experienced a time of flourishing under the reign of Justinious I. In 532 A.D. the Blues and Greens plotted a rebellion against the emperor in the Hippodrome. This was known as the Nike Revolt. During this revolt towns were plundered to the ground and the Hagia Sophia Church was burned in a massive fire. Justinianos I set out immediately to have Byzantium reconstructed, the Hagia Sophia rebuilt, had St. Irene Church and the Underground Cisterns built, and constructed aqueducts to bring water to Byzantium.
The most magnificent thing was the elaborate wall that surrounded Byzantium. This was mainly constructed in the city of Istanbul. The wall was constructed as a form of military protection, not to mention its aesthetic beauty it brought to the Empire.