History of the Byzantine Empire

Summary

El Imperio Romano sufrió divisiones repetidas, llegando a tener hasta cuatro emperadores simultáneamente. En 395 d.C., el emperador Teodosio lo dividió entre sus hijos, pero en 408 d.C., el hijo de Arcadio, Teodosio II, se proclamó emperador en el este, llevando a la separación definitiva. Justiniano intentó restaurar el imperio, pero la plaga y conflictos internos llevaron al declive del Imperio Bizantino. Finalmente, en 1453, Constantinopla cayó ante los otomanos, marcando el fin del Imperio Bizantino y el surgimiento del Imperio Otomano.

Takeaways

• 🏛️ El Imperio Romano fue dividido repetidamente a lo largo de su historia, llegando a tener hasta cuatro emperadores simultáneamente.
• 👑 En 395 d.C., el emperador Teodosio dividió el imperio entre sus hijos, lo que no sorprendió a los romanos, quienes esperaban que las dos mitades se reunieran pronto.
• 👎 Arcadio se destacó como un emperador débil, permitiendo que los nobles de su entorno tomaran el control del poder.
• 🛡️ La construcción de las murallas Teodocianas alrededor de Constantinopla por Pulcheria, la hermana de Arcadio, se convirtieron en una de las estructuras defensivas más extensas del mundo en ese momento.
• 🚢 En el año 467 d.C., la derrota bizantina en la Batalla Naval de Cartago marcó el inicio de una larga serie de problemas internos para el Imperio en Italia.
• 👥 Los bárbaros germánicos derrocaron al último emperador del Oeste, Romulo Agusto, y enviaron los reliquias imperiales a Constantinopla.
• 📚 Justiniano, emperador talentoso, soñó con restaurar el Imperio Romano y logró conquistar territorios en África y Siria.
• 🤝 La lucha entre los iconoclastas y los iconodules causó conflictos internos y guerras civiles en Bizancio durante dos siglos.
• 🏰 La dinastía Macedoniana trajo éxitos militares a Bizancio, capturando Italia del sur y recuperando islas y territorios en el Mediterráneo.
• 🛡️ La creación de la Guardia Varangiana, compuesta por vikingos, se convirtió en una unidad destacada y el cuerpo de guardia personal del emperador.
• 🏰 En 1204, la Cuarta Cruzada resultó en el saqueo de Constantinopla por los cruzados, lo que llevó a la formación de varios estados en el lugar del Imperio Bizantino.

Q & A

¿Cuándo se dividió el Imperio Romano entre los hijos del emperador Teodosio I?

El Imperio Romano se dividió entre los hijos del emperador Teodosio I en el año 395 d.C.

¿Qué emperador tomó decisiones débiles que afectaron al Imperio Oriental?

El emperador Arcadio se destacó como un emperador de voluntad débil, dejando que los nobles de su corte tomaran decisiones en su lugar.

¿Qué logró Pulcheria, hermana y regente del emperador Teodosio II?

Pulcheria, interesada más en asuntos religiosos que políticos, logró la construcción de las murallas conocidas como las murallas de Teodosio, que rodearon Constantinopla.

¿Qué sucedió en la Batalla de Cartago que afectó al Imperio Bizantino?

En la Batalla de Cartago en el año 467 d.C., el Imperio Bizantino sufrió una derrota naval contra los vándalos, lo que llevó a un enfoque interno por medio siglo.

¿Cómo contribuyó Justiniano al esfuerzo de restaurar el Imperio Romano?

Justiniano, emperador talentoso, envió a su general Belisario con un ejército de 30,000 hombres a África en 533 d.C. para derrotar a los vándalos y anexar sus tierras al Imperio.

¿Qué ocurrió en la Batalla de Nepal que involucró a Belisario y los ostrogodos?

Belisario, con ayuda de romanos locales, logró derrotar a los ostrogodos en la Batalla de Nápoles, capturó Roma y resistió un sitio de 2 años.

¿Qué conflicto significativo ocurrió durante el reinado de Justiniano que afectó al ejército bizantino?

Durante el reinado de Justiniano, el conflicto entre los iconoclastas y los iconodules se convirtió en la cuestión política principal del Imperio, lo que generó derramamiento de sangre y divisiones internas.

¿Cómo impactaron las invasiones árabes en el Imperio Bizantino?

Las invasiones árabes, que comenzaron en el siglo VII, capturaron territorios clave como Siria y Palestina, y en 655 d.C., los árabes capturaron Rodas y pronto tuvieron acceso al Mar de Mármara, amenazando a Constantinopla.

¿Qué fue el 'fuego griego' y cómo ayudó al Imperio Bizantino a defenderse?

El 'fuego griego' fue una mezcla secreta de aceite, azufre, cal y otros ingredientes que permitió a los bizantinos quemar las flotas enemigas, como la de los árabes en 678 d.C., recuperando el control del Mar de Mármara.

¿Cómo se desarrolló el conflicto entre el Imperio Bizantino y los búlgaros durante el siglo IX y X?

El conflicto con los búlgaros se intensificó, con el Imperio Bizantino sufriendo derrotas y finalmente perdiendo el control de la península balcánica, incluso después de intentos de conquista y alianzas.

¿Cuál fue el resultado del cuarto crucado para el Imperio Bizantino?

El cuarto crucado resultó en un desastre para el Imperio Bizantino, ya que Constantinopla fue saqueada por los cruzados en 1204, lo que llevó a la creación de varios estados latinos en el lugar del Imperio Bizantino.

Outlines

00:00

🏛️ División y Decadencia del Imperio Romano

El primer párrafo aborda la división repetida del Imperio Romano, donde a veces hasta cuatro emperadores gobernaban simultáneamente. En el año 395 d.C., el emperador Teodosio dividió el imperio entre sus hijos, lo que no sorprendió a los romanos. Se destaca la figura de Arcadio como un emperador débil y cómo su hermano, en lugar de unir el estado, proclamó a Teodosio II como emperador en el este. Pulcheria, su hermana, ejerció el poder en lugar de Teodosio II. Se menciona la construcción de las murallas teodocianas en Constantinopla y cómo el oeste se volvió un interés para Bizancio. También se describe la campaña contra los vándalos que terminó en derrota y cómo los bárbaros germánicos derrocaron al último emperador del oeste, Romulo Agustulo, enviando los reliquias imperiales a Constantinopla. Justiniano, un emperador talentoso, soñó con restaurar el Imperio Romano y envió a su general Belisario a África, donde logró derrotar a los vándalos. Posteriormente, Belisario enfrentó a los ostrogodos, pero finalmente fue retirado de Italia por Justiniano debido a intrigas políticas.

05:03

🛡️ Batallas y Conflictos del Imperio Bizantino

El segundo párrafo relata la continuación de los conflictos y batallas del Imperio Bizantino. Se menciona la rebelión de los ostrogodos liderados por Toilla, que recapturaron el norte de Italia. Belisario tuvo que volver a Italia para enfrentar a los ostrogodos, pero esta vez con Nares, un diplomático talentoso, a quien Justiniano retiró del mando militar en Italia. Nares logró derrotar a los ostrogodos en la Batalla de Tagina y rechazar la invasión de los francos a Italia. La narración también incluye la llegada de los lombardos a Italia y cómo estos establecieron su reino, lo que significó la pérdida de Italia para Bizancio. Se describe el declive del Imperio bajo Justino II debido a la plaga de Justiniano y conflictos políticos, y cómo el ejército se convirtió en mercenario y estaba compuesto principalmente por extranjeros. Además, se menciona la influencia de la cultura griega y cómo el griego se convirtió en el idioma oficial del imperio bajo Heraclio.

10:03

🏰 Victorias y Derrotas del Imperio Bizantino

El tercer párrafo cubre las victorias y derrotas del Imperio Bizantino. Se describe cómo los árabes capturaron Siria y Jerusalén, y cómo la capital, Constantinopla, fue asediada por los persas y árabes. La victoria de Bizancio en la Batalla de Nineveh y la posterior paz con los persas se destacan. La invasión árabe prosigue con la conquista del Levante y la invasión de Egipto. Se menciona el uso del fuego griego por parte de los bizantinos para defenderse de los árabes y cómo este les permitió recuperar el control del Mar de Mármara. También se habla de las guerras con los búlgaros y cómo estos se establecieron en el Danubio, lo que llevó a nuevas guerras con el califato. La defensa exitosa de Constantinopla y la influencia de la idea del Emperador León III de luchar contra los íconos provocó conflictos internos y guerras civiles.

15:06

🏺 Ascenso y Caída del Imperio Bizantino

El cuarto párrafo relata el ascenso y la caída del Imperio Bizantino. Se describe cómo la dinastía macedonia llegó al poder y cómo los bizantinos capturaron el sur de Italia y destruyeron la flota de los rusos meridionales. Se menciona la captura de Antioquía y Siria por Juan Zimiski, así como la muerte inesperada del emperador que impidió la captura de Jerusalén. La subyugación de los búlgaros por Basilio II se destaca, así como las alianzas que el imperio formó con los enemigos de sus enemigos. Se describe la creación de la guardia varegiana y cómo el imperio se enfrentó a nuevos enemigos como los turcos seljúvidas, que capturaron Asia Menor y dieron una derrota catastrófica a los bizantinos en la Batalla de Manzikert. La llamada del emperador a los cruzados para luchar contra los seljúvidas llevó a los cruzados a capturar Jerusalén y a establecer su propio reino en Palestina.

20:07

🏰 La Caída del Imperio Bizantino

El último párrafo describe la caída del Imperio Bizantino. Se menciona la rebelión de los búlgaros liderados por los hermanos Asén, que expulsaron a los griegos de los Balcanes. La continuación de las Cruzadas y la pérdida de Chipre por parte de Bizancio se destacan. La Cuarta Cruzada, que capturó y saqueó Constantinopla, y cómo varios estados emergieron tras la caída del Imperio Bizantino, se describen. La restauración del Imperio Bizantino por los Paleólogos y cómo la presencia de los mercenarios en el ejército bizantino no siempre fue exitosa se menciona. Se habla de la expansión del emirato otomano y cómo los otomanos conquistaron el oeste de Asia Menor y la costa oeste del Mar de Mármara. Finalmente, se describe la caída de Constantinopla en 1453 y cómo la historia del Imperio Bizantino generalmente se considera que termina aquí, mientras que los otomanos emergen como un nuevo estado poderoso.

Keywords

💡Imperio Romano

El Imperio Romano fue un estado que dominó amplias partes del mundo antiguo y medieval, conocido por su influencia en el ámbito político, militar, cultural y legal. En el vídeo, se menciona la división repetida del Imperio Romano, lo que llevó a su eventual declive y a la formación del Imperio Bizantino. Este término es clave para entender el contexto histórico del vídeo.

💡División del Imperio

La división del Imperio Romano en dos partes, Occidente y Oriente, es un concepto central en el vídeo. Se discute cómo esta división ocurrió en el año 395 d.C. y cómo las dos partes del Imperio tuvieron destinos distintos, con el Imperio de Occidente cayendo y el de Oriente evolucionando hacia el Imperio Bizantino.

💡Arcadio

Arcadio fue un emperador del Imperio Romano Oriental, mencionado en el vídeo como un emperador débil cuya política de dejar el control del estado en manos de la nobleza llevó a la debilidad del Imperio. Su reinado es un ejemplo de la decadencia política que afectó al Imperio en ese período.

💡Teodosio II

Teodosio II fue el sucesor de Arcadio como emperador del Imperio Oriental. A diferencia de su padre, Teodosio II fue un menor de edad cuando asumió el poder y se le atribuye una falta de voluntad, lo que refleja la tendencia de la nobleza a controlar el gobierno imperial en lugar de la monarquía.

💡Muros de Teodosio

Los Muros de Teodosio, también conocidos como los Muros de Constantinopla, son una estructura defensiva mencionada en el vídeo que se construyeron para proteger la capital del Imperio Bizantino. Son un ejemplo de la ingeniería defensiva avanzada de la época y simbolizan la fortaleza y la resistencia del Imperio frente a sus enemigos.

💡Justiniano

Justiniano fue un emperador del Imperio Bizantino que intentó restaurar el Imperio Romano a su antigua gloria. En el vídeo, se destaca su campaña militar exitosa en África contra los vándalos y su papel en la reconquista de territorios perdidos, lo que refleja la aspiración bizantina de expansión y poderío.

💡Peste de Justiniano

La Peste de Justiniano fue una pandemia que azotó el Imperio Bizantino en el siglo VI, causando la muerte de una gran parte de la población. En el vídeo, se menciona cómo esta epidemia contribuyó a la declinación del Imperio, afectando tanto a la población como a la estabilidad política y económica.

💡Guerra con los árabes

La guerra con los árabes es un tema recurrente en el vídeo, destacando las incursiones militares y la lucha por el control de territorios en Oriente Medio. Estas guerras mostraron la resistencia del Imperio Bizantino y la introducción de nuevas tácticas y tecnologías militares, como el fuego griego.

💡Crusadas

Las Cruzadas son una serie de expediciones militares y religiosas llevadas a cabo por los estados cristianos de Europa en el período medieval. En el vídeo, se menciona cómo las Cruzadas proporcionaron un pretexto para que los cruzados capturasen y saquearan Constantinopla, lo que llevó a la formación de nuevos estados y al declive del Imperio Bizantino.

💡Caída de Constantinopla

La caída de Constantinopla en 1453 es un evento crucial en el vídeo, marcando el fin del Imperio Bizantino y el establecimiento del Imperio otomano. Esta关键词 es fundamental para entender el clímax y el desenlace de la historia del Imperio Bizantino presentada en el vídeo.

Highlights

The Roman Empire was repeatedly divided, with periods of multiple emperors ruling simultaneously.

In 395 AD, Emperor Theodosius divided the empire between his sons, leading to two separate states.

Arcadius, a weak-willed Emperor, allowed the Visigoths to use the Balkans as a base for raids on Rome.

Theodosius II, a minor, became emperor in the East with power held by his sister Pulcheria.

Pulcheria's main achievement was the construction of the Theodosian Walls around Constantinople.

The West became a matter of interest for Byzantine in 467 AD with a failed campaign against the Vandals.

Germanic tribes overthrew the last emperor of the West, Romulus Augustus, in 476 AD.

Justinian, in 527 AD, became Emperor with dreams of restoring the Roman Empire.

General Belisarius led a successful campaign against the Vandals, annexing their lands to Byzantium.

Belisarius began a campaign against the Ostrogoths, capturing Rome after a 2-year siege.

Internal conflicts and the Plague of Justinian contributed to the decline of the Byzantine Empire.

The Greek language and culture predominated in the Empire under Justinian.

Heraclius made Greek the state language, changing the self-designation of the inhabitants to Rhomaioi.

The Persians captured Jerusalem and plundered it in 611 AD.

Heraclius assembled a new army and defeated the Persians in the Battle of Nineveh.

The Arab invasions began, leading to the loss of Levant and Egypt for Byzantium.

The Byzantines developed Greek Fire, a secret weapon that helped them regain control of the Sea of Marmara.

The Byzantine Empire faced internal conflicts over the use of icons, leading to civil wars.

Basil II finally subdued the Bulgarians in 1018, dealing with them by blinding prisoners of war.

The Crusades began, and although Byzantium regained NAA, it did not reclaim most of the lands in Asia Minor.

The Fourth Crusade resulted in the sacking of Constantinople by the Crusaders in 1204.

The Byzantine Empire was restored in 1261, but it was much smaller and controlled by Venice and Genoa.

The Ottomans emerged as a new threat, eventually capturing Constantinople in 1453, ending the Byzantine Empire.

Transcripts

the Roman Empire was repeatedly divided

throughout its history there were times

when two three or even four Emperors

ruled

simultaneously therefore when in 395 ad

the emperor theodosius divided the

empire between his sons it did not

surprise anyone Romans expected that

both halves of the state would soon

reunite arcadius distinguished himself

as a weak-willed Emperor instead of him

the Nobles from his un tourage ruled

they allowed alleri the king of the

Visigoths to use the Balkans as a base

for his raids on Rome recruited even

more Germanic mercenaries into the army

and abolished most of the customary

Roman positions thus Constantinople

drifted further away from the Empire it

had recently been a part of but the main

contribution to the division of the

Empire occurred in 408 ad upon the death

of arcadius everyone expected his

brother to unite the State under his

rule however instead of him arcadius son

theodosius II was proclaimed emperor in

the East he became emperor while still

being a minor and inherited his father's

lack of will instead power was held by

his sister pulcheria who was more

interested in religious matters than

politics Pia's main achievement was the

construction of two rows of walls around

Constantinople topped with 96 guard

towers

these were the most extensive defensive

structures in the world at the time

which entered history as the theodocian

walls named after the emperor they would

protect the Byzantine capital from its

enemies for centuries to come the West

became the matter of interest for

Byzantine in 467 ad at that time there

was a campaign against the vandals which

ended in the Byzantine defeat in the

naval Battle of Carthage and for half a

century the Empire had to focus on inter

problems in Italy Germanic tribes

overthrew the last emperor of the West

Romulus Augustus and sent the Imperial

relics to Constantinople in response

Byzantium had only to recognize the

authority of the Germans in Italy it

could not resist because constant

rebellions were occurring within the

Empire known in history as the plean

wars which ended only in 493 ad in 527

ad Justinian became the Emperor of

Byzantium a talented ruler who dreamed

of restoring the Roman Empire in 533 ad

he sent General belisarius with a 30,000

strong Army to Africa in two battles he

defeated the Vandal Army and then

ravaged the Kingdom's lands

Exterminating the vandals until in 2

years he virtually destroyed all the

vandals and annexed their lands to

Byzantium in 536 ad belisarius began

began a campaign against the ostrogoths

with the help of local Romans he

defeated the Germans in the Battle of

Naples and then captured Rome and

withstood a 2-year Siege there later

belisarius managed to take Rena without

a fight and deceitfully captured the

ostrogothic king vidus triumphantly

returning to

Constantinople however in 452 ad the

ostrogoths under the command of toilla

rebelled and using Guerilla tactics Rec

captured Northern Italy belisarius had

to return this time he had to lead the

troops jointly with naris a unic and

talented Diplomat they constantly

quarreled because belisarius did not

consider Nares his equal in response

Nares plotted intrigues against

belisarius eventually Nares persuaded

the emperor that belisarius planned to

seize the throne and then Justinian

decided to remove the popular General he

suspended the supply of the army to

Italy the situation became so

catastrophic that belisarius his wife

bought food for her husband's Army at

her own expense and Byzantine soldiers

in Italy resorted to robbery to feed

themselves as a result the war with the

ostrogoths dragged on in 549 ad toilla

briefly captured Rome the people of

Italy no longer understood who was

protecting them and who was conquering

them so they gladly supported the

ostrogoths and join joined their army

eventually using belisarius failures as

a pretext Justinian recalled his General

and stripped him of all his positions

later a legend emerged that he blinded

him mockingly Nares took over the

military command in Italy using

diplomacy and bribery he managed to

defeat the ostrogoths in the Battle of

tajan and later repelled the invasion of

the Franks into Italy who hoped to

easily capture the war weakened country

after that narcy settled in Naples

governed Italy and unsuccessfully tried

to defeat the remnants of the

ostrogothic Army in 568 ad Justinian's

nephew relieved Nares of all positions

according to Legend the emperor

mockingly offered him the position of

supervisor of

Weavers then narcy replied that he would

find a spindle that the emperor would

never be able to unravel and invited the

Lombards to Italy to help defeat the as

Goths the Lombards not only successfully

defeated their opponents but also

settled in the new lands and soon the

Lombard Kingdom arose here and Byzantium

lost Italy the years of Justinian rule

were the peak of the Empire's power

however under Justin II the Empire began

its long decline this was largely

contributed to by the epidemic of the

Justinian plague which claimed a quarter

of the state population with some

provinces being completely devastated

internal political conflicts also dealt

a significant blow it was during this

time that the four factions of the

Hippodrome finally formed which would

influence the emperor's policy for a

long time rebellion in Constantinople

became a common phenomenon the army

during these years became largely

mercenary and consisted mainly of

foreigners under belisarius a famous

band of Hun's mercenaries gained Renown

playing a key role in the defeat of the

vandals and nar's guard in Italy was

entirely composed of gepid mercenaries

in the East to combat Persia the

byzantines gladly hired contingents of

desert Nomads the Arabs Greek culture

predominated in the Empire already under

Justinian the the Greek language flooded

The Emperor's Palace and emperor

heraclius made Greek the state language

thus the emperor became a basileus the

prefectures became excits and the

legions became tagas and themes even the

self-designation of the inhabitants

changed they were now called Romeos as

the Greeks called the

Romans in 611 ad under the pretext of

not recognizing the new emperor

heraclius Persia declared Another War

using a more mobile Cavalry the Persians

quickly captured Syria and plundered it

from there they invaded Palestine where

after a brief Siege they captured

Jerusalem perpetrated a bloody massacre

and stole Christian relics after that

the Persians crossed all of Asia Minor

and captured Caledon later they also

looted Egypt the Empire's Grainery and

famine began in the capital it seemed

that the empire was on the brink of

collapse then heraclius assembled a new

Army the funds for which he took from

the sale of church relics in 622 ad he

set out with 50,000 soldiers to the

Caucasus where he persuaded the

Armenians to join his side and

recaptured Asia Minor in response the

Persians gathered new armies and

bypassing heraclius Army besieged

Constantinople meanwhile their allies

the avars approached from the West

joining the siege of the city the def of

the city was led by patriarch sergius he

repelled all attempts to storm and land

in the city from the sea and 2 months

later the opponents were forced to

retreat from the walls of

Constantinople the victory was dedicated

to the Virgin Mary whose icon the

patriarch placed on the walls where the

battles raged already the next year

heraclius defeated the Persian army in

the Battle of Nineveh and with his army

approached their Capital the Persians

asked for for peace and returned the

captured lands and stolen holy relics

and the emperor returned

triumphantly the following year the Arab

allies of Byzantium suffered their first

raid by Muslim Arabs the next year the

Muslim Arabs invaded Byzantine territory

and approached Gaza Byzantium eventually

intervened in these wars but the Army

sent by heraclius suffered defeat in the

battle on the yarmuk river by 640 ad the

Arab had conquered the Levant after

which they invaded Egypt where they

captured Alexandria in 641 ad within 4

years the byzantines managed to

recapture it but then fell into an

ambush by the Arabs and were defeated

near nikayas in 651 ad they tried again

to recapture Egypt from the Arabs but

suffered another defeat at Sea near

Alexandria instead the Arabs captured

Cyprus in 655 ad the Arabs defeated the

Greek Fleet near liia and soon captured

rhs and cicus giving them access to the

Sea of marmura from where they could

capture

Constantinople but the byzantines

already had a secret weapon ready a

mixture based on oil sulfur quick lime

and other additives the list and

proportions of which are still unknown

to us this entered history as Greek fire

with its help the byzantines burned the

Arab Fleet in 678 ad and regained

control of the Sea of marmura this

allowed for peace to be concluded at the

same time taking advantage of the fact

that the empire was preoccupied with war

with the Arabs the bulgarians settled on

the danu in 692 ad a new war with the

caliphate began for Byzantium its onset

was marked by a catastrophic defeat

30,000 mercen Aries including Slavs whom

the byzantines forcibly conscripted into

the army were bribed by the Arabs and

the Slavs switched sides in the midst of

the battle the following year Carthage

in Africa was besieged in 698 ad the

Arabs defeated the byzantines in the

Battle of UDA Africa was lost to

Byzantium forever that same year the

Georgian lazika in the caucuses seceded

from the Empire using the Empire's

weakening as an opportunity to gain

independence in 716 ad the Arabs

organized a new campaign against

Byzantium after passing through Asia

Minor they landed their troops in thce

the following year and besieged

Constantinople The Siege lasted for over

a year and famine began in the city then

the byzantines lured part of the Arab

Fleet into the Golden Horn Bay blocked

it with a massive chain and set it on

fire with Greek Fire soon after they

also burned the Arab reinforcements in

the sea of marmura simultaneously the

byzantines lured the enemy's Army into

an ambush near sofan which covered

supply routes now the Arabs found

themselves surrounded by winter their

Provisions ran out and due to hunger

they lost all their combat capability

eventually the byzantines hired the

Bulgarian Khan Turell to finish off the

AA Army for this he was given the title

of Caesar which the bulgarians soon

shortened to Zar and this became the

title of all subsequent Bulgarian rulers

the successful defense also raised the

authority of the new emperor Leo III The

isan Who himself was of Eastern origin

and his parents were among the refugees

fleeing from the lands captured by the

Arabs from such refugees from the East

he formed his own Army which held

Constantinople during the defense later

it became the basis of the Byzantine

Army along with this Leo III and his

army brought from the East the popular

idea the struggle against

icons this caused a series of internal

conflicts and even Civil Wars the

struggle between Icona clasts and Icona

files became the main political issue of

Byzantium for the next two centuries

each arrival of supporters of one idea

was accompanied by Bloodshed in the camp

of their opponents this conflict

prevented the byzantines from taking

advantage of the victory over the Arabs

which were soon led by the new Abbasid

Dynasty in 751 ad Venice taking

advantage of the conflict within

Byzantium declared its independence in

756 ad the byzantines tried to subdue

the bulgarians but their first campaign

ended in defeat then emperor Constantine

V caprus organized eight more campaigns

into Bulgaria and when civil Strife

began in Bulgaria one of the claimants

to the throne torig wrote a letter to

the emperor promising to be his ally he

asked to name all Byzantine agents to

appoint them the highest positions in

the Kingdom Constantine revealed the

names of all his agents among the

bulgarians and the News are quickly

executed them in 792 2 ad the bulgarians

finally defeated the byzantines in the

Battle of Mari the emperor fled from the

battlefield to retain power he brought

his mother The Talented politician Irene

of Athens back from the monastery she

soon blinded her son and proclaimed

herself Empress this step did not end

well for banum as her title was not

recognized in Europe and shortly

thereafter Charlemagne the king of the

Franks was crowned emperor of Rome there

Byzantium lost its Empire status in

Europe conflicts with the bulgarians did

not cease either even the baptism of the

bulgarians did not help reconcile them

with the Greeks on the contrary the

bulgarians now claimed leadership among

the Christians in the Balkans and

Byzantium only hindered them in this the

Arab threat revived thus in 824 ad the

Arabs captured creit and 3 years later

they invaded Sicily the conquest of

which lasted for a century and a half in

860 ad the Roose people who came from ke

looted the suburbs of

Constantinople in Asia Minor the Arabs

did not succeed their campaign in 863

suffered a defeat in the Battle of

porson because the byzantines had

already learned to successfully fight

against the Arabs the subsequent

successes of Byzantium were closely

linked to the Macedonian Dynasty which

rose to power due to recent victories in

880 the byzantines captured southern

Italy in 944 they destroyed the fleet of

Ken Rus at the mouth of the danu and in

961 they regained the islands of CIT and

Cyprus in 965 they recaptured cicia in

969 The Talented military leader of

Armenian descent John the simisky became

emperor in Bulgaria he defeated the army

of Ken Rus at Doran which was trying to

capture Bulgaria moreover he hired

turkic ogou mercenaries also known as

pachin EGS to defeat the retreating

Roose in 975 he captured Antioch and

regained Syria for Byzantium only the

Unexpected death of the emperor 976

prevented the Banes from capturing

Jerusalem in 1018 Emperor basil II

finally did what the byzantines had been

unable to do for over two centuries he

subdued the

bulgarians the emperor cruy dealt with

Bulgarian soldiers ordering all

prisoners of war in this war to be

blinded chroniclers called him bulgar

Slayer for this soon after basil II also

captured some territories of the

Georgian Kingdom in the western

caucuses Byzantium once again reached

the peak of it power its new policy was

to form alliances with the enemies of

its enemies and Achieve Victory through

joint efforts the Army grew in number

mainly due to mercenaries it was then

that the most famous unit in Byzantine

history emerged the varangian guard a

unit of Vikings who among other things

became the personal bodyguard of the

emperor however Byzantium soon faced new

enemies at the beginning of the 11th

century the migration of the seljuk

Turks from Central Asia to the Middle

East began being experienced horseback

Warriors they easily captured several

Persian Emirates where they adopted

Islam under Arab influence and soon the

seljuks extended their rule over the

Abbasid caliphate and used the new lands

as a base for attacks on Byzantium in

1071 the seljuks dealt a catastrophic

defeat to the byzantines in the Battle

of monaker and Byzantine Emperor Romanos

IV diogenes fell into captivity after

this a new state emerged in Asia Minor

the sultanate of room for a Time the

Turks even captured NAA which became the

capital of the sultanate to save

themselves from the seljuks the

Byzantine emperor called on the pope to

organize assistance from Europe This

provoked the Crusades providing them

with an official pretext and although

during the First Crusade Byzantium

regained NAA and the Crusaders captured

Jerusalem this adventure did not end

well for Byzantium they were unable to

reclaim most of the lands in Asia Minor

moreover because the byzantines did not

allow the Crusaders to plunder NAA and

did not come to their aid in the siege

of Damascus a rift occurred among the

Allies instead of reclaiming the Lost

lands for Byzantium the Crusaders

established their own kingdom of

Jerusalem in Palestine

in 1185 the bulgarians revolted they

were led by the aen brothers according

to Legend they initially tried to enlist

in the Byzantine Army but the emperor

only laughed at this and struck the

elder brother Theodore in the face the

aans returned to Bulgaria and Gathering

those dissatisfied with Byzantine rule

created their own Army which drove the

Greeks out of the Balkans the byzantines

organ organized three campaigns against

the rebellious bulgarians but all ended

in defeat the Bulgarian King at the time

koan called himself Roman Slayer

invoking the name of the Byzantine

emperor basil II the Crusades continued

in 1184 Cyprus declared itself

independent of Byzantium and in 1191 the

Crusaders captured and annexed it to

their possessions but far worse than

losing the island awaited Byzantium in

the near future in 1202 The Fourth

Crusade began to finance the war the

Crusaders looted the city of zodar and

afterwards they were hired by alexios

Angelos who claimed the Byzantine throne

with the help of 30,000 Crusaders he

captured Constantinople in 123 and

became emperor alexio IV his rule relied

entirely on the Crusaders

this was the reason for the coup the

following year neither alexio IV nor

alexio V fulfilled their Promises to the

Crusaders then the knights with the help

of the Venetian Fleet again captured and

looted

Constantinople the Byzantine emperor

tried to flee but fell into the hands of

the Crusaders and was killed by them in

place of the Byzantine Empire several

States emerged the Latin Empire created

and ruled by the Crusaders the Empire of

trebizond created by the younger branch

of the comminos Imperial family the

despotate of ayrus under the leadership

of the ducas family and the Empire of

NAA ruled by the lascaris family in 1259

the nans led by Michael VII poolos

captured the pelan and 2 years later

they recaptured Constantinople and

restored the Byzantine Empire the new

antium was much smaller moreover its

fleet was controlled by Venice and Genoa

when a war broke out between Italian

cities in 1294 it also affected

Byzantine lands the backbone of the

Byzantine Army as always consisted of

mercenaries now mainly Spanish and

Italian

condottieri the mercenary Army did not

always live up to expectations in 1302

The byzantines Hired Catalin for a war

against the Turks Instead The

Mercenaries plundered Byzantine lands

for 10 years eventually capturing Athens

where they established their own State

meanwhile the sultanate of room

collapsed and its various Emirates

competed for land the most successful

was the Ottoman Emirate by 1337 the

Ottomans had conquered the western part

of Asia Minor and in 1354 they landed on

the western coast of the Sea of marm

in 1361 the Ottomans defeated the

byzantines at adrianople which soon

became the Turkish city of adna

Byzantium found itself completely

surrounded by the Ottomans now they were

defended only by the strong walls of

Constantinople and they withstood The

Siege by the Turks in

1397 and then another one in

1423 in Byzantium itself the idea of an

alliance with the West against the Turks

spread but the residents of the capital

remembering 1204 threatened to Rebel

forcing the emperor to abandon this idea

1439 the slogan of the byzantines then

became the words of Lucas notaras one of

the ministers and advisers to the

emperor I would rather see the Turkish

turban in the city than the Latin miter

in 1446 Byzantium lost the peloponese

which was captured by the Ottomans

and in 1453 the Turks again besieged

Constantinople after a prolonged Siege

the city fell under numerous assaults

the presence of artillery a new

technology in Warfare played a

significant role in this no less

important was the military Talent of

Sultan mhamed II who used the fleet to

successfully transport troops to the

unprepared sides of the city historians

usually end the history of the Byzantine

Empire here although some of its

fragments existed until the end of the

15th century and on the fragments of the

once glorious Empire with its capital in

captured Constantinople a new state

emerged which soon would astonish the

world the Ottoman Empire