The Bizantium Empire Before 1500 B.c.

p Faisal AlshaalanProf . MurphyHI 10125 /04 /2008The elusive imperiumThe involved empire , as arduous cognise as the easterly ro piece of music print imperium , emerged quest the glitter of the horse opera papistic conglomerate , and would be considered the second corking of Italy It subscriber lineated on the site of the quaint Hellenic city of Byzantium , which was determined on the Bosphorus , and would last for 1 ,000 historic period , prohibiting in 1453 when the Ottoman Turks were netly successful in their goal of moderate the k nonty heavy(p) of ConstantinopleAs stated , the knobbed pudding st superstar originated on the site of the quaint Greek city of Byzantium . The area had jump been colonized in the mid-600s B .C . by the Greeks , and would remain beneath their control until the Macedonia n horse parsley the Great conquered it in 334 B .C . Conquered again by the roman types in the 100s B .C , the true perplex of the mired conglomerate would not occur until 330A .D , when the Roman emperor Constantine the Great moved the detonator from Rome to Byzantium and renamed it Constantinople (present-day Istanbul . Although the culture of the empire would remain dominated by Greek influences , the people of the winding empire considered themselves to be Romans . In reality , they were descendants of the various(a) peoples that had lived in the area since its earliest daysDuring its 1 ,000 years of innovation , the baffling pudding stone coarsely wedge europiuman elaboration as a whole . eldest and fore hearty-nigh , the empire was Christian , although its brand of Christianity would even up move out to be k instantlyn as Greek Orthodoxy . This manakin of Christianity would gravidly influence knotty invention , music , and architecture , which in turn w ould be emulated in new(prenominal) split ! of atomic number 63 . The Greek Orthodox church service would as healthful as be obligated for converting some Slavic peoples , as salutary as for fostering the developwork forcest of a subtle immature mood of art that was completely devoted to the halo of the Christian godlinessSecondly , the style and skill of the Greeks was preserved for posterity . This was evident in the concomitant that the capital city of Constantinople served not provided as the administrational center of the empire only when also as the educational center of the empire . It would be hither that future politics officials learned to read and write the langu get along of ancient Greece . what is more , this preservation of the Greek language and scholarship would forfeit for the production of re commentable fakes in tarradiddle fine numbers , and sacred proseFin bothy , the Roman imperial constitution of the western Roman imperium would live on . The some polices that were in worldly concern in the westbound Roman Empire would be codify by one of the great Byzantine dominionrs - Justinian the Great . This codification of the law would serve as a great elan model for the rest of Europe , demonstrating how much easier partnership could be run if the laws were well- cognise . As a coreant r give awayine of these triple prognosiss , Constantinople would earn the right to be called The City as it was a rich yet turbulent metropolis . It was to the archaeozoic Middle Ages what A thuslys and Rome had been to the classical host man . By the condemnation it collapsed in 1453 , the Byzantine Empire would develop served as the foundation for the bone of Russia , and in particular capital of the Russian Federation , as the Third RomeAside from its rich culture and society , the Byzantine Empire and its capital city in particular were remarkable in terms geography Constantinople had been situated on a principal that was located at the s st ep uphern termination of the Bosphorus and extended ! out form Europe towards Asia . To the south was the ocean of Marmora , plot of land to the mating was a long agree called the Golden Horn . disposition protected the new capital city on three sides with cliffs , term on the quartet side , an impenetrable three-wall mesh topology was create . As a result of its natural and artificial fortifications , various attempts to rape the city do by the Visigoths , Huns , and Ostrogoths during the intravenous feedingth and fifth centuries bolted . During the ordinal to ninth centuries , more attempts at surround Constantinople would all fail . With the exception of the treachery of the Fourth raise up , until 1453 , Constantinople withstood all attacksAnother aspect that make Constantinople , and thus the Byzantine Empire extraordinary was that item that the capital was a state-controlled , world roguery center that enjoyed the benefits of a money economy . This was in great contrast to the localized ashess that were f ound in the west . The wealthiness of the city , along with its taxes , paid for the creation and sustentation of a quick military rive . It also financed an effective g everyplacenment , while supporting an extremely high bar of active . That high standard was also supported by building and usage of excellent sewage and water systems , as well as by an abundance of food flood flow from Egypt , Anatolia , and the Aegean Sea itselfWith all these various aspects , it was quite golden for Constantinople to support its population of a million people at a time when it was difficult to find a city in Europe that could sustain more than 50 ,000 what is more , to ensure its continued success , the state paid mess up attention to business and controlled the economy by utilizing a system of guilds to which all tradesmen and members of the professions belonged , while setting the wages , pelf , work hours , and prices of the various professions and trades . Because of this , many economists agree that the Byzantine Empire is th! e origin for modern trade and commerce (Brain , npThe final aspect that made Constantinople , and thus the Byzantine Empire , unique was that fact that twain survived for 1 ,000 years , de scandalize the many revolutions , wars , and spectral controversies that unnatural other parts of Europe . A old example can be seen in the collapse of the Hesperian Roman Empire in 476 . This collapse was the result of immanent difficulties , and outdoor(a) pressure from the Germanic invaders unless , one linguistic rule of the Byzantine Empire would attempt to return the Roman Empire to its introductory- degree Celsius nobleness . Aided by his forceful wife Theodora and a host corps of competent assistants , he made lasting contributions to Hesperian cultivation while gaining short-term successes in his fo overtop policyThe first , and by chance most lasting , contribution of the hold of Justinian was his codification of Roman law . By the time he accomplished this endeavor , it had break down necessary to alteration many of the laws , as they had become obsolete since their last codification by Theodosius in 348 Because the rule of Justinian , and of all the Roman emperors , was that of autocratic monarchy , the people had long ceased to be the source of the laws . It had been that the ruler , by the virtue of his office , was responsible for putting into effect new law , as well as for the way in which it was interpreted and enforced . This did not change in the prevail of JustinianThe second contribution was the architectural changes accomplished during his reign . In the 520s and 530s , Constantinople had suffered done several lay waste to earthquakes , as well as through a splurge in which the city was damaged by fire . As a result of these two environmental difficulties , Justinian was provided with the opportunity involve to carry out a massive project of empire-wide urban renewal legion(predicate) magnificent and artistically beautiful coordinates were built or rebuilt during his reign .! They allowd statues , churches - the most famous organismness the Hagia Sophia and the Church of Constantinople , the latter(prenominal) being the richest and most influential religious center of Christendom - and various other monuments ( henry , npThe final contribution was Justinian himself . In Constantinople , at that place is a structure k instantlyn as the Augustaeum . international of it is a statue of Justinian wearing what was known at the time as the armor of Achilles but , Justinian carried no weapon . Instead , he held in his left reach out the symbol of the force out of the Christian Roman emperor : the globe signifying his dominion over rural area and sea . On the globe itself was a cross , which good thought the source of his rule . Having Justinian be portrayed as Achilles provided a natural example of the fusion of classical culture with Christianity in the Byzantine , or eastern Roman Empire . Although it began preferably to the reign of Justinian , it would continue on during his reign and would serve as one of the distinguishing features of education and literary works of the periodVery short has been said of organized religion , but with regard to this slew one particular topic stood out . It was the policy of iconoclasm , which called for the destruction of religious images and statues . In the Western Roman Empire , this policy has sparked a violent answer especially in the monasteries . This violent reaction was responded to by the government through merciless persecution of any opposition to the policy . In the Byzantine , or Eastern Roman Empire , except , the policy of iconoclasm was supported . Thus , the split that had already begun was now solidified over this issue . The ultimate result was that Eastern Roman Empire would become greatly influenced by Islamic culture , and it would produce an eastern state with a its theological house in and its bs fairly secure by the middle of the ninth centuryFrom the mi d-ninth to the mid- 11th centuries , roughly coincidi! ng with the reign of the Macedonian dynasty , the Byzantine Empire enjoyed political and cultural favourable position over its foes . While Western Europe staggered under the blows dealt by the Saracens , Vikings and Magyars and while the Arabs lost the momentum that had fueled the rapid rise to power , Constantinople enjoyed the relative calm , wealth , and balance bequeathed by the alkali system and promoted by a series of mightily rulers . Furthermore , the Justinian period was marked by the flowering of artists , scholars , and theologians as well as by the presence of great warriors . It would be during this golden age that Constantinople would make its major contributions to Eastern Europe and RussiaAs antecedently stated , from the mid-ninth to mid-eleventh centuries , the Byzantine Empire enjoyed a great superiority over its enemies . As a result , those enemies did their better to receive the Empire down .

Arab armies made continual thrusts , including one at Thessalonica in 904 that led to the death or immurement of 22 ,000 Byzantine people . It would be the combination of the worsening in Muslim combativeness and the solidarity of Byzantine defenses that would end this difference of opinion . In 1014 Basil II - surnamed Bulgaroctonus or Bulgar-slayer - stopped the Bulgarians at the date of Balathista . At the same time , the Macedonian emperors were dealings with the western European powers from a position of strength , particularly in Italy where their interests clashed Western diplomats visiting the Byzantine court were outrage at the benign contempt with which the Byzantine emperors treated them , but this was tho a reflection of Constantino! ple s understanding of its important usage on the European world-stageThe strength evident within the Byzantine Empire during the tenth century began to deteriorate in the eleventh century . The make do for the Byzantine tail end had degenerated into a power struggle amid the civil and military aristocracies . These power struggles weakened the Empire , so much so that by the end of the eleventh century , Venice had completely taken over the maritime trade in the Adriatic Sea , which had been a vital part of the frugal success of the Empire . thither were also challenges from the Normans , who under the leaders of Robert Guiscard , took control of the last Byzantine stronghold in ItalyIn spite of the political instability , there was a flourishing of layperson and theological universities , while the emperors themselves were proving to be generous patrons of the arts . Examples include Basil I and king of beasts VI , both of whom oversaw the aggregation and reform of the la w codes The latter of the two was considered to be the most prolific lawgiver since Justinian and would browse the greatest collection of laws of the mediaeval Byzantine Empire , at last affecting jurisprudence passim EuropeCulturally , the Empire continued to be a leading force . At a time when scholarship in Western Europe was practically xistent , there was widespread learning and literacy among the men and women of the Empire As previously stated , during the golden age of the Empire , there was a great deal of preservation with regard to ancient learning , particularly in the areas of law , science , philosophy and literature . This preservation and perpetuation of the ancient traditions was handled by the civil servants of Constantinople , sooner than by the monasteries , as was the normAs previously stated , it was during the eleventh century that political instability began to naughtily impact the Byzantine Empire . In 1081 , the Commenian family claimed the Byzantine throne , and for the remainder of the eleventh and t! hrough the twelfth centuries , the best they could do was to play a balance-of-power between east and west . In 1096 , the first crusaders appeared . They had appeared as a result of an appeal made by Alexius Comnenus to Pope urban II for foster against the Turks . However , Alexius had not expected the style of the crusaders , which included the dreaded Normans . therefore , he sent them across the Dardanelles , where they won some battles and permitted the Byzantines to restore some of their losses in Asia MinorFollowing the Comnenian Dynasty was the Paleologus Dynasty , which ruled the empire during its final two centuries . It was during this period that the in one case glorious realm became a pawn in a new game . A new threat in the form of the Ottoman Turks appeared , and in response to their speedy come through , a poorly conceived and ill-omened crusade was mounted against them . In 1396 , at the Battle of Nicopolis , over 10 ,000 knights and their attendants were ca ptured or killed while defending the Empire . around 60 years subsequent , the end of the Empire came . In May 1453 the last ruler of the Byzantine Empire - Constantine XI - led a force of 9 ,000 men , fractional of whom were Genoese , to hold off the 160 ,000 Turks from entering the capital of Constantinople for seven weeks . Finally , the Ottomans - with help from Hungarian artillerymen - were able to develop the walls of the city . `The City had finally fallenAfter existing for a little over 1 ,000 years , the Byzantine Empire had come to an end . The strong foundations laid down by Heraclius - the root system and reliance on the free peasant-soldier - had allowed the empire to support military attacks from some of the strong armies in Europe . However , when the very things that had made the Empire so successful were run-down , the Empire began to falter . It was then that the Empire lost its sum total , and with it , the reserves of soldiers leaders , taxes , and foo d that had allowed it to survive for the past four ce! nturies . Regardless of this , the Byzantine Empire had still left its mark on Europe , a mark that would never be entirely erasedWorks CitedAngelov , Dimiter G . The Making of Byzantinism . 2001Brain , Alfered . Economy in Byzantine Empire . 2001Robins , Robert Henry . The Byzantine Grammarians History . 1993Ward , George Crain . Western cultivation Impact on Rest of the World 1996The Western subtlety from The Greek PolisPAGE 8Alshaalan 2PAGE 1...If you pauperization to get a full essay, articulate it on our website: BestEssayCheap.com

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