A more interesting alternative history would be to have Michael VIII remaining in the Empire of Nicaea and further consolidating it as the Byzantine power base. In essence the new Empire would be one. History of the Ottoman Empire History of the Ottoman Empire The Byzantine Empire crumbles By 1300, the Byzantine Empire was declining This left nomadic Turks in the area. History of Byzantine Empire (Premysloides Dynasty). Holy Byzantine Empire (Home of Magic). File:Holy Byzantine Empire CoA HoM.
Short History of Byzantine Empire and its Capital Constantinople
At the beginning of the 4th century, the Roman Empire was tired of fighting the barbarians in the West and the Sassanids (Persians) in the East. These developments caused the eternal capital Rome to lose its importance. Emperors, who wanted to be close to critical regions both in the West and East, were in search of another capital instead of Rome.
Diocletian was the first emperor to move the center of the empire to the East. He lived in Nicomedia in the early years of his reign. However, it was Constantine, who was known as the Great, who would permanently change the capital.
The Foundation Of Constantinople
Roman Empire had vast borders when Constantine managed to be the sole ruler of Rome. He wanted to create a new city in the east. For this purpose, he chose Byzantium, a small Greek city. Romans reconstructed and adorned the city and named it “New Rome” (330 AD) which eventually became the famous Constantinople.
It was not an arbitrary decision for Emperor Constantine to establish such a city. This decision was based on political and economic reasons. The fact that Istanbul was surrounded by the sea on three sides made it impossible for the barbarians to take over the city. At the same time, it was a great advantage to be close to the Eastern Mediterranean, the center of trade at that time.
Constantine built the Great Palace, Hippodrome and Forum of Constantine in the new city, where he lived until his death. When he died, he was buried in Church of the Holy Apostles.
The Division of the Roman Empire as East and West
Alternate History Byzantine Empire Survived
After Constantine’s death, the empire began to decline. Theodosius I ascended the throne when the Roman Empire was in great danger. Theodosius showed a very successful administration and secured the borders. But he died unexpectedly in his 40s.
After the death of Theodosius, the empire was divided into east and west. One of Theodosius’ sons, 12-year-old Honorius, became the Western Roman Emperor, while his 18-year-old son, Arcadius, became the head of Eastern Rome.
However, after a while most of Western Europe (formerly the heartland of the empire) fell to barbarian invaders (476 AD). According to some historians, Emperor Constantine predicted this disaster. This was the main reason why he moved the capital to the East 150 years before the fall of Rome.
Western and Eastern Roman Empires in 395 AD
Why Eastern Roman Empire is called Byzantine?
The conquest of Rome by the barbarians brought the end of Western Roman Empire. however, the Eastern Roman Empire survived for a thousand years until 1453, the year of the fall of Constantinople.
The Eastern Roman Empire was renamed by the historians in the modern age as the Byzantine Empire. The reason for this was that the Greek-speaking eastern half of the empire developed a different culture as time went on.
The Pagan Roman Empire of ancient times and the Christian Byzantine Empire of the Middle Ages were quite different. No matter how much Byzantine Empire was still on the military, administrative and legal basis established by the Roman Empire, another culture had emerged. Historians derived this new name from the Byzantium, the Greek name of the city of Constantinople.
History of Byzantine Empire and Constantinople
Rise of Byzantine Empire under Justinian’s Rule
Emperor Justinian became the greatest emperor who ruled the Byzantine Empire. Justinian, a great statesman, was known for his hard work. Under Justinian, great conquests were made and magnificent structures were built. The generals Belisarius, Mundus and Narses conquered in the name of Justinian.
Justinian’s greatest goal was to take back Rome, the eternal capital of the empire. Without the Italian peninsula, it was impossible to claim rights over the Roman Empire‘s legacy. Justinian, expanded the Eastern Roman Empire’s borders into Middle East, Northern Africa and Western Europe.
Today Justinian is known for Constantinople’s greatest building, Hagia Sophia. Finished in 537, it reigned as the largest and greatest church of Christendom for a thousand years.
Justinian is also famous for creating Codex Justinianus, which is the codification of Roman law. He left a vast but ready-to-collapse empire to his successors.
Byzantine Empire Map
Byzantine Empire Under Attack
After the death of Justinian, Arabs, Slavs and Turks attacked the Byzantine borders. Emperor Heraclius managed to secure borders temporarily, but it did not last long. In a short time, many important cities such as Antioch, Jerusalem and Alexandria were lost.
In the 11th century, the Seljuk Turks migrated from Central Asia and built a powerful empire in Persia. The Turks, having a strong land army, posed a great danger to the eastern borders of Byzantium. A war between the Seljuk Turks and the Byzantines had become inevitable.
The Seljuks won a great victory in the Battle of Manzikert and swiftly advanced into Anatolia. The fact that Muslim forces were so close to Europe triggered the Pope to take urgent measures.
Byzantine Empire and Seljuk Turks
Sack of Constantinople by Crusaders
Following the Pope’s order, the Crusader armies of Europe marched through Constantinople in the 12th and 13th centuries. They battled with the Seljuk Turks and overran them. Byzantines took back majority of the Anatolia from Turks until they lost it to another Turkish kingdom: Seljuk Sultanate of Rum.
The crusaders continued to attack the East for several centuries. However, when it came to the Fourth Crusade, they attacked Constantinople, the heart of Orthodox Christianity. Latin invasion lasted from 1204 to 1261 and it was finally repelled by a Byzantine prince.
Yet, the Byzantines and the Eastern Church never forgot these terrible events. Some even claimed “Better Turkish turban than Latin Miter” before the fall of Constantinople.
The Byzantine Empire And Russia
It should be emphasized that the Eastern and Western Churches have never been able to establish healthy communication for centuries. it was only in the 1950s that the leaders of the two churches came together.
Latin Armies in Constantinople
Fall of Constantinople and The Byzantine Empire
By the late 13th century, Byzantine Empire’s power was much reduced in Anatolia. The Byzantine army had never really recovered and strengthened after Latin invasion. Turkish warlords on its eastern borders around Nicaea became serious threats.
One of these Turkish principalities, established by a chieftain named Osman Ghazi (aka Othman), grew into the Ottoman Empire. Ottoman Turks conquered the imperial capital of Constantinople in 1453 and proclaimed it their capital. Constantinople once again became the capital of a rising empire.
Byzantine Empire History Tour in Istanbul
If you are interested to see the Byzantine heritage in Istanbul, consider joining the history tours by Serhat Engul. Please check Private Tour of Byzantine Istanbul website for more information.
History of Byzantine Empire and Constantinople by Serhat Engul
How well would a surviving Byzantine Empire have done in comparison to the OTL Ottomans?
This is something that interests me as, one of the arguments that go for the Byzantines doing better than the OTL Ottomans would be that they were an urban culture in comparison to the Ottomans having their origin as a nomadic one, but that just seems like a bit of an odd argument. So, what do...- Thread
- byzantineempire
- Replies: 8
- Forum: Alternate History Discussion: Before 1900
WI: Constans II dies at the Battle of the Masts?
The Battle of the Masts was one of the most pivotal and disastrous naval battles in Byzantine history. Most of the 500 ships were destroyed in a day, and it proved the mettle of the Muslims on the seas. Emperor Constans II barely escaped by trading clothes with another man and being disguised as...- Thread
- arab byzantinebyzantineempirebyzantine screw constans ii rashidun caliphate
- Replies: 9
- Forum: Alternate History Discussion: Before 1900
The Eagle of the East, Rhomania: An Eastern Roman Timeline (1196 - 1245)
Threadmarks: Part 1; 1196-1198 - The Grypads Rise'Let none say that God's Chosen People have not struggled; yet in His Wisdom, we endure through greatness held aloft by our Basileus,' - Attributed to Mathew I Psenas, Patriarch of Constantinople, successor of George II, 1204.--Hello everyone! I've had a timeline of this sort swirling around...- Word Count: 61k
- Thread
- byzantinebyzantineempirebyzantine restoratation byzantine revival eastern roman empire fourth crusade komnenoi ottoman screw rhomania roman revival
- Replies: 428
- Forum: Alternate History Discussion: Before 1900
WI: Michael VIII loses and dies at Pelagonia
In 1259, Michael VIII, soon to become the first emperor of the Palaiologos dynasty, fought an alliance of the Despotate of Epirus, Kingdom of Sicily, and the Principality of Achaea, against the Empire of Nicea led by Michael VIII. The Nicaeans sent a deserter to the enemy side to feed them false...- Thread
- byzantineempire late byzantines latin empire nicaea
- Replies: 1
- Forum: Alternate History Discussion: Before 1900
exnted the Byzantine resurgance era
many people often see post islamic invasions byzantine empire as rump roman state bearly surviving and its true for the 7th and early 8th centuries then being mostly a defensive war but it ignores that starting in the 9th century is where the period of byzantine resurgance began and culmiated in...- Thread
- byzantineempire
- Replies: 16
- Forum: Alternate History Discussion: Before 1900
WI: Silk not smuggled out of China?
According to some accounts, Emperor Justinian I managed to support two monks in their efforts to smuggle silkworms out of China, and succeeded, leading to the establishment of a native silk industry. The monks smuggled silkworm eggs and young larvae inside their bamboo canes, and successfully...- Thread
- byzantineempire byzantium silk
- Replies: 1
- Forum: Alternate History Discussion: Before 1900
WI: Phocas stays in power?
Flavius Phocas(602-610) was one of the worst emperors Byzantium had. Taking advantage of pay disputes to seize power, he proceeded to brutally purge his opponents, mismanaged the army and bureaucracy, and triggered a 26-year long devastating war with the Sassanids, which of course he completely...- Thread
- byzantinebyzantineempire phocas
- Replies: 5
- Forum: Alternate History Discussion: Before 1900
WI: Constantine III survives?
Just to be clear, I am referring to the Byzantine emperor who reigned for a few months in 641, not the Western Roman usurper. Constantine III was made co-emperor by Heraclius in 613, and seemed a competent character. What if he had not died of tuberculosis just a few months into his reign, and...- Thread
- byzantinebyzantineempire
- Replies: 8
- Forum: Alternate History Discussion: Before 1900
WI: Constans II Triumphant
Constans II was emperor of the Byzantine Empire from 641 to 668 arguably one of the harder times for the empire. As far as i am aware he tried to refocuse the empire on the mediterannean and atleast partly in the west and planned to retake italy. What if he was successfull with his plans, what...- Thread
- arab invasion byzantineempire constans ii italy roman empire
- Replies: 83
- Forum: Alternate History Discussion: Before 1900
Byzantine Fail to retake Crete in 961 / Emirate of Crete survive longer
From 960 to 961 Nikephoros Phokas Byzantine future emperor and brillant military leader lead the Byzantine reconquest of Crete from the Emirate of Crete (824-961) what if the Arab relief force manage to surprise and decisively defeat the byzantine (inverse happened OTL) killing Nikephoros...- Thread
- byzantineempire crete emirate of crete fatimid caliphate mediterranean middle ages
- Replies: 16
- Forum: Alternate History Discussion: Before 1900
What if Spain enforced its claim to the title of Roman Emperor
Spain genetically, papally, and legally have a claim to the title of Roman Emperor. So what if they enforced this claim throughout its history? (Title legally given in 1499 and it entered the family genetically ~1530s)- Thread
- byzantineempirebyzantine restoratation roman empire restoration spainish empire
- Replies: 29
- Forum: Alternate History Discussion: Before 1900
AHC: A 19th Century Neo-Byzantine Empire
Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to devise a scenario in which Neo-Byzantine Empire is created with a pod from 1815 onwards. This state would essentially be a modern Greek state with a national identity more focused around the idea of Greeks being Romans (Rhomaoi) rather than...- Thread
- byzantineempirebyzantine restoratation greece greek independence ottoman decline ottoman empire
- Replies: 13
- Forum: Alternate History Discussion: Before 1900
DBAHC: Swap the fates of the Byzantine and Sasanian Empires
We all know what happened after the death of Muhammad. The newly Muslim Arabs spread out of Arabia, warring against both the Byzantine and Sasanian Empires. But while they completely conquered the former, the latter managed to hold on despite the beating it took.Your challenge is to have it so...- Thread
- arab conquests byzantineempire byzantium dbahc double blind alternate history challenge muslim conquests sasanian empire sassanid empire
- Replies: 9
- Forum: Alternate History Discussion: Before 1900
WI justinian prepares for the avars
Ok so I had seen some debates in youtube saying the avars reached the Danube and thus the Byzantine border circa 560 justinian bought them off, they pushed northwestwards into German lands say justinian for x reason from believing these where the new huns or he knows after their done they will...- Thread
- avars byzantineempire justinian
- Replies: 3
- Forum: Alternate History Discussion: Before 1900
Thoughts on alternative history hubs new video?
So Cody made a new video let's talk about it he says some things I agree with and some that I don't For one he doesn't state a pod he just says post Arab invasion to pre seljuk ( and he does say settled down ) so I assume 717 to 11th century said that the Turkish migrations would have made a...- Thread
- byzantineempire turks
- Replies: 11
- Forum: Alternate History Discussion: Before 1900
WI: Egypt Remains Majority Coptic
Background Info:Before the Muslim Conquest of Egypt (639-646) by the Rashidun Caliphate, the Copts made up the majority of Egypt since the 3rd century. After the conquest took place, the Arabs settled in Egypt bringing along the religion of Islam with them. The Copts faced persecution and...- Thread
- byzantineempire christianity coptic egypt islam rashidun caliphate
- Replies: 12
- Forum: Alternate History Discussion: Before 1900
AHC: Greek/Byzantine Colony in Brazil
You're challenge is to keep the Byzantine Empire alive well into the Age of Discovery and have it colonize a part of Brazil.Where in Brazil would the Byzantine Empire colonize?What would it be called?How would culture develop there?- Thread
- ahc brazil byzantineempire colonialism colony greek greek america south america
- Replies: 27
- Forum: Alternate History Discussion: Before 1900
When did the 'Dominate' of the Eastern Roman Empire end?
The Dominate, inaugurated by Diocletian, succeeded the Principate of Augustus following the Crisis of the Third Century. The reforms of Diocletian and his immediate successors, notably Constantine, marked major changes in the internal organization of the Empire that made the Dominate differ so...- Thread
- byzantinebyzantineempire dominate eastern roman empire roman empire
- Replies: 11
- Forum: Alternate History Discussion: Before 1900
worse defeat for ottomans at Ankara in 1402
So, in OTL the ottomans were basically annihilated, and the sultan was captured while his sons were able to escape.What would change if Timur captures as well all the osmanoglu and thus killing the ottoman royal family?I assume that while the Anatolian region will face a long civil war for the...- Word Count: 22
- Thread
- bulgarian empirebyzantineempire timur xv century
- Replies: 32
- Forum: Alternate History Discussion: Before 1900
WI: North African Roman Empire/Southern Roman Empire
In 395 AD, the Roman Empire split up for good due to the death of Theodosius I. It divided into the Western Roman Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire (a.k.a. Byzantine Empire.)What if there was another Roman Empire based in North Africa? What would it be called? What would its capital be? How...- Thread
- africa african romance byzantineempire roman empire western roman empire
- Replies: 30
- Forum: Alternate History Discussion: Before 1900