THE STORY OF BYZANTINE
EMPIRE : PART-II
(330 AD – 1453)
THE TERM ‘BYZANTINE’:
The settlers of Byzantium though referred to as
‘Byzantions’,
Were unaware of this trendy term of ‘Byzantine’ !
For over a thousand years of their Empire’s History,
From 330 AD till their subjugation by the Ottoman
Turks in 1453 ;
They had preferred to call themselves as ‘Romaioi’ !
Though ‘Rome’ had never formed a part of them ,
Yet they had always identified themselves as a part
of the Roman Empire !
And their Byzantine Ruler as the absolute temporal
and spiritual Roman head!
It was only during the sixteenth century the term
‘Byzantine’ was first used, –
By a German historian named Hieronymus Wolf !
Who in 1557 published his ‘ Corpus Historiae Byzantinae’,
Which was more a collection of sources of ‘Byzantine
History’, –
Rather than the empire’s comprehensive story !
Standardization occurred during the 17th century,
When it was popularized by French authors like
Montesquieu !
Now since the 19th century the term ‘Byzantine Empire’
is conventionally in use;
Though during the Middle Ages the term ‘Byzantine’
was much abused!
Today ‘Byzantine Empire’ denotes – a Greek speaking
Roman Empire of the Middle Ages, –
Which since 330 AD, had gradually emerged with a
national identity and consciousness!
Commencing from the period when Constantine the
Great,
Shifted his Roman Empire’s capital, from Nicomedia
in Asia Minor, to Constantinople!
BYZANTINE HISTORY PRIOR 330 AD :
Byzantine history has a checkered past,
Of capture and recapture which did not last!
Early fifth century BC, Persian King Darius-I
had destroyed the city!
The Spartans rebuilt the city in 479 BC !
But for the next 100 years Athens challenged Sparta’s
control over this ‘disputed city’!
And finally the Athenian general Alcibiades captured
it in 409 BC !
But only to be expelled after four years by Spartan
general Lysander;
And to be retaken in 390 BC by the Athenians,
when the city surrendered!
Later from 341 till 340 BC, when Philip II of
Macedonia laid a siege to the city,
The Athenians came forward in its defense!
The city was forced to recognize Alexander the
Great’s sovereignty,
Had also managed to become an independent city!
But in 279 BC the Celts having run-over their western
neighbors the Thracians, –
Imposed a tribute on the Byzantians!
To raise funds the Byzantians imposed a toll, –
On all ships passing through the Strait of Bosphoros –
under its control!
This later provoked a war with the people of
Rhodes!
And to cut a long story short, in a civil war in
Rome in 194 AD,
Between Emperor Lucius Septimius Severus
and the Roman military leader Niger, –
Byzantians decided to side the latter!
But Severus became victorious and killed the
rebel general Niger,
And his supporters in Byzantium were not spared
either!
But in 203 AD, Emperor Severus started to rebuilt
this strategic city!
The city walls, its roads, an amphitheatre ;
And also the great square in front of the Church of
St. Sophia ;
And renamed the City as ‘Antoneinia’ !
( To be continued)
……………………………………………………………
-By Raj Nandy
New Delhi
Thanks for reading ! Part – III will follow later .
