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THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE

Added on: 9th Jan 2016

 

THE BAKERS OF CONSTANTINOPLE WERE IN

A MOST FAVOURED TRADE, ACCORDING TO

THE NINTH CENTURY BOOK OF THE EPARCH, A

HANDBOOK OF CITY ADMINISTRATION: “BAKERS

ARE NEVER LIABLE TO BE CALLED FOR ANY

PUBLIC SERVICE, NEITHER THEMSELVES NOR

THEIR ANIMALS, TO PREVENT ANY INTERRUPTION

OF THE BAKING OF BREAD.” APPARENTLY,

BREAD WAS HOT STUFF TO THE BYZANTINES.

Bread

 

 

JUSTINIAN IS WIDELY CONSIDERED THE EMPEROR

WHO MADE THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE A POWERFUL

FORCE. HE RE-CONQUERED PARTS OF THE FALLEN

WESTERN EMPIRE IN AFRICA, ITALY, AND SPAIN

AND CODIFIED THE PREVIOUS ROMAN LAWS INTO

ONE DOCUMENT. HE MADE CONSTANTINOPLE THE

MOST GLORIOUS AND RICH CITY IN THE WORLD, WITH

OVER HALF A MILLION INHABITANTS. HE WAS ALSO

THE EMPEROR WHO BUILT THE HAGIA SOFIA.

Hagia Sofia

 

 

JUSTINIAN WAS ALSO THE LAST EMPEROR TO

USE THE TITLE CAESAR.

Justinian

 

 

UNDER THE REIGN OF HERACLIUS FROM 610 TO 641

THE EMPIRE’S MILITARY AND ADMINISTRATION

WERE RESTRUCTURED AND THE EMPIRE ADOPTED

GREEK AS ITS OFFICIAL LANGUAGE INSTEAD OF

LATIN. HE WAS ALSO ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL

BYZANTINE EMPERORS AND THE ONE WHO

SIGNIFICANTLY ENLARGED THE EMPIRE.

Heraclius

 

 

THE LONGEST CONTINUOUSLY REIGNING BYZANTINE

MONARCH WAS BASIL II BULGAROKTONOS (976–1025).

THE MOST MEMORABLE STORY ASSOCIATED WITH HIM

IS THAT AFTER DECISIVELY DEFEATING THE BULGARS

AND RE-CONQUERING GREECE FROM THEM, HE HAD

ALL OF THE PRISONERS BLINDED, EXCEPT FOR

SPARING ONE EYE OF EVERY HUNDREDTH MAN.

EACH GROUP OF NINETY-NINE WAS TIED TOGETHER

TO A ONE-EYED MAN, WHO THEN LED THE GROUP

BACK HOME.

Basil II Bulgaroktonos

 

 

EMPEROR IRENE OF ATHENS (797–802), ONE OF THE

MOST POWERFUL WOMEN OF ALL TIME, WAS CERTAINLY

NO PARAGON OF MATERNAL LOVE. TO SECURE THE

POWER OF THE THRONE, SHE HAD HER SON

CONSTANTINE VI (780–797) BLINDED AND THEN

IMPRISONED HIM FOR LIFE IN THE ROOM IN WHICH

HE WAS BORN. IRENE WAS THE FIRST GREEK

WOMAN TO RULE THE EMPIRE ALONE AND SPECIFICALLY

TOOK THE TITLE EMPEROR, NOT EMPRESS. SHE

RULED AT A TIME OF MAGNIFICENT CONTEMPORARIES,

ESPECIALLY HARUN AL-RASHID AND CHARLEMAGNE.

APPARENTLY THE LATTER WANTED TO MARRY IRENE,

BUT SHE REFUSED.

Irene of Athens

 

 

THE FIRST BYZANTINE EMPEROR TO LOSE THE THRONE

BY VIOLENT REVOLUTION WAS MAVRIKIOS TIBERIUS.

HE PROBABLY RANKED IN COMPETENCE WITH THE BEST,

BUT HIS STRICT ECONOMIZING COST HIM THE CROWN

AND HIS LIFE. HE REFUSED TO ALLOW TROOPS

STATIONED AT THE FRONTIER TO RETURN HOME

FOR THE WINTER. MOREOVER, HE INSISTED THEY

LIVE OFF THE LAND RATHER THAN BE SENT WINTER

RATIONS. THE ARMY, LED BY PHOKAS, REBELLED AND

ENTERED THE CITY IN COLLUSION WITH ITS MILITIA.

Coin of Mavrikios Tiberius

 

 

PHOKAS WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE CRUELLEST OF

ALL BYZANTINE EMPERORS, AS WELL AS ONE OF THE

UGLIEST. HOWEVER, IT WAS HE WHO BEGAN A

FASHION FOLLOWED BY ALMOST EVERY ADULT

EMPEROR WHO SUCCEEDED HIM: WEARING A BEARD.

PRIOR TO THIS TIME, THE EMPERORS WERE

CLEAN-SHAVEN IN THE CLASSICAL ROMAN FASHION,

EXCEPT FOR THOSE WHO AFFECTED THE GREEK

“PHILOSOPHER’S BEARD,” LIKE JULIAN. IT IS

BELIEVED THAT PHOKAS PROBABLY GREW HIS BEARD

TO COVER A SCAR.

Phokas

 


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