The Byzantine Empire

The history of the Byzantine Empire begins 324 when Constantinus the Great became emperor over the entire Roman Empire and order the foundation of a new capital near the old city. This new town was first called New Rome but was later renamed to Constantinople. 395 the Roman Empire is permanently divided between a western and a eastern emperor. The eastern half of the Roman Empire was dominated by the Greek language and had therefore the character of a Greek empire. While the western half perished in less than a century after the partition, the eastern half would as the Byzantine Empire survive until 1204 when it was conquered by the fourth crusade. The crusaders created the Latin Empire in its place but the Byzantine legacy survived in the Greek empire of Nicea, which conquered the Latin Empire 1261 and restored the Byzantine Empire. But it was much weaker than it had been before the forth crusade and could not prevent the expansive Ottoman Empire, which ended the history of the Byzantine Empire when it conquered Constantinople 1453.

324-337	Constantinus I (the Great)
337-361	Constantius II
361-363	Iulianus Apostata (the Apostate)
363-364	Iovianus
House of Valentinianus
364-378 379-395 395-408 408-450	Valens Theodosius I (den store) Arcadius Theodosius II
Different Dynasties
450-457 457-474 474 474-491 491-518 518-527 527-565 565-578 578-582 582-602 602-610	Marcianus Leo I Leo II Zeno Anastasius I Dicorus Iustinus I Iustinianus I Iustinus II Tiberius II Constantinus Mauricius Tiberius Phocas
House of Herakleios
610-641 641 641-642 642-668 668-685 685-695	Hērakleios Kōnstantinos Hērakleios Hērakleios Kōnstantinos Kōnstantinos III Kōnstantinos IV Ioustinianos II
Different Dynasties
695-698 698-705 705-711 711-713 713-715 715-717	Leontios Tiberios II Ioustinianos II (restored) Philippikos Anastasios II Theodosios III
The Syrian Dynasty
717-741 741-775 775-780 780-797 797-802	Leōn III Kōnstantinos V Leōn IV Kōnstantinos VI Eirēnē (Irene)
Different Dynasties
802-811 811 811-813 813-820	Nikēphoros I Staurakios Mikhaēl I Rangabē Leōn V
The Frygian Dynasty
820-829 829-842 842-867	Mikhaēl II Theophilos Mikhaēl III
The Macedonian Dynasty
867-886 886-912 912-913 913-919 919-944 944-959 959-963	Basileios I Leōn VI Alexandros Kōnstantinos VII Porphyrogenitus Rōmanos I Lakapēnos Kōnstantinos VII (restored) Rōmanos II
Different Dynasties
963-969 969-976	Nikēphoros II Phōkas Iōannēs I Tzimiskēs
The Macedonian Dynasty
976-1025 1025-1028	Basileios II (the Bulgar Slayer) Kōnstantinos VIII
Different Dynasties
1028-1034 1034-1041 1041-1042 1042-1055 1055-1056 1056-1057 1057-1059 1059-1067 1067-1068 1068-1071 1071-1078 1078-1081	Rōmanos III Argyropoulos Mikhaēl IV Mikhaēl V Kalafates Kōnstantinos IX Monomakhos Theodōra Mikhaēl VI Bringas Isaakios I Komnēnos Kōnstantinos X Doukas Mikhaēl VII Doukas Rōmanos IV Diogenēs Mikhaēl VII Doukas (restored) Nikēphoros III Botaneiatēs
House of Komnēnos
1081-1118 1118-1143 1143-1180 1180-1183 1183-1185	Alexios I Iōannēs II Manouēl I Alexios II Andronikos I
House of Angelos
1185-1195 1195-1203 1203-1204	Isaakios II Alexios III Isaakios II (restored)
Byzantium is divided by the fourth crusade 1204