The Rise of the Byzantine Empire (Overview)

Located in the apse entry of the Byzantine church of San Vitale at Ravenna (Italy), this mosaic from 548 CE portrays Emperor Justinian I and his court. [North Wind Picture Archives] From the earliest days of the Roman Empire, there had been a fundamental division between the western areas of the empire, which were dominated by Roman culture, and the eastern areas. The east, though ruled from Rome, was largely Greek in culture. That division grew sharper over the years.

Roman emperor Diocletian, who ruled from 284 to 305 CE, was the first to experiment with appointing two emperors, one in the east and one in the west. That practice became increasingly common during the fourth century CE. In the end, it led to two separate political states with separate destinies. The Western Roman Empire had largely disappeared by 476. The eastern part, named the Byzantine Empire by historians, lasted for almost another thousand years.

Constantinople: The New Rome

In 330, Emperor Constantine I moved the capital of the Roman Empire from Rome to the ancient city of Byzantium. The city was renamed New Rome but came to be known as Constantinople, the city of Constantine.

Constantinople was well situated to serve as the new capital. From there, the emperor could quickly send support as needed north to the provinces along the Danube River and east into the province of Syria—two regions that had become increasingly threatened. Its position on the strait of Bosporus allowed Constantinople not only to dominate important trade routes but also to block enemy ships from the Black Sea from attacking undefended cities in the Mediterranean Sea. Surrounded by water on three sides and with a fortified wall on the fourth side, the city was easy to defend. As time passed, Constantinople proved to be an important asset for the Eastern Roman Empire.

Rise of the Eastern Empire

The death of Theodosius I in 395 marked the last time both parts of the Roman Empire were governed by a single ruler. A major reason for that fact was the growing pressure from Germanic tribes along the Roman frontier. It proved impossible to direct the defense of the empire from one central location.

Both the east and the west continued to suffer from attacks by so-called barbarians throughout the fifth century. However, while the provinces of the Western Roman Empire, including Italy, were conquered by various barbarian tribes and leaders, the Eastern Roman Empire survived as an independent state.

Historians point to such factors as more defensible borders and greater resources of wealth in the east as reasons for its survival. Credit also has been given to individuals like Emperor Zeno, who ruled from 474 to 491. Through a combination of military action and political skill, Zeno succeeded in eliminating a variety of threats both to his own rule and to the Eastern Roman Empire.

After the narrow escape from the barbarians under Zeno, the Eastern Roman Empire experienced a time of growth and prosperity. Anastasius I, Zeno's successor, dealt with internal challenges from barbarians, improved the finances of the empire, and attempted to promote religious peace. He was succeeded by Justin I in 518 and then by Justin's nephew, Justinian I in 527.

The almost 40-year reign of Justinian marked one of the high points in the power of the Eastern Roman Empire. Justinian extended the borders of the empire to include some of the territories of the old Western Roman Empire. His accomplishments in law and administration were equally noteworthy.

Trade and Economics

Centered around Constantinople, trade continued to be an important fact in the life of the empire. Caravans and trading ships arrived daily. Ships from the Black Sea and beyond brought grain, furs, leather, caviar, honey, gold, wax, and slaves. From Asia Minor and Egypt came grain and other foodstuffs. Over the land routes from Asia arrived precious stones, silk, perfumes, and spices. Fish were harvested in the waters near Constantinople, and grain was grown nearby.

Some of the goods that came to Constantinople passed through to other ports. Some were unloaded and turned into finished goods in workshops controlled by the state. The government regulated trade and industry and sponsored monopolies on dyes and some types of weapons. The government also took over the local silk industry, which greatly expanded after several monks smuggled silkworm eggs from China to Constantinople.

Religious Life

Christianity was critically important in the Eastern Roman Empire. Its importance was, on the one hand, spiritual and personal and, on the other hand, social and political.

Concerns with doctrinal matters led to significant cultural and political divisions. Within the established churches of the old Roman Empire, disputes over the essential nature of Jesus Christ and God divided Monophysites (who believed that the nature of Jesus was entirely divine, not partly human) of Syria and Egypt from Catholics (who believed that Jesus was both human and divine), dominant in Rome and much of the east. Those two groups in turn united against the Germanic peoples from the north, whose Arian Christian beliefs had been proclaimed heretical at the Council of Nicaea in 325 and the Council of Constantinople in 381.

Those religious differences presented a significant ongoing challenge to the emperors in Constantinople. If they favored the Catholic view, they would cause discontent among their Monophysite subjects. If they favored the Monophysites, they would alienate Rome and many of their own northern subjects. If they tried to compromise, they would make no one happy.

The Byzantine Empire after Justinian

The emperors who followed Justinian were unable to maintain his reconquest of the Western Roman Empire. In subsequent years, the Byzantine Empire was threatened by barbarians from the north and by Persians from the east. Later emperors faced internal strife and civil war. Nevertheless, the Byzantine Empire continued for hundreds of years as a center of power, religious authority, cultural achievement, and military might.

MLA Citation "The Rise of the Byzantine Empire (Overview)." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 15 May 2014.