istoryworld
Events relating to the byzantine empire
The unopposed capture of Alexandria by the Arabs completes the Muslim conquest of Egypt
The Arabs establish a garrison town at Kairouan, as a base for the conquest of northwest Africa
A Muslim fleet attacking Constantinople is deterred by the first known use of the Byzantine secret recipe for 'Greek fire'
Carthage is captured from the Byzantines by the Arabs and is finally destroyed, though Tunis will later rise nearby
The emperor Leo III launches the iconoclastic controversy, sending soldiers to smash the great image of Christ over the gateway to his palace
The Venetians for the first time elect their own doge, acting independently of the Byzantine governor in Ravenna
Pepin III, after recovering Byzantine territories in Italy from the Lombards, hands control of the region to the pope in Rome
The Arabs get a foothold in Sicily and begin a slow process, not complete till AD 965, of squeezing the Byzantines out of the island
The iconoclastic controversy ends when Theodora, widow of the emperor Theophilus, officially sanctions the veneration of icons
The Bulgarian king Boris I is baptized in the Greek Orthodox faith, bringing his people within the Byzantine fold
With the end of inconoclasm, the screen between the nave and the altar sanctuary becomes covered in icons in Orthodox churches
The Byzantine empire enjoys a revival, bringing the Slavs within the Greek Orthodox fold and winning victories against the Muslims
The Seljuk Turks and the Byzantines meet in battle at Manzikert, with victory going to the Turks
Venice acquires valuable trading privileges from Constantinople, her merchants being excused all dues and customs in the Byzantine empire
Pope Urban II preaches the first crusade, urging the Christians of Europe to march east to recover Jerusalem from the Muslims
After a siege of seven months, the city of Antioch falls to the knights of the first crusade
Crusaders capture the holy city of Jerusalem and massacre the Muslim and Jewish inhabitants
The crusaders now rule the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem, the principality of Antioch and the counties of Tripoli and Edessa
Resentment of western merchants results in a massacre of Roman Catholics by fellow Christians in Constantinople
In the cathedral on Torcello, and in St Mark's, Venetian mosaics are a culmination in the west of the Byzantine tradition
The fleet of the fourth crusade departs from Venice - only to be diverted from its purposes by Venetian guile
The crusaders of the fourth crusade besiege, take and destroy the Christian city of Constantinople
The Byzantine empire continues, in much reduced form, with a new capital at Nicaea
A Latin empire is set up in Constantinople on the same basis as the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem
Many of the treasures adorning the church of San Marco in Venice are loot taken from Constantinople during the fourth crusade
