Origin of the BYZANTINE EMPIRE

To understand the evolution of humanity it is very important to know the greatest empires in history since thanks to these we can understand how western and eastern thought has been formed over the centuries. One of the most relevant empires when forging the western and eastern thought It has been the Byzantine Empire, being a bridge between both worlds. We must know its origin to understand why this empire was able to unite both worlds, and therefore in this lesson of a Teacher we must talk about the origin of the Byzantine Empire.

Index

1. What was the Byzantine Empire?
2. What was the origin of the Eastern Roman Empire?
3. What is the origin of the Byzantine Empire

The Byzantine Empire, also known as Byzantium or Eastern Roman Empire, was a civilization that arose due to the breakup of the roman empire in two. This division took place in 395 AD. C., and remained for more than a millennium, until in 1453 the capital of the empire fell at the hands of the Ottoman Turks. This capital was the city of

Byzantium is known as the region where the eastern and western ideas come together, because it was a bridge between both areas.

We must keep in mind that, when talking about Byzantium, we can give two origins different:

1. Formation of the Eastern Roman Empire, after the separation of the Roman Empire, and where the Byzantines considered themselves Romans.
2. Origin of the Byzantine Empire as such, as much more presence of Greek culture and with a clear separation from the Roman Empire after its conquest at the hands of the barbarians.

To talk about the origin of the Byzantine Empire, we must begin by talking about the creation of the Eastern Roman Empire, since it was the division of the roman empirewhat the beginning of Byzantium brought, although at that time it was very different from what it would end up being.

The origin of the Eastern Roman Empire takes place in a period of crisis of the Roman system. The empire had become too big and it was beginning to be very complicated to rule over all the provinces that made up Rome. Added to this was a growing corruption throughout the provinces and an army that was increasingly powerful and less controlled by the rulers. In this situation began numerous roman civil wars, causing the emperor to find a way out of this huge crisis.

The emperor diocletian He had the idea in 285 to divide the empire into two halves, thinking that with this he would achieve better control of all the provinces. This division created the Eastern Roman Empire with capital in Constantinople, and the Western Roman Empire with its capital in its own Rome. Even with this division, the reality is that both halves formed the same empire, and the separation was not total, and was only a form of administration.

The arrival of the emperor Theodosius I to power is what brought the royal separation, since this emperor considered that the empire was not going to continue to function as it was created and that it needed to be divided in two. When Theodosius died he divided the empire, giving the eastern part to his son Arcadius and the western part to his son Honorius. It was then, in 395, when the creation of the Eastern Roman Empire.

When talking about the origin of the Byzantine Empire we must bear in mind that this varies a lot depending on the source we consult, since many historians consider that the origin took place in the year 395 with the division of the empire, but other scholars place other possible origins. To complete the origin of the Byzantine Empire we must talk about the two most accepted origins, understanding that there is no single origin.

The fall of the Western Roman Empire

Some historians consider that the origin of the Byzantine Empire took place after the fall of the western roman empire, since they think that the end of this caused the Eastern Roman Empire to become an empire of its own. This event took place in 476, when the barbarians entered Rome and took the capital. From this moment the Byzantine Empire became a totally individual empire, and although They continued to be called Romans, little by little they changed their characteristics towards that of the greeks.

Justinian I and his attempted to reunify the empire

Justinian I He was one of the most important emperors in the history of the Byzantine Empire, achieving a great expansion, creating the legal and administrative system of the region, and ordering the creation of some of the main monuments of the region. His intention was to reconquer the lands of the Western Roman Empire, in order to achieve reunify the Roman Empire.

Justinian's plan it was a failure and he was not able to defeat the barbarian peoples, causing that since then no one was interested in reconquering those lands. That is why it is considered that the Byzantine Empire has its origin in Justinian, being the last emperor who tried to recover what had been Rome, and beginning a path of independence total.

If you want to read more articles similar to Origin of the Byzantine Empire, we recommend that you enter our category of History.

• Barreras, D., & Gómez, C. d (2010). Brief history of the Byzantine Empire (pp. 18-21). Nowtilus.
• David, b. (2010). Brief history of the Byzantine Empire. Language, 2, 70.
• Chrysos, E. (2004). The Byzantine Empire 565-1025 (Vol. 21). Editorial Icaria.