by Cyril Mango
Justinian II Rhinotmetus, 1st reign (685–95)
688–9
Expedition to Thessalonica
692–3
Justinian defeated by Arabs at Sebastopolis
Leontius (695–8)
695
Dome of the Rock built in Jerusalem
697
Arabs take Carthage; Romans reoccupy it for short time
Tiberius III Apsimaros (698–705)
700
Arab invasion of Armenia
Justinian II Rhinotmetus, 2nd reign (705–11)
707–8
Arabs take Tyana
Philippicus Bardanes (711–13)
712
Monothelite heresy revived
Anastasius II (Artemios) (713–15)
714
Arabs prepare to attack Constantinople
Theodosius III (715–17)
716–17
Arabs in western Asia Minor
Leo III (717–41)
717–18
Siege of Constantinople by the Arabs
718
Revolt in Sicily
726 or 730
Iconoclasm proclaimed
727
Revolt in Greece; Arab siege of Nicaea
740
Arabs defeated at Akroinon; disastrous earthquake at Constantinople
Constantine V Copronymus (741–75)
741–3
Usurpation of Artabasdos
747–8
Plague
750
Fall of Umayyad dynasty; capture of Melitene
751
Lombards capture Ravenna
754
Iconoclastic Council of Hiereia; papacy forms alliance with Frankish kingdom
756–75
Wars with Bulgaria
762
Baghdad founded by Abbasid caliph al-Mansur
Leo IV the Khazar (775–80)
778
Byzantine victory at Germanicea
Constantine VI (780–97)
781
Arab invasion of Asia Minor
787
Seventh General Council (Nicaea II): condemnation of Iconoclasm
790
Irene reigns alone
792
Byzantium defeated by Bulgarians in Thrace
Irene (797–802)
800
Imperial coronation of Charlemagne in Rome
Nikephoros I (802–11)
805
Byzantine control of Peloponnese restored
806
Arabs advance to Ancyra
809
-Death of Caliph Harun al-Rashid
811
Nikephoros defeated and killed by Bulgarians
Michael I Rhangabe (811–13)
812
Bulgarians capture Develtos and Mesembria
813
Bulgarian victory near Adrianople
Leo V the Armenian (813–20)
814
Death of Bulgarian Khan Krum
815
Iconoclasm reimposed
Michael II the Stammerer (820–9)
821–3
Revolt of Thomas the Slav
827
Arab occupation of Sicily begins
c.827
Conquest of Crete by Arabs begins
Theophilos (829–42)
838
Arabs destroy Amorion and Ancyra
Michael III the Drunkard (842–67)
843
Final restoration of Images
856
Deposition of Empress Theodora
858–67
First patriarchate of Photios
860
Russian attack on Constantinople
863
Arabs defeated at Poson
c.864
Conversion of Bulgaria
866
Basil murders Caesar Bardas
Basil I (867–86)
872
Defeat of Paulicians in Asia Minor
873
Victories over Arabs
877–86
Second patriarchate of Photios
878
Arabs take Syracuse
Leo VI (886–912)
894–6
War with Bulgaria
902
Fall of Taormina
904
Sack of Thessalonica
911–12
Attempt to recover Crete fails
Alexander (912–13)
Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (913–59)
913
Symeon of Bulgaria appears before Constantinople
917
Symeon’s victory at Anchialos
920–44
Romanos I Lekapenos co-emperor
923–44
Successful campaigns against the Arabs by John Kourkouas
941
Russian expedition against Constantinople
946
Princess Olga of Russia converted
Romanos II (959–63)
961
Crete conquered by Nikephoros Phokas
962
Otto I crowned emperor
Nikephoros II Phokas (963–9)
965
Conquest of Tarsus; annexation of Cyprus
969
Conquest of Antioch and Aleppo
John I Tzimiskes (969–76)
971
John annexes eastern Bulgaria; defeats Sviatoslav
975
John invades Palestine
Basil II Boulgaroktonos (976–1025)
989
Baptism of Vladimir
997
Samuel of Bulgaria devastates Greece; conversion of the Magyars
1000
Annexation of Georgian principality of Tao
1001–18
Conquest of Bulgaria
1022
Annexation of Armenian kingdom of Vaspurakan
Constantine VIII (1025–8)
Romanos III Argyros (1028–34)
1031
Byzantium gains Edessa
Michael IV Paphlagonian (1034–41)
1038
Reconquest of Sicily by George Maniakes begins
1040
Bulgarian revolt
Michael V Kalaphates (1041–2)
Zoe and Theodora (1042)
Constantine IX Monomachos (1042–55)
1043
Russian attack on Constantinople
1043–4
Rebellion of Maniakes fails
1044–5
Annexation of Kingdom of Ani
1054
Schism with papacy
Theodora (1055–6)
Michael VI Stratiotikos (1056–7)
Isaac I Komnenos (1057–9)
1058
Patriarch Michael Keroularios deposed
Constantine X Doukas (1059–67)
1061–91
Norman conquest of Sicily
1064
Seljuk Turks conquer Greater Armenia
Romanos IV Diogenes (1067–71)
1071
Bari falls to Normans; Byzantine defeat at Manzikert
Michael VII Parapinakes/Doukas
(1071–8)
1071–81
Seljuk Turks occupy Anatolian highlands and Jerusalem
Nikephoros III Botaniates (1078–81)
1078
Civil war with Nikephoros Bryennios and others
Alexios I Komnenos (1081–1118)
1082
Normans take north-west Greece; grant of trading concessions to Venice
1091
Defeat of Pechenegs
1097
Passage of First Crusade
1099
Franks establish the kingdom of Jerusalem
1108
Alexios defeats Bohemond
John II Komnenos (1118–43)
1122–6
Byzantium at war with Venice
1127
War with Hungary
1137
John annexes Antioch
Manuel I Komnenos (1143–80)
1147–9
Second Crusade
1152–4
Byzantium at war with Hungary
1159
Manuel enters Antioch
1171
Venetians at Constantinople arrested
1176
Manuel defeated by Turks at Myriokephalon
1180
Foundation of Serbian monarchy by Stephen Nemanja
Alexios II Komnenos (1180–3)
1182
Massacre of Latins in Constantinople
Andronikos I Komnenos (1183–5)
1184
Isaac Komnenos makes himself ruler of Cyprus
1185
Thessalonica captured by Normans
Isaac II Angelos (1185–95)
1186
Bulgaria becomes independent
1187
Saladin captures Jerusalem
1189–92
Third Crusade
1191
Richard I of England occupies Cyprus
Alexios III Angelos (1195–1203)
1201–4
Fourth Crusade
Isaac II Angelos again (1203–4)
Alexios IV co-emperor
1204
Alexios Komnenos founds Kingdom of Trebizond
Alexios V Doukas Mourtzouphlos (1204)
1204
Constantinople falls to Crusaders
LATIN EMPERORS OF CONSTANTINOPLE
Baldwin of Flanders (1204–5)
Henry of Flanders (1206–16)
Peter of Courtenay (1217)
Yolande (1217–19)
Robert II of Courtenay (1221–8)
Baldwin II (1228–61)
John of Brienne, regent (1229–37)
GREEK EMPERORS OF NICAEA
Theodore I Laskaris (1208–21)
1219
Creation of separate Serbian church; Theodore makes peace with Venetians
John III Doukas Vatatzes (1221–54)
1222
Mongols appear in Europe
1235
Patriarch Germanos II makes head of Bulgarian Church a patriarch
1240
Mongols destroy Kiev
1246
John III takes Thessalonica
Theodore II Laskaris (1254–8)
1254
Mamluk Turkish Sultans established in Egypt
1258
Mongols destroy Baghdad
John IV Doukas (1258–61)
Michael VIII Palaiologos (1259–61)
1259
Battle of Pelagonia
1261
End of Latin Empire at Constantinople
GREEK EMPERORS AT CONSTANTINOPLE
Michael VIII Palaiologos (1261–82)
1269
Byzantine annexation of Mistra
1274
Council of Lyons; Michael submits to Rome
1281
Sicilian Vespers
Andronikos II (1282–1328)
1282
Serbian conquest of Skopje
1302
Byzantine defeat by Ottomans at Bapheus
1303
Andronikos calls in aid of Catalan Company
1308
Ottoman Turks enter Europe
1321–8
Civil war between Andronikos II and Andronikos III
1326
Ottoman Turks take Prousa
Andronikos III (1328–41)
1331
Ottoman Turks take Nicaea
1331–55
Stephen Dusan King of Serbia
1332
Death of Andronikos II and Theodore
Metochites
1337
Ottoman Turks take Nicomedia
John V, 1st reign (1341–54)
1341–7
Civil war
1347–54
Joint rule with John VI
1351
Synod at Constantinople approves Hesychasm
1354
Ottoman Turks take Kallipolis; civil war between John V and John VI
John V, 2nd reign (1354–76)
1354–7
Civil war with Matthew Kantakouzenos
1355
Serbs now control most of Greece
1369
Ottoman Turks capture Adrianople; John submits to Rome
1371
Serbs defeated by Turks at Cernomen
1371/2
John becomes vassal of Murad I
Andronikos IV (1376–9)
1376–9
Civil war
John V, 3rd reign (1379–91)
1387
Thessalonica taken by Ottoman Turks
1389
Serbs defeated at Kosovo; accession of Bayezid I
John VII Palaiologos (1390)
Manuel II (1391–1425)
1393
Turks conquer Thessaly and Bulgaria
1394
Manuel renounces vassalage to Bayezid
1396
Crusade defeated at Nicopolis
1397–1403
Siege of Constantinople by Bayezid I
1399–1403
Manuel II tours Europe
1402
Turks defeated by Timur at Ankara
1403–13
Turkish civil war
1422
Constantinople besieged by Murad II
1424
Vassalage to Turks renewed
John VIII (1425–48)
1430
Thessalonica retaken by Turks
1438–9
Council of Ferrara–Florence
1444
Crusade defeated at Varna
Constantine XI Dragases (1449–53)
1451
Accession of Mehmed II
1452
Mehmed builds castle of Rumeli Hisari; celebration of union with Rome
1453
Fall of Constantinople
Turkish conquest of Mistra (1460)
Fall of Trebizond (1461)
Select Bibliography
INTRODUCTION
Reference
A. P. Kazhdan (ed.), The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, 3 vols. (New York and Oxford, 1991).
General Histories
G. Ostrogorsky, History of the Byzantine State, tr. J. Hussey (Oxford, 1968).
W. Treadgold, A History of the Byzantine State and Society (Stanford, 1997).
The nearest to an economic history is M. Hendy, Studies in the Byzantine Monetary Economy (Cambridge, 1985).
