THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE
Added on: 9th Jan 2016
THE BAKERS OF CONSTANTINOPLE WERE IN
A MOST FAVOURED TRADE, ACCORDING TO
THE NINTH CENTURY BOOK OF THE EPARCH, A
HANDBOOK OF CITY ADMINISTRATION: “BAKERS
ARE NEVER LIABLE TO BE CALLED FOR ANY
PUBLIC SERVICE, NEITHER THEMSELVES NOR
THEIR ANIMALS, TO PREVENT ANY INTERRUPTION
OF THE BAKING OF BREAD.” APPARENTLY,
BREAD WAS HOT STUFF TO THE BYZANTINES.
JUSTINIAN IS WIDELY CONSIDERED THE EMPEROR
WHO MADE THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE A POWERFUL
FORCE. HE RE-CONQUERED PARTS OF THE FALLEN
WESTERN EMPIRE IN AFRICA, ITALY, AND SPAIN
AND CODIFIED THE PREVIOUS ROMAN LAWS INTO
ONE DOCUMENT. HE MADE CONSTANTINOPLE THE
MOST GLORIOUS AND RICH CITY IN THE WORLD, WITH
OVER HALF A MILLION INHABITANTS. HE WAS ALSO
THE EMPEROR WHO BUILT THE HAGIA SOFIA.
JUSTINIAN WAS ALSO THE LAST EMPEROR TO
USE THE TITLE CAESAR.
UNDER THE REIGN OF HERACLIUS FROM 610 TO 641
THE EMPIRE’S MILITARY AND ADMINISTRATION
WERE RESTRUCTURED AND THE EMPIRE ADOPTED
GREEK AS ITS OFFICIAL LANGUAGE INSTEAD OF
LATIN. HE WAS ALSO ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL
BYZANTINE EMPERORS AND THE ONE WHO
SIGNIFICANTLY ENLARGED THE EMPIRE.
THE LONGEST CONTINUOUSLY REIGNING BYZANTINE
MONARCH WAS BASIL II BULGAROKTONOS (976–1025).
THE MOST MEMORABLE STORY ASSOCIATED WITH HIM
IS THAT AFTER DECISIVELY DEFEATING THE BULGARS
AND RE-CONQUERING GREECE FROM THEM, HE HAD
ALL OF THE PRISONERS BLINDED, EXCEPT FOR
SPARING ONE EYE OF EVERY HUNDREDTH MAN.
EACH GROUP OF NINETY-NINE WAS TIED TOGETHER
TO A ONE-EYED MAN, WHO THEN LED THE GROUP
BACK HOME.
EMPEROR IRENE OF ATHENS (797–802), ONE OF THE
MOST POWERFUL WOMEN OF ALL TIME, WAS CERTAINLY
NO PARAGON OF MATERNAL LOVE. TO SECURE THE
POWER OF THE THRONE, SHE HAD HER SON
CONSTANTINE VI (780–797) BLINDED AND THEN
IMPRISONED HIM FOR LIFE IN THE ROOM IN WHICH
HE WAS BORN. IRENE WAS THE FIRST GREEK
WOMAN TO RULE THE EMPIRE ALONE AND SPECIFICALLY
TOOK THE TITLE EMPEROR, NOT EMPRESS. SHE
RULED AT A TIME OF MAGNIFICENT CONTEMPORARIES,
ESPECIALLY HARUN AL-RASHID AND CHARLEMAGNE.
APPARENTLY THE LATTER WANTED TO MARRY IRENE,
BUT SHE REFUSED.
THE FIRST BYZANTINE EMPEROR TO LOSE THE THRONE
BY VIOLENT REVOLUTION WAS MAVRIKIOS TIBERIUS.
HE PROBABLY RANKED IN COMPETENCE WITH THE BEST,
BUT HIS STRICT ECONOMIZING COST HIM THE CROWN
AND HIS LIFE. HE REFUSED TO ALLOW TROOPS
STATIONED AT THE FRONTIER TO RETURN HOME
FOR THE WINTER. MOREOVER, HE INSISTED THEY
LIVE OFF THE LAND RATHER THAN BE SENT WINTER
RATIONS. THE ARMY, LED BY PHOKAS, REBELLED AND
ENTERED THE CITY IN COLLUSION WITH ITS MILITIA.
PHOKAS WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE CRUELLEST OF
ALL BYZANTINE EMPERORS, AS WELL AS ONE OF THE
UGLIEST. HOWEVER, IT WAS HE WHO BEGAN A
FASHION FOLLOWED BY ALMOST EVERY ADULT
EMPEROR WHO SUCCEEDED HIM: WEARING A BEARD.
PRIOR TO THIS TIME, THE EMPERORS WERE
CLEAN-SHAVEN IN THE CLASSICAL ROMAN FASHION,
EXCEPT FOR THOSE WHO AFFECTED THE GREEK
“PHILOSOPHER’S BEARD,” LIKE JULIAN. IT IS
BELIEVED THAT PHOKAS PROBABLY GREW HIS BEARD
TO COVER A SCAR.
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