| Byzantine Empire Timeline |
| 667 BC |
Ancient city of Byzantium (future Constantinople) is founded. |
| 330 AD |
Constantine makes Constantinople his capital. |
| 395 |
Empire permanently split into Eastern and Western halves, following the death of Theodosius I. |
| 527 |
Justinian I crowned emperor. |
532–537
|
Justinian builds the church of Hagia Sophia |
| 533–554 |
Justinian's generals reconquer North Africa and Italy from the Vandals and Ostrogoths. |
| 568 |
The Lombard invasion results in the loss of most of Italy. |
| 634–641 |
Arab armies conquer the Levant and Egypt. In the following decades, they take most of North Africa, and later conquer Sicily as well. |
| 730–787; 813–843 |
Iconoclasm controversies. This results in the loss of most of the Empire's remaining Italian territories, aside from some territories in the south. |
| 843–1025 |
Macedonian dynasty established. The empire experiences a military and territorial revival. Byzantine scholars record and preserve many valuable ancient Greek and Roman texts. |
| 1002–1018 |
Emperor Basil II campaigns annually against the Bulgarians, with the object of annihilating the Bulgar state. |
| 1014 |
The Bulgarian army is completely defeated at the Battle of Kleidon. Basil II becomes known as The Bulgar Slayer. |
| 1018 |
Bulgaria surrenders and is annexed to the empire. The whole of the Balkans is incorporated into the Byzantine Empire, with the Danube as the new Imperial Frontier in the north. |
| 1025 |
Death of Basil II. Decline of the Byzantine Empire begins. |
| 1054 |
Schism. Split between Church in Rome and the Church in Constantinople. |
| 1071 |
Emperor Romanos IV is defeated by the Seljuk Turks at the Battle of Manzikert. Most of Asia Minor is lost. In the same year, the last Byzantine outposts in Italy are conquered by the Normans. |
| 1081 |
Komnenos dynasty is established by Alexios I. Decline is arrested. Byzantium becomes involved in Crusades. Economic prosperity generates new wealth; literature and art reach new heights; however, in Anatolia, Turks become established. |
| 1091 |
Imperial armies defeat Pechenegs at the Battle of Levounion. |
| 1097 |
Recapture of Nicaea from the Turks by Byzantine armies and First Crusaders. |
| 1097-1176 |
Byzantine armies recapture the coasts of Asia Minor from the Turks, and push east towards central Anatolia; Crusader Principality of Antioch becomes Byzantine protectorate. |
| 1122 |
Byzantines defeat Pechenegs at the Battle of Beroia. |
| 1167 |
Byzantine armies win decisive victory over the Hungarians at the Battle of Sirmium; Hungary becomes Byzantine client state. |
| 1176 |
Battle of Myriokephalon. Manuel I Komnenos attempts to capture Konya, capital of Seljuk Turks; is forced to withdraw after destruction of his siege equipment. End of Byzantine attempts to recover Anatolian plateau. |
| 1180 |
Death of Manuel I Komnenos. Decline of the Byzantine Empire recommences. |
| 1185 |
A successful rebellion is organized in Bulgaria. Lands lost in the Balkans. |
| 1204 |
Constantinople conquered by Crusaders; Latin Empire formed. |
| 1261 |
Constantinople reconquered by Michael VIII Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor of Nicaea, |
| 1453 |
Ottoman Turks conquer Constantinople. Death of Constantine XI last Emperor of the Byzantine Empire. End of the Byzantine Empire. |
