Byzantine Empire | historical empire, Eurasia

Byzantine Empire, the eastern half of the Roman Empire, which survived for a thousand years after the western half had crumbled into various feudal kingdoms and which finally fell to Ottoman Turkish onslaughts in 1453.

Byzantine emperors*

Zeno	474–491
Anastasius I	491–518
Justin I	518–527
Justinian I	527–565
Justin II	565–578
Tiberius II Constantine	578–582
Maurice	582–602
Phokas	602–610
Heraclius	610–641
Constantine III	641
Heraclonas	641
Constans II	641–668
Constantine IV	668–685
Justinian II	685–695
Leontius	695–698
Tiberius III	698–705
Justinian II (restored)	705–711
Philippikos Vardan	711–713
Anastasios II	713–715
Theodosios III	715–717
Leo III	717–741
Constantine V Copronymus	741–775
Leo IV	775–780
Constantine VI	780–797
Irene	797–802
Nikephoros I	802–811
Stauracius	811
Michael I Rhangabe	811–813
Leo V	813–820
Michael II	820–829
Theophilus	829–842
Michael III	842–867
Basil I	867–886
Leo VI	886–912
Alexander	912–913
Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus	913–959
Romanus I Lecapenus	920–944
Romanus II	959–963
Nicephorus II Phocas	963–969
John I Tzimisces	969–976
Basil II	976–1025
Constantine VIII	1025–28
Romanos III Argyros	1028–34
Michael IV	1034–41
Michael V	1041–42
Zoe and Theodora	1042
Constantine IX Monomachos	1042–55
Theodora	1055–56
Michael VI	1056–57
Isaac I Komnenos	1057–59
Constantine X Doukas	1059–67
Romanos IV Diogenes	1067–71
Michael VII Doukas	1071–78
Nikephoros III Botaneiates	1078–81
Alexios I Komnenos	1081–1118
John II Komnenos	1118–43
Manuel I Komnenos	1143–80
Alexios II Komnenos	1180–83
Andronikos I Komnenos	1183–85
Isaac II Angelos	1185–95
Alexios III Angelos	1195–1203
Isaac II Angelos (restored) and Alexios IV Angelos (joint ruler)	1203–04
Alexios V Murtzouphlos	1204
Latin emperors of Constantinople
Baldwin I	1204–06
Henry	1206–16
Peter	1217
Yolande (empress)	1217–19
Robert	1221–28
Baldwin II	1228–61
John	1231–37
Nicaean emperors
Constantine (XI) Lascaris	1204–05?
Theodore I Lascaris	1205?–22
John III Ducas Vatatzes	1222–54
Theodore II Lascaris	1254–58
John IV Lascaris	1258–61
Greek emperors restored
Michael VIII Palaeologus	1261–82
Andronicus II Palaeologus and Michael IX Palaeologus (joint ruler 1295–1320)	1282–1328
Andronicus III Palaeologus	1328–41
John V Palaeologus	1341–76
John VI Cantacuzenus	1347–54
Andronicus IV Palaeologus	1376–79
John V Palaeologus (restored)	1379–90
John VII Palaeologus	1390
John V Palaeologus (restored)	1390–91
Manuel II Palaeologus and John VIII Palaeologus (joint ruler 1421–25)	1391–1425
John VIII Palaeologus	1425–48
Constantine XI Palaeologus	1449–53
*For emperors of the Eastern Roman Empire (at Constantinople) before the fall of Rome, see Roman Republic and Empire.

The very name Byzantine illustrates the misconceptions to which the empire’s history has often been subject, for its inhabitants would hardly have considered the term appropriate to themselves or to their state. Theirs was, in their view, none other than the Roman Empire, founded shortly before the beginning of the Christian Era by God’s grace to unify his people in preparation for ... (100 of 32,247 words)

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