Changes

==Byzantine Era==

==Byzantine Era==

As Constantinople the city served as the capital of four major empires: The [[Roman Empire]] (330-395), the [[Byzantine Empire]] as the surviving offshoot of the old Roman Empire (395-1204 and 1261-1453), the Latin Empire (1204-1261), and the [[Ottoman Empire]] (1453-1922). Formerly the city of Byzantium, [[Constantine]] renamed it as Constantinople in A.D. 330.  It was designed to be the [[Rome]] of the East (''Nova Roma'', or "New Rome"). It was conquered by the [[Ottoman]] [[Sultan]] [[Mahmud II]] in 1453 after being defended by [[Constantine XI]], the last of the Byzantine Emperors, and his small army. It served as the capital of the [[Ottoman Empire]] until the Empire was broken apart by the [[World War I|First World War]].

As Constantinople the city served as the capital of four major empires: The [[Roman Empire]] (330-395), the [[Byzantine Empire]] as the surviving offshoot of the old Roman Empire (395-1204 and 1261-1453), the Latin Empire (1204-1261), and the [[Ottoman Empire]] (1453-1922). Formerly the city of Byzantium, [[Constantine]] renamed it as Constantinople in A.D. 330.  It was designed to be the [[Rome]] of the East (''Nova Roma'', or "New Rome"). It was conquered by the [[Ottoman]] [[Sultan]] [[Mahmud II]] in 1453 after being defended by [[Constantine XI]], the last of the Byzantine Emperors, and his small army. It served as the capital of the [[Ottoman Empire]] until the Empire was broken apart by the [[World War I|First World War]].

 

The city was founded by Constantine in A.D. 330. Although originally he named it Nova Roma, which was Latin for "new Rome," the mostly Greek residents he settled in the city called it Constantinopolis, and in English this is Constantinople. He made it the capital of the Roman Empire, but for fifty years most emperors spent most of their reigns not in Constantine's palace but fighting against either the Persians or the Germans. Emperor Theodosius was the first potentate to spend most of his reign in the city. When he died in 395, the empire split into western and eastern halves. In 527 [[Justinian]] became emperor and issued a collection of all laws ever published by the Roman emperors, from Augustus to Theodosius. When a fire destroyed most of Constantine's buildings, Justinian rebuilt in a magnificent half-Greek, half-Oriental, and half-Roman style. His most famous building was the Hagia Sophia, built in 537 in Asian style. During the early seventh century, the city was threatened by the Persians, but the emperor Heraclius raised a large and well-equipped army which defeated them and retook Syria, Palestine, and Egypt, which the Persians had seized. But then the Arabs, now followers of [[Islam]], seized Syria, Egypt, Palestine, and North Africa. Meanwhile, lands in northern Italy and southern Spain taken by Justinian were lost to Germanic kings.  

The city was founded by Constantine in A.D. 330. Although originally he named it Nova Roma, which was Latin for "new Rome," the mostly Greek residents he settled in the city called it Constantinopolis, and in English this is Constantinople. He made it the capital of the Roman Empire, but for fifty years most emperors spent most of their reigns not in Constantine's palace but fighting against either the Persians or the Germans. Emperor Theodosius was the first potentate to spend most of his reign in the city. When he died in 395, the empire split into western and eastern halves. In 527 [[Justinian]] became emperor and issued a collection of all laws ever published by the Roman emperors, from Augustus to Theodosius. When a fire destroyed most of Constantine's buildings, Justinian rebuilt in a magnificent half-Greek, half-Oriental, and half-Roman style. His most famous building was the Hagia Sophia, built in 537 in Asian style. During the early seventh century, the city was threatened by the Persians, but the emperor Heraclius raised a large and well-equipped army which defeated them and retook Syria, Palestine, and Egypt, which the Persians had seized. But then the Arabs, now followers of [[Islam]], seized Syria, Egypt, Palestine, and North Africa. Meanwhile, lands in northern Italy and southern Spain taken by Justinian were lost to Germanic kings.