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Constantinople for thousand years was the "Queen of cities=Basileuousa".
The Byzantine Empire lasted 1,100 years. During the fifth – ninth Centuries AD, Europe experienced the Dark Ages: a time when history was not extensively recorded and there was a lack of governance across Europe. During that time not only it was not the “Dark Ages” in the East, it was a time of significant achievements for the people of the Byzantine Empire.
By the time Basil II came to the throne (976-1025), Byzantium was flourishing as a place of learning especially in Constantinople, known for its art and in particular the mosaics inside churches and the painting of icons, the impressive architecture of churches and public buildings as well as the strength of its economy. Byzantium’s “nomista” was the currency across the known world. It was during these times that a new style of governing was developed and that continues today. Constantinople was the home of many public departments, so unlike the feudal system in Latin Europe, citizens were essentially running the day-to-day affairs of the Empire through a bureaucracy.
The great cities of the time included Ravenna (Italy), Dyrrachium (Albania), Antioch (Syria/Turkey), Ephesus and Smyrna (Turkey), Thessaloniki (Greece), Varna (Bulgaria), and of course, arguably the greatest city of all time, Constantinople. Constantinople, also known as the City, was the envy of medieval world, and was at the cross roads of the East and West.
Constantinople for thousand years was the "Queen of cities=Basileuousa".
Rome collapsed under the pressure of the Germanic invaders in 476. In 5th
century the state's control passed to Greeks and Greek language became the
official language. Thanks to its greater military and economic strength,
Constantinople survived for a thousand years, despite revolutions, wars, and
religious controversy. Preserved the greek-orthodox civilization, fighting
Bisigoths, Ostrogoths, Huns, Bandals, Persians, Arabs, Abars, Petzeneks, Slavs,
Bulgarians, Francs, Benetians, Normands, Turks, Algerian pirates, Catalans.
Constantinople had a population of 1000000 habitants while the second largest
city in Europe had 50000. Unlike Rome, Constantinople had several industries
producing luxury goods, military supplies (the famous greek fire), hardware,
textiles and jewellery. In about 550 A.D., after silkworms were smuggled out of
China, silk protection became a highly profitable industry. The state paid very
close attention to business controlling the economy; which is a system to which
all tradesmen and members of the professions set wages, profits, work hours,
and prices while bankers and doctors were organized into corporations. Security
and wealth encouraged an active political, cultural, and intellectual life. The
widespread literacy and education among men and women of various segments of
society would not be matched in Europe until, perhaps, eighteenth-century
France.
According to historian of 4th crusade Robert De Clari, Byzantium had
accumulated the 2 thirds of whole world's property. The City (Constantinople)
had 4388 palaces, many hospitals, orphanages, poorhouses, thousands of churches
and a University called "Pandidaktirion" that was founded on 849 A.D. by Kaisar
Barda. Other Universities were built in Antioxeia, Alexandreia, Athens,
Thesalonica, Byrut and Kaesareia of Cappadokia.
Great astronomers were Proklos (410-485), Marinos (5th century), and Simplikios
(6th century). Proklos used big lenses and burned the fleet of Goths in the
port of Constantinople. Great architects were Isidoros from Militos and
Anthemios from Traleis (Aydin). They designed and constructed the church of
Ayia Sophia in 535 A.C, the greatest church ever built. Olny a thousand years
lated the latins built a church of same magnificence in Rome. Leon from
Thesalonica was a brilliant mathematic. Chalif Mamoun invites him in
Granada-Spain to teach mathematics, offering to him 2000 livres gold. He
refuses to go as he says to offer his services to enemies of his faith. The
byzantine civil Law (Justinian codex) was the basis of the later European civil
Law. On 726, Leo III Isaurian abolished the slavery in the farms. The farmers
should be free men.
John II Comnenos (1118-1143) abolished the tortures and the death penalty. West
Europeans learned from Byzantines how to eat not with hands but with forks, and
to sleep in silk sheets. In 10th century Hron wrote a book about geodaecy. In
11th century Michael Psellos taught Law, Philosophy and Mathematics. He wrote
also History. In 1241 in Nicaea of Mikra Asia, Nikiforos Blemmides wrote books
about Astronomy, Mathematics and Philosophy. In 13th century Theodoros
Metoxites was astronomer, and civil engineer and also Nikiforos Grigoras, Issac
Argyros, Theodoros Melitiniotes and Georgios Paximeres. In 14th century lived
mathematics Maximos Planoudes, Emmanouel Mosxopoulos, Nikolaos Ravdas and monk
Barlaam from Kalavria-Italy. In Trapezous - Pontus, Gregorios Chioniades and
Konstantinos Loukitis taught mathematics and astronomy.
In 15th century many valuable books, manuscripts, icons and trasures were moved
to Italy, to be saved from the turkish invaders. One of the greatest
personalities was philosopher Georgios Plethon (1360-1452). He wrote
philosophy, geography, history and many more. He was deeply influenced from the
spirit of Socrates, Platon and Aristoteles. The creation of the Cyrillic
alphabet for the Slavs by Byzantine missionaries, and the preservation of
ancient Greek manuscripts and culture by Byzantine scholars were among the most
important contributions of the Byzantine Empire to posterity.
In 1453 books, manuscripts, icons, buildings, and works of centuries were
turned to ashes in some hours. But byzantine intellectual tradition did not die
in 1453: Byzantine scholars who visited Italy as individuals or imperial envoys
in the 14th and 15th centuries exerted a strong influence on the Italian
Renaissance.
Latins called it "Center of World", Turks called it "Kizil Elmas", Scandinavs
"Miklegarth", Russians "Tsarigrad", and Arabs called it "Dar Es Saadet". Turks
now name it "Istanbul" which comes from the greek words "Eis thn Polin", which
means "to the City". Greeks used to call their capital "Poli=City".
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Originally Posted by Mortimer
England
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