History 505.01

A Chronology of Early Byzantine History

©Timothy E. Gregory

These notes seek to cover each of the main topics discussed in this course. They are designed to supply the absolutely essential factual information and to provide an introduction to each topic. This chronology should relieve you of the necessity of taking large quantities of notes in class and allow you to listen more attentively and to participate in discussion. On the other hand, the notes are not designed to replace regular class attendance since the lectures and discussions will treat each topic in a way that is slightly different from the notes. In fact, this chronology should allow the instructor to depart from a fixed program of lectures to examine in greater detail some of the many problems raised by the study of Byzantine history.

++Special thanks to Janice Gulker and Marjorie Haffner, of the Department of History, who patiently and carefully typed this very difficult text.++

1. INTRODUCTION TO THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE

2. THE ANCIENT GREEK AND ROMAN BACKGROUND

3. THE RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND

4. THE CRISIS OF THE THIRD CENTURY

5. THE REFORMS OF DIOCLETIAN AND CONSTANTINE

6. THE CONVERSION OF CONSTANTINE

7. EUSEBIUS AND THE CHRISTIAN MONARCHY

8. THE FOUNDING OF CONSTANTINOPLE

9. DONATISM AND ARIANISM

10. THE FOURTH CENTURY--CHRISTIANITY AND PAGANISM

11. EASTERN MONASTICISM

12. LATE ROMAN SOCIETY AND ECONOMY

13. THE CHRISTOLOGICAL CONTROVERSIES

14. THE FIFTH CENTURY

15. THE REIGN OF JUSTINIAN

16. THE LATE SIXTH CENTURY

17. HERAKLEIOS AND THE THEME SYSTEM

18. BYZANTIUM AND THE RISE OF ISLAM

19. THE SUCCESSORS OF HERAKLEIOS

20. LEO III AND THE BEGINNINGS OF ICONOCLASM

21. CONSTANTINE V AND THE FIRST RESTORATION OF IKONS

22. THE EARLY NINTH CENTURY

23. THE AMORIAN DYNASTY

LIST OF BYZANTINE EMPERORS

 

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