Code:
Civilisation: The Eastern Roman Empire (or Roman Empire)
Ruling over-
Regions:
Duchy of Nissa
Paristrion
Theme of Macedonia and Thrace
Duchy of Sallonia
Duchy of the Islands
Duchy of Crete
Duchy of Rhodes
Theme of Hellas and Peloponnese
Duchy of Ohrid
Chios
Samos
Duchy of the Aegean
Thracesian Duchy
Opsician Duchy
Paristrion
History: An administrating body of the Byzantine Empire over the final legs of the Danube River before it exits into the Caspian Sea. The Danube River being the 2nd longest river in Europe was a key strategic point to the old Roman Empire and that of the Byzantines (the Eastern Roman Empire) because it is where the northern border sat. Crucial for defence and realising that the width of the river was immense, so it was then therefore created as a key place to build fortresses and watchtowers to guard from an enemy offensive. Key component to many waltzes, the Danube was as thus a key strategic point for the ERE, and crucial to be governed carefully.
Theme of Macedonia and Thrace
Settlement: Thessalonike
History: Macedonia was a theme (or province) of the Byzantine Empire. The outstanding importance of Macedonia in the age of Byzantium arose from the strategic position it occupied between the area around the Danube and the more southern region of the Balkans, on the one hand, Constantinople and the Adriatic Sea, on the other. Its importance was even greater after the conquest of the eastern Byzantine provinces by the Arabs, despite Slavic and Bulgarian incursions, which impeded movement over land routes.
Among a number of other towns and cities, Thessalonike, situated at an intersection of routes, was naturally suited to be an administrative, economic, religious, and cultural centre.
After the end of the Frankish occupation, Macedonia became the territorial centre of the Late Byzantine Empire and developed into a cultural centre whose influence was felt throughout the Balkan Peninsula. However, the destruction and pillaging that occurred as the Turks advanced westwards at the end of the 14th century limited Byzantine sovereignty to small areas of the whole region. The capture of Thessalonike by Murad II in 1430 saw the transformation of Macedonia into an Ottoman possession. Thrace itself came to this conclusion, as it wasn't as prosperous as Macedonia, but more of the Battlefield current of this Duchy. (Sources will follow)
Duchy of Crete
Settlement: Candia
History: Crete continued to be part of the Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire, a quiet cultural backwater, until it fell into the hands of Arabs in 824, who established an emirate on the island. The archbishop of Gortyn (Cyril) was assassinated and the city so thoroughly devastated it was never reoccupied. Candia (Heraklion), a city built by the Arabs, was made capital of the island instead.
In 960 the Byzanites reconquered Crete, who held it until 1204, when it fell into the hands of the Venetians at the time of the Fourth Crusade. The Venetians retained the island until 1669, when the Ottoman Turks took possession of it.
Duchy of Rhodes
Settlement: Rhodes
History: In 1309 the Byzantine era came to an end when the island was subjugated by forces of the Knights Hospitaller. Under the rule of the newly named "Knights of Rhodes", the city was rebuilt into a model of the European medieval ideal. Many of the city's famous monuments, including the Palace of the Grand Master, were built during this period.
The strong walls which the Knights had built withstood the attacks of the Sultan of Egypt in 1444, and of Mehmed in 1480. Ultimately, however, Rhodes fell to the large army of Suleiman the Magnificent in December 1522. The few remaining Knights were permitted to retire to the Kingdom of Malta. The Knights would later move their base of operations to Malta. The island was thereafter a possession of the Ottoman Empire for nearly four centuries.
Duchy of Ohrid
Settlement: Ohrid
History: Ohrid is credited as being the birthplace of the Cyrillic alphabet, which was most probably created by St. Clement of Ohrid that further reformed the Glagolic alphabet created in turn by the brothers St. Cyril and Methodius. Bohemond and his Norman army took the city in 1083. In the 13th and 14th century the city changed hands between Despotate of Epirus, Bulgaria, Byzantine Empire and Serbia. At the end of the 14th century it was conquered by the Ottomans and remained under them until 1912. The Christian population declined during the first centuries of Ottoman rule.
Chios
Settlement: Chios
History: From the end of the 7th century until circa 10th century AD, Chios shared the descent and economic decline of the areas in Asia Minor and Greece. The recovery of the island began mainly at the 11th century AD. the fortress were probably built then, while the chrysobull of Emperor Nikephoros Botaneiates (1078 - 1081) mentions numerous administrative and military officers. The presence of royal officers, fortress builders and guards indicates the interest of the capital city in defense works on the island. According to Anna Comnena, Chios experienced the attacks of the Turk Tzachas during the of the 11th century, at 1090 but at 1093 the Byzantine General Constantine Dalassinos drove Tzachas from Chios. In 1124 and 1171, the Venetians tried to conquer the island, but abandoned Chios after a famine broke out , and rumors that the Byzantine fleet was on its way to Chios had spread on the island. After 1204, Chios became subject to the Latin state of Constantinople, but was liberated by Duke John Vatatzis in 1225. After a series of adventures, the Genoese conquered the island and held it in their possession for approximately two centuries.
Samos
Settlement: Samos
History: As part of the Byzantine Empire, Samos became the head of the Aegean theme (military district). After the 13th century it passed through much the same changes of government as Chios, and, like the latter island, became the property of the Genoese firm of Giustiniani (1346-1566; 1475 interrupted by an Ottoman period).
Byzantine History
n 395 A.D. the Roman Empire was finally dismembered. Its western part fell to the barbarians while the eastern part played an important role in world history for more than a thousand years. With the establishment of Constantinople in 330 A.D. as the capital of the Eastern Roman and the complete predominance of Christianity, the Greeks became conscious of their national identity and laid the foundations of the later powerful Byzantine Empire. Byzantine civilization is considered to be a continuation of ancient Greek civilization with many Roman and Eastern influences. Its main identifying feature was the Christian religion which pervaded its legislation, its literature, its architecture, etc. The Byzantine emperors converted neighboring people to Christianity and, with their powerful fleet, ruled the seas up to the 8th century A.D.
The strategic position of Constantinople, on the site of old Byzantium, between the two large continents of Europe and Asia, shifted the centre of gravity of world domination to the east. But it also became a pole of attraction for all foreign invaders.
In 1096 A.D. the "Frankish" infiltration of the Levant began with the First Crusade. The Crusaders overran the Greek lands. The Fourth Crusade ended with the taking of Constantinople in 1204 and the sharing of the empire among the Crusaders, while Venice imposed itself on the Levant for centuries, in parallel with the Turks. Venice dominated some Creek islands either directly or indirectly. Euboea, the Cyclades, the Ionian islands, Crete and Cyprus were more or less Venetian possessions from 1489 onwards while in the 15th century, Thasos, Samothrace, Imbros, Lemnos, Chios, Samos, Icaria and the ports of Ainos in Thrace and Phocaea in Ionia were Genoese dependencies. Rhodes and Its neighboring islands had been occupied by the Knights of St. John since 1308.
The dismantling of the Byzantine Empire, however, did not bring about the dismantling of Hellenism as well. The idea of national unity had already been sufficiently developed to spark the formation of cores of resistance. Michael Palaeologus succeeded in retaking Constantinople in 1262 and the revived empire lived on for another two centuries. The empire of the Palaeologi was, in fact, nothing more than a national Greek state which, under attack from the Serbs, Bulgarians and Turks was obliged to abandon the dream of empire and barricade itself behind a national idea in order to defend what had remained of Hellenism. The same spirit of resistance inspired the rest of the Greeks, those who were still under Frankish occupation.
The Fall of Constantinople
Finally, in 1453, Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks after a siege of two months. The last emperor of Byzantium, Constantine Palaeologus, fell with the city. Hellenism was then nourished by traditions in which one legend featured very largely: that of the king (Constantine) who had been turned into marble by an angel, and hidden from the Turks until the time was ripe for his resurrection and return. The structure of the social and political life of the Turks, who occupied themselves mainly with their holy war, led them to leave such things as trade, arts and crafts and other productive activities to their vassals, thus making the latter indispensable to the functioning of the empire's administrative machine.
The Turkish Occupation
For Hellenism, the Turkish conquest signified catastrophe, decline and retrogression. Religion played an important role during the first centuries of the conquest in upholding morale and fostering resistance. In the 18th century, however, in parallel with the development of trade in Greek lands, there was a change in economic relations and a Greek urban, middle class began to be formed which, in spite of its peculiar nature, promoted the development of a national conscience.
Inspired by the age of enlightenment in France and stimulating a flowering of intellectual thought, it fired enslaved Greeks with the idea of freedom and equality. At the beginning of the 19th century, the national conscience of the Greeks had reached full maturity and clarity.
Reference:
http://www.deltadunarii.ro/?lg=en
http://www.crystalinks.com/byzantine.html
http://images.encarta.msn.com/xrefme...p/T041441A.gif
http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&...9Fh_k#PPA42,M1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macedonia_%28theme%29
http://www.macedonian-heritage.gr/He...nia/en/A2.html
http://faq.macedonia.org/history/index.frame.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrace
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Crete
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...17776764/pg_12
http://www.archaeopress.com/default3rd.asp
http://www.greeka.com/greece-byzantine.htm
http://www.hellas-guide.com/best_greece/byzantine.html
http://www.ohrid.org.mk/eng/istorija/samuil.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohrid
http://www.ohrid.gov.mk/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chios
http://www.chios.gr/
http://www.chiosonline.gr/byzantinechios.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samos_Island
http://www.vathi.gr/
http://www.travel-to-samos.com/page.php?page_id=60
http://www.historyguide.org/ancient/lecture17b.html
http://historymedren.about.com/cs/by.../forgotten.htm
http://www.greekembassy.or.id/pages_.../Byzantin.html
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03096a.htm
These Romans are crazy!
The Map
Praeses
Originally Posted by Marcus Aurelius
Miles
Re: The Map
We got 2 words for ya..
Tiro
Civis
Semisalis
Sampsis
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
