From Rome to Byzantium
The Roman Empire is considered the longest-lived empire in history, one of the most extended, the most highly organized, and the most powerful in prestige, and it was a clear symbol of ancient history.
The dividing line between ancient times and the Middle Ages was the transfer of the headquarters of the empire from Rome on the Tiber River to Byzantium on the banks of the Bosphorus, and naming it with the Eastern Roman-Byzantine Empire.
The fall of the Eastern Roman Byzantine state marked the end of the Middle Ages and the entry into the history of modern times.
City of Rome
old Roman city
The ancient Romans were able to build a great empire that
began with the founding of the city of Rome on the Tiber River. Over time, it
dominated areas of the European continent, in addition to parts of the Middle
East and Africa, and its control extended from Spain to Iraq, from England to
Egypt, and from the south. Russia to Morocco.
This civilization and empire had a prominent impact on the various peoples of the regions it controlled, and was able to maintain its prosperity and development for about a thousand years. The Romans were also able to manage their sprawling empire by equipping an organized and disciplined army and adopting an effective bureaucracy.
History of ancient Rome
The founding of ancient Rome began in 753 BC that is told through a legend about two brothers, Romulus and Remus. In legend, they are descendants of soldiers who survived the Trojan War and eventually made their way to Italy. As legend has it, their mother gave birth to twins after cheating on her husband.
Finally she sent them down the river in a wicker basket, where a she-wolf found them. The wolf fed and cared for them until they grew up. Once the brothers grew older, they founded the oldest Roman settlements.
Ultimately, the differences between the brothers led them to compete in different ways to determine who should lead. These contests eventually led to Romulus killing Remus. The city of Rome would be founded on April 21, 753 BC, and would get its name from the name of the surviving brother. Although there is no real way to verify the authenticity of this date.
Over time, this city developed into a republic ruled by the Senate and the Roman people in the year 509 BC. During the following 450 years, Rome was able to expand into Italy, France, Spain, Turkey, North Africa, and Greece, and the existence of the Roman Empire began in the year 31 BC. M under the leadership of Augustus as its emperor, after the collapse of the republic due to civil war, where a new political system was established, so that the emperor-kings could later expand the borders of the state to include the regions of the Mediterranean, Britain, and most of northern and central Europe and the Near East.
Geography of ancient Rome
The ancient city of Rome is located in the central corner of the Italian Peninsula, surrounded by water on three sides (the Mediterranean Sea, the Adriatic Sea or the Venetian Sea, and the Ionian Sea), and it extends along the Tiber River.
This helped it provide water sources for humans, animals, and plants, and the river made it easier for the Romans to move and travel, and to reach the Mediterranean Sea more quickly, which is about 15 miles (24 km) away from the city center. In addition, the city’s presence among the hills and mountains contributed ( The Apennine Mountains and the Alps protect it from external invasions and attacks, due to the difficulty and ruggedness of the road.
Demographics of ancient Rome
Statistical estimates indicate that the population of the ancient city of Rome reached one million people, and given the geographical area of the city, which is about 13.86 km², the population density is 72,150 people per km², which is considered a relatively high rate.
Population statistics conducted in 69 BC indicated that the population of ancient Rome amounted to about 900 thousand people, while the statistics of Emperor Augustus, which were conducted in 28 BC, revealed that the population reached 4 million people. It is believed that the reason for the clear discrepancy is the census is that Augustus included women and children in his census, not just heads of household
Language and religion in ancient Rome
Latin represented the official language of the Romans, and this language is considered the basis of several languages currently widespread on the European continent, such as Italian, French, and Spanish.
From a religious standpoint, the Roman religion was represented by the worship of the same gods worshiped by the Greeks, and the difference is only in the names, as the god Zeus was called Jupiter, Hera was called Juno, Ares was called Mars, and Athena was called Minerva.
City of Byzantium
Old Byzantium city
Like the old capital, Constantinople was built on seven different hills, provided subsidized grain to it’s people, and had the normal governmental buildings a capital needed, including a new senate building.
The capital moved from Rome to Byzantium
It was the name of the famous Greek colony on whose ruins the city that would later be known as “Constantinople” was built. The word "Byzantium" was later used to refer, for several centuries, to what was known as the Roman Empire in the Middle Ages, or the "Eastern Roman Empire" to distinguish it from the "Western Roman Empire", because the status of "Roman" was present in both empires.
But the Eastern Empire had stronger ties to the East than its sister, and because its capital was also in the East. In the year 324.
In the year 324, the Roman Emperor Constantine chose the site of Byzantium, the ancient Greek colony that was located in a triangle of land between the waters of the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus, and the Sea of Marmara, to build the capital of his empire in the East on it. In May of the year 330, its construction was completed, and Constantine’s capital was inaugurated in the East and named after him.
In 324 AD, the Roman Emperor Constantine I decided to establish a new capital city for the Roman Empire, which he named Constantinople (meaning "Constantine's City").
Constantinople was strategically located on the Bosporus Strait, which connected the Mediterranean and Black Seas. This gave the city advantageous trade and defensive positions.
The transfer of the capital was a gradual process over several decades. By 330 AD, Constantine had officially dedicated the city as the new capital of the Roman Empire.
The move eastward marked a significant shift in the center of power and culture within the Roman Empire. Constantinople became the seat of the Byzantine Empire, which would rule for over 1,000 years after the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
Reasons for moving the capital from Rome to Byzantium
The economic crisis, some misdeeds of the emperors, and the barbarian invasion of Roman lands contributed to the weakness of the empire and its division into two halves (eastern and western). The Western Empire collapsed with the invasion of the Mongols, followed by the Eastern Empire in the fifteenth century.
This new capital is partly due to his decision to adopt Christianity, and partly due to the geography of the Empire. With this new capital, Constantine could move his army, with himself at the head, to many places around the empire in a shorter time and with a shorter distance.
. 330 AD Rome needed to change and Constantine was obligated to save his kingdom. The empire as a whole was confronted with, “hard economic, political, and social problems.” . Both economically and also socially the gap between the rich and the poor was growing bigger. As it grew the treatment of lower classes and slaves degenerated. Constantine sought a way out of the problems his empire was facing. So Constantine moved his seat as the ruler of Rome East to the city of Byzantium. Which he later ended up, “changing its name from Byzantium to Constantinople.” . Constantine’s decision to move East would render many positive benefits for his empire. Such as the location, economic opportunities, political benefits. And personal reasons.
It was located near a deep water port, and also was a contact between Asia and Europe. Rich with natural resources, the trade in Byzantium was able to flourish. The move politically was to reinforce Latin Christianity within the empire. The core of the Roman empire was now far from barbarians posing a threat to Constantine’s empire and now closer to their support system. Another reason for the move is Constantine had grown up in Byzantium learning from wise men. All of these factors helped solidify the fact that, “The Byzantine Empire excelled the rest of the Roman Empire by nearly 1000 years.”
Results of moving the Roman capital
The relocation of the capital had major political, economic and cultural implications, transforming Constantinople into a major metropolis and reinforcing the division between the eastern and western halves of the Roman Empire.
The religious transformation was significant, as the Roman religion changed from paganism to Christianity when Emperor Constantine was baptized, and after him Emperor Seodotheus considered Christianity the official religion of the empire, and the Roman Empire became the protector of Christianity after it had been one of its staunchest enemies.
