Byzantium 3719 225524856 2008-07-14T03:47:34Z Tamr007 6932506 Added {{pp-semi-vandalism}} template based on [[User:Tanthalas39]] protection {{pp-semi-vandalism|expiry=August 13, 2008}} :''This article is about the city. See also [[Byzantine Empire]].'' '''Byzantium''' ([[Greek language|Greek]]: Βυζάντιον, [[Latin]]: {{lang|la|<small>BYZANTIVM</small>}}, {{lang|la|Byzantium}}) was an [[Ancient Greece|ancient Greek]] city, which was founded by [[Greeks|Greek]] colonists from [[Megara]] in [[667 BC]] and named after their king [[Byzas]] or Byzantas (Βύζας or Βύζαντας in Greek). The name "Byzantium" is a [[Latinization]] of the original name '''Byzantion'''. The city is what later evolved to be the center of the [[Byzantine Empire]] (the Greek-speaking [[Roman Empire]] of [[late Antiquity]] and the [[Middle Ages]]) under the name of [[Constantinople]]. Constantinople fell to the Turkish [[Ottoman Empire]] in 1453. The name of the city was changed to [[Istanbul]] in 1930. ==History== The origins of Byzantium are shrouded in legend. The traditional legend has it that Byzas from Megara (a town near [[Athens]]), founded Byzantium, when he sailed northeast across the [[Aegean Sea]]. Byzas had consulted the [[Oracle at Delphi]] to ask where to make his new city. The Oracle told him to find it "opposite the blind." At the time, he did not know what this meant. But when he came upon the [[Bosporus]] he realized what it meant: on the Asiatic shore was a Greek city, [[Chalcedon]]. It was they who must have been blind because they had not seen that obviously superior land was just a half mile away on the other side of the Bosporus. Byzas founded his city here in this "superior" land and named it Byzantion after himself. It was mainly a trading city due to its strategic location at the [[Black Sea]]'s only entrance. Byzantion later conquered Chalcedon, across the Bosporus. After siding with [[Pescennius Niger]] against the victorious [[Septimius Severus]], the city was besieged by [[Roman Empire|Roman]] forces and suffered extensive damage in 196 AD. Byzantium was rebuilt by Septimius Severus, now emperor, and quickly regained its previous prosperity. The location of Byzantium attracted [[Constantine I (emperor)|Roman Emperor Constantine I]] who, in 330 AD, refounded it as [[New Rome|Nova Roma]]. After his death the city was called [[Constantinople]] (Greek Κωνσταντινοπολησ or Konstantinopolis) ('city of Constantine'). It remained the capital of the [[Eastern Roman Empire]], which was later called the [[Byzantine Empire]] by historians. This combination of [[imperialism]] and location would affect Constantinople's role as the crossing point between two [[continents]]: [[Europe]] and [[Asia]]. It was a [[commerce|commercial]], [[culture|cultural]], and [[diplomacy|diplomatic]] magnet. With its strategic position, Constantinople could control the route between Asia and Europe, as well as the passage from the [[Mediterranean Sea]] to the Black Sea. On [[May 29]], [[1453]], the city fell to the [[Ottoman Turks]], and, once again, became the capital of another powerful state, the [[Ottoman Empire]]. The Turks called the city [[Istanbul]] (though not officially renamed until [[1930]]) and it has remained [[Republic of Turkey|Turkey's]] largest (and arguably its most important) city, although [[Ankara]] is now the capital. ==Emblem== [[Image:Constantinople-Banner.svg|thumb|100px|right|The banner of Constantinople]] Byzantium first produced coins with the crescent and star symbol in the 4th century BC. According to legend, this was to honour the moon-goddess [[Hecate]], who the inhabitants believed had saved the city from attack by [[Philip II of Macedon]] in 340-339 BC.<ref>''Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece'' by Nigel Guy Wilson (Routledge, 2006) p.136</ref><ref>''The Complete Dictionary of Symbols'' by Jack Tresidder (Chronicle Books, 2005) p.127)</ref> In [[330]] AD Constantine I added the [[Blessed Virgin Mary|Virgin Mary]]'s star to the flag. Byzantium would then also be the first attested nation or empire to use the combination of the crescent moon and star together as an emblem.{{Fact|date=June 2008}} The crescent moon and star was not completely abandoned by the Christian world after the fall of Constantinople. To date the official flag of the [[Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem]] is a [[labarum]] of white, a church building with two towers, and on either side of the arms, at the top, are the outline in black of a crescent moon facing center and a star with rays.{{Fact|date=June 2008}} == Notable people == *[[Homerus of Byzantium|Homerus]], early [[3rd century BC]], tragedian *[[Philo of Byzantium|Philo]] (ca. 280 BC-ca. 220 BC), engineer *[[Epigenes]] ([[3rd century BC]]-[[2nd century BC|2nd]]), astrologer *[[Leontius (writer)|Leontius]] (c. 485-c. 543), theologian and writer ==Notes== {{reflist}} ==References== <div class="references-small"> * Harris, Jonathan, ''Constantinople: Capital of Byzantium'' (Hambledon/Continuum, London, 2007). ISBN: 978 1847251794 *Jeffreys, Elizabeth and Michael, and Moffatt, Ann, ''Byzantine Papers: Proceedings of the First Australian Byzantine Studies Conference, Canberra, 17-19 May 1978'' (Australian National University, Canberra, 1979). * [http://www.istanbulinfolink.com/the_city/istanbul/history_1.htm Istanbul Historical Information - Istanbul Informative Guide To The City]. Retrieved [[January 6]], [[2005]]. * [http://www.guideistanbul.net/tablo1a.htm The Useful Information about Istanbul]. Retrieved [[January 6]], [[2005]]. </div> * ''The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium'' (Oxford University Press, 1991) ISBN: 0195046528 ==See also== * [[Constantinople]] details the history of the city before the [[Fall of Constantinople|Turkish conquest of 1453]]. * [[Istanbul]] details the history of the city from 1453 on, and describes the modern city. ==External links== * Society for the Promotion of Byzantine Studies : [http://www.byzantium.ac.uk www.byzantium.ac.uk] * Description of Byzantine monetary system - fifth Century BC : [http://www.galmarley.com/framesets/fs_monetary_history_faqs.htm History of money FAQs] [[Category:667 BC establishments]] [[Category:Settlements established in the 7th century BC]] [[Category:Constantinople]] [[Category:Ancient Greek cities]] [[ar:بيزنطة]] [[ca:Bizanci]] [[cs:Byzantion]] [[de:Byzantion]] [[et:Bütsants]] [[el:Βυζάντιο]] [[es:Bizancio]] [[eo:Bizanco]] [[eu:Bizantzio]] [[fr:Byzance]] [[ko:비잔티온]] [[id:Byzantium]] [[it:Bisanzio]] [[he:ביזנטיון]] [[ja:ビュザンティオン]] [[no:Bysants]] [[nn:Bysants]] [[nds:Byzanz]] [[ru:Византия (мегарская колония)]] [[sk:Byzantion]] [[fi:Byzantion]] [[sv:Byzantion]] [[tr:Byzantion]] [[zh:拜占庭]]