The Byzantine Empire was an ancient empire that lasted from 330 A.D. to 1453 A.D., and was once the most powerful empire in Europe, the Middle East, and parts of North Africa. It was centered around Constantinople, which had been founded by Constantine the Great in 330 A.D., and its capital city for over a thousand years until it fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453 A.D.. The Byzantine Empire is characterized by its culture of tolerance and religious pluralism, its wealthy cities, its artworks, its military prowess and political complexity.The Byzantine Empire was an Orthodox Christian society whose official language was Greek; however it also tolerated many other religions including Judaism, Islam and various pagan faiths. This religious flexibility contributed to a cultural diversity within the Empire’s borders which included elements from different societies such as Armenians, Syrians, Greeks and Arabs among others. The Byzantines were known for their artistic achievements such as mosaics, paintings and architecture which still stand today as reminders of this great civilization’s past greatness. They developed a form of government that consisted of imperial autocracy but also included elements of democracy through Senate representation which allowed citizens to have some say in how the state would be run through elected officials called strategos.
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