What is the Byzantine Empire best known for?

What is the Byzantine Empire best known for?

The Byzantine Empire was the longest-lasting medieval power, and its influence continues today, especially in the religion, art, architecture, and law of many Western states, Eastern and Central Europe, and Russia.

What was the Byzantine Empire originally called?

The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinople.

What is Byzantine architecture known for?

Byzantine architects were eclectic, at first drawing heavily on Roman temple features. Their combination of the basilica and symmetrical central-plan (circular or polygonal) religious structures resulted in the characteristic Byzantine Greek-cross-plan church, with a square central mass and four arms of equal length.

Who invented Byzantine Empire?

Roman emperor Constantine I
The Byzantine Empire was a vast and powerful civilization with origins that can be traced to 330 A.D., when the Roman emperor Constantine I dedicated a “New Rome” on the site of the ancient Greek colony of Byzantium.

What is Byzantine called today?

Constantinople
Byzantium (/bɪˈzæntiəm, -ʃəm/) or Byzantion (Greek: Βυζάντιον) was an ancient Greek city in classical antiquity that became known as Constantinople in late antiquity and Istanbul today.

What does the Byzantine flag represent?

The Byzantine Imperial flag is yellow with a black crowned double-headed eagle. The double-headed eagle was the symbol of the Palaiologos, the last Greek-speaking “Roman” dynasty to rule from Constantinople.

What is the most famous example of Byzantine architecture?

the Hagia Sophia
The most famous example of Byzantine architecture is the Hagia Sophia. The Hagia Sophia held the title of largest church in the world until the Ottoman Empire sieged the Byzantine capital.

What influenced Byzantine architecture?

Byzantine architecture was mostly influenced by Roman and Greek architecture. It began with Constantine the Great when he rebuilt the city of Byzantium and named it Constantinople and continued with his building of churches and the forum of Constantine.

What language did the Byzantines speak?

Byzantine Greek language
Byzantine Greek language, an archaic style of Greek that served as the language of administration and of most writing during the period of the Byzantine, or Eastern Roman, Empire until the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453.

What religion did the Byzantine promote?

A central feature of Byzantine culture was Orthodox Christianity.

Where did the Byzantine flag come from?

Lambros suggested that it was adopted from Hittite rock-carvings, while A. Soloviev argued in favour of a late adoption around 1288, as a talisman against the first Ottoman successes in Anatolia, as a symbolic gesture reaffirming Byzantine rule over both European and Asian territories.

Why does the Byzantine eagle have two heads?

In Byzantine heraldry and vexillology, the double-headed eagle (or double-eagle) is a charge associated with the concept of Empire – the heads represent the dual sovereignty of the emperor both in secular and religious matters and/or dominance over both East and West.