Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TIMELINE
1000 BC
Thracian tribes found the settlements of Lygos and Semistra; Plinius mentions the
founding of Semistra in his histories and traces of Lygos remain near Seraglio Point.
667 BC
Legend tells us that Byzas, a citizen of the city of Megara, northwest of Athens, travels up
the Bosphorus and founds Byzantium on the site of Lygos.
512 BC
The army of the Persian emperor Darius captures the city; after the Persians' retreat in
478 BC, Byzantium chooses to join the Athenian League for protection.
AD 79
Byzantium is oicially incorporated into the Roman Empire ruled by the soldier-emperor
Vespasian; it retains its status as a free state but pays high taxes to the empire.
330
Constantine the Great declares Byzantium the capital of the Roman Empire; the city soon
becomes known as Constantinople.
380
Theodosius I declares Christianity the imperial religion; a year later, he summons an
ecumenical council to Constantinople to deine church orthodoxy.
524
Justinian, the most famous of the Byzantine emperors, marries a courtesan called
Theodora, the daughter of a bear-keeper at the Hippodrome.
527
Justinian takes the throne and makes Theodora joint ruler; his introduction of heavy
taxes leads to the Nika riots of 532 and half of the city is destroyed.
565
