Byzantium: A Christian and cultural Colossus

When you hear ignoramuses discuss a 'Dark Age', ask them if they meant Byzantium, a city and empire which is the longest lived in history – 1131 years – and which was very Christian. From its inception in 324 AD until 1453 AD, Byzantium might have been the richest city in world history, with its collection of gold, silver, art, literature and precious artifacts without precedent. Maybe the brain-washed liberal arts major can explain how a Christian empire could have been so long-lived and produced the following in a 'Dark Age':

-Largest city on the planet for 1000 years – Constantinople, Moslem propaganda notwithstanding. [Constantinople contained about 1 million, a claim Moslems made for Cordoba pop. 50.000, and Baghdad, pop. 200.000].

-The most innovative and exquisite Cathedral until the Gothic period; the Haggia Sophia, which was the largest masonry project in world history outside of Herod's 2^nd Temple; and contains the largest dome ever built until Florence in the 15^th century (but remember it was a dark age in Florence as well in 1400....)

-World's first university dating from the early 5^th century was established at Constantinople.

-World's first public school system dates from about 400 AD in Byzantium.

-Constantinople was the largest marble-building site in world history. The city is literally built from the same marble stone, and all of the city's buildings were erected from an island quarry named Marmara. No other city was built from marble on such a scale.

-Byzantium erected the largest aqueducts ever built, carrying water from 150 miles away, some aqueduct bridges are 90 feet high. These dwarf anything the Western Romans built.

-Underground sewers along with enormous water storage facilities were created – for the first time in history in Constantinople. Cisterns below the city held enough water for many years of usage – all fed by natural springs 150 miles away.

-Byzantine art and architecture influenced the civilized world and greatly influenced the art and architecture of Western Europe, Russia, the Near East, and even Iran and China.

-A codex of laws, diplomatic rules and regulations, and policies governing inter-state relations were developed in Byzantium and used by other empires and states.

-Astrolabe, architectural innovations, astronomy, Greek and Roman learning and sundry other inventions were carried from Byzantium to every part of its extensive trade route.

-Ptolemy’s Almagest which laid out a Greek and Christian view of a spherical earth at the centre of the universe, and which calculated the earth's circumference along with literally thousands of important astronomical observations found its way into Western society through Byzantium.

-Greek-fire was a unique and highly effective Byzantine weapon.  Many other military inventions including the Trebuchet [a gravity inspired heavy object/missile launcher dating from the 6^th century]; influenced Western military technology.

The Byzantine empire had mortal weaknesses which led to its final demise. Most of these centered around the ills of despotism, centralized governance, over-taxation, bureaucratic corruption; and a belief, common to all major empires; that they were the centre of the world and that their world would never end.

Despite these weaknesses there is little doubt that this rich, successful, advanced and culturally supreme Christian empire, was the most important centre of learning, the arts, culture and trade for 1000 years. There is a very good argument to make, that without Byzantium's influence and indeed its wealth post the 1204 Crusader sacking of Constantinople, that Western Europe may not have developed modern civilization. The critical aspect of Byzantium was the fact it was Christian, and this world-view of Christianity allowed the Eastern Greek Romans to create a cultural colossus that impacted history and furthered the development of mankind. So much for the 'Dark Ages'.