History Summarized: Byzantine Empire - The Golden Age 

Speaking as a Protestant myself... I 100% agree with the assessment. This channel is amazing.

So that's why all the Protestant churches I've seen are painted with boring white and other drab colors

@@JohnSmith-ey6zy I kinda like it actually. It still gives the same sensation as being in a catholic church despite their being no outward sign of grandeur. It's a very psychological experience; an inward focus rather then an outward one. Some of them are virtually indistinguishable from converted offices or modern art-chitecture, though.

@@rationalroundhead6739 That's a pretty cool way to look at it. No offense to Catholics, but having awesome stuff on the inside instead of the outside seems more Christian. It's a glorification of the Trinity that isn't outward, which I feel is a way to uphold Christian faith in general. After all, IIRC, Jesus wanted people to pray in private rather than in public (Matthew 6:5-6, as I looked up), and he wasn't exactly thrilled with the outward avarice associated with the temples of his time. Then again I'm also a polytheist pagan who worships an Egyptian war goddess, but hey. My pastor knew his stuff and I've retained knowledge and respect for Christians and their faith since.

As someone who's family is Eastern Orthodox: he's right ya know. XD

“Medieval” heretic

You called?

I mean they may not have done much to directly fight in Anatolia (Or outright feuded wit the people they were supposed to be helping!) but at least they opened a second front!

Crusader Crusaders, not singular crusader

A truly terrible type of captain crunch

Sounds like something out of WarHammer.

My main men the shield bois

Rising of the shield boyz

I feel like the Imperium has become orkoid since the return of Vulkan...

This is the Byzantines are the best empire

Oh I've played enough Civilization V to know how THIS ends... *shakes fist* DANDOLO!!!!

@@TerLoki dandolo vult

Well as long as you ask for military access first it is all good. Can’t really fight the Mamluk navy with a small kingdom in medieval, and the crusade target is past Roman lands.

@@GAndreC tell me ur an eu4 player without telling me ur ab eu4 player

To paraphrase one of my favorite Extra History series: Why let a little miscommunication get in the way of a good crusade?

I've made a severe and continuous lapse in my judgement

Byzantium: Hey western Europe, we’ve got a bit of a Muslim invasion in problem. Since we’ve held the line ourselves for several centuries, would you help us retake our provinces in Anatolia? Western Europe: Instructions unclear, took Jerusalem. Byzantium: No, what are you doing? I said help us retake our provinces! Western Europe: Instructions unclear, took Constantinople.

They did many crusades, some of which almost didn’t fail

Well The first one was a succes, the fourth one though was a disaster

That’s mainly due to the claim system. Casus belia only let you take up to a duchy at a time from 769 to 1453.

@wubbey man bruh, then the Arabs use 1000 piety to invade you occasionally

@@Wubbeyman tell that to Poland Lithuania after the mongols disintegrated lol

@@Wubbeyman Damnit, now I really wanna see Blue play EU4

@@aaronmyers2509 or try to keep Byzantium from collapsing into civil war in CK2

Kole Williamson saaaaaaame

Good description of bipolar disorder

@@JaelaOrdo not at all

Eastern Romans are the most relatable Romans.

So, you trying to say it was a good empire, question mark. =)

That's gonna be my life motto from now on

"Because it is impossible to tell when the middle of my life is, I have elected to have an ongoing crisis"

Essentially what the Roman Empire did for a millenium

Belisarius! What are you doing? You’re wasting perfectly good conquering-Italia time.

@@privateer_am P

i love this comment more than i should

Olive Oil the Extra Chaste.

Pesto

Sounds like the pest-o’ friends...no need to clap

Okay, this makes me giggle.

Ah yes, the GDE

“Eastern Roman Empire” feels better

As Greek-Rum myself,thank you a lot for your comment ,is the absolute truth about our history, Personaly I am From Constantinople. Thank you again I am proud Greek-Rum from my bottom of my heart! May the God be with you!

@@user-ti8bv6by1m Me too!

@@user-ti8bv6by1m what does a greek rum mean, like I remember the ottoman emperors taking the title kayser i rum(fuck to their definitely not highnesses)

@@Cecilia-ky3uw Rum is what turks callled Greek Speaking Romaioi or "Romans"

from 753bc all the way to 1453 it was kinda their thing.

That was the case for one instance. He didn't go blinding people for a hobby.

@@user-it2hc6bx5t True, but still, fucking brutal. He got furious at the Bulgarians for killing one of his generals if I remember correctly, idk though, they didn't go in that much depth in middle school.

@Alkis Daispyros okay you HAVE to not be an American. Cause in the US school system, Bulgaria doesn't exist until WW2.

@@IceQueen975 Yeah I'm Greek.

Basil II is just two leaves in the video. Two tasty sprigs of Basil xD

The entirety of the Byzantine-Bulgarian history is metal. 1) A small addition about Basil. After receiving the news of what Basil had done to the Bulgarian army (blinding them, leaving only 1 per every 100 with one eye, so they could return home) the Bulgarian Tzar suffered a heart attack and died. 2) In the early 800s Khan Krum led an attack on the Byzantine army, which were marching home after having burned the Bulgarian capital of Pliska. He won and captured Emperor Niciphorus. Let's just say that his skull had the perfect properties for drinking cup. 3) The last story is from after the period covered in the video. After the Latin Empire was established, the Bulgarian Tzar Kaloyan managed to seize some support from Byzantine aristocracy in Thrace with the hopes of expanding there and claiming Constantinople. That alliance didn't last long, though and the Byzantines in his lands rebelled. He dealt with that in the most polite of manners and buried them alive,thus gaining the nickname "Roman-slayer"

Oh, it would have been a great video, even 2-3!

I'm just imagining an army taking orders from a potted plant carried around on a royal purple cushion.

@sisyphus Basil the II was also represented as a plant in the video, only with a double amount of leaves at 6:45. ;)

Still prefer Michael IV 'the drunkard' cuz everything for the booze. I think there was also an emperor nicknamed the 'dongfaced' somewhere around 900

Good enemies are better than good friends.

Tod No only 1 annexed the other though for 170 years hue hue hue. Byzantines and HRE were also often friendimies.

Well, DUH. Both claimed THEY were the Roman Empire. (Byzantines actually were the ones with proof to back them up)

It was definitely a more of a love-hate relationship rather than only a rivalry. At some point we saw ourselves as the people who could return the christian empire back to its former glory. A common misconception about Bulgaria's greatest and most ambitious ruler(Simeon the Great) is that he wanted to conquer Byzantium. That is not the case he claimed to be the rightful heir to the Byzantine throne. His main goal was to establish a Bulgaro-Byzantine orthodox empire. Infact Simeon almost became a regent to the young byzantine emperor Constantine VII as a deal which the Bulgarian emperor made with Nicholas Mystikos (a byzantine patriarch and an extremely influential political figure). However Constantine s mother Zoe managed to enable this plan from happening. Was this to happen, we probably would have seen the emergence of one of Europe's greatest empires.

Yes, we fought together and against each other. Bulgaria also played an important role in saving Constantinople against the Arabs.

Oh good I’m not the only one then.

I always weep for the Byzantine empire. They kept fighting until the bitter end unlike the western half. It was the last connection we had to the ancient world they bridged the old and new and kept fighting hard for another thousand years it makes great narrative although I wish the Byzantines didn’t fall I’m glad what they gave to the world and they deserve their place in history not just as the successor to the romans but as their own unique empire that we still talk about to this day heck the Middle East is still messed up because of how history went, Greeks are still making claims to this day.

@Hammody Ahmed The situation with the Middle East basically starts with the fall of the Byzantines in the region and Muslim conquests. Of-course it managed to eventually stabilize under the Ottomans but again the same issues repeated when the Ottoman Empire collapsed and the issue was made worse when the Europeans got involved. Then when the European colonial Empire collapsed the issue was made even worse again by the US and Soviet messing around in the region until once again when the Soviet Union fell the region got worse as the US ended up getting involved more.

Western Europe owes so much to the Byzantines. They were the bulwark against Muslim expansionism during the European Dark Ages. The Byzantine brain drain to the Italian city-states seeded the ground for the Renaissance. What did they get for their efforts: marauding Crusaders tearing up the Empire.

@Hammody Ahmed It was the study of ancient Greek literature that contributed in an extreme way. That was what byzantine scholars brought with them. And it is not something we can argue in a corner of youtube. It is a fact

“Oh boy, here we go conquering again” said Nikephoros, John Tzimeskes and Basil II.

p.s barbarian pls take my money and leave me alone

Yes, but now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople

@@benjaminmclaren8782 Are you saying that if I've got a date in Constantinople she'll be waiting in Istanbul?

Hey. Its Jack! In an OSP comment section. My two favorite channels together.

Fancy seeing you here, Jack!

Last time _I_ was this early old New York was old New Amsterdam. why they changed it, I can’t say

Laughs in 867 and 936

*laughs in revolt*

Byzantine Revolt Revolt

@@tylerellis9097 laughs in 681

@@pyroshrimp4073 .....that’s not a start

americana_incarnate well, did you get seizure?

@@swordrist8845 define seizure.

americana_incarnate “A sudden attack of illness, especially a stroke or an epileptic fit.”

@@swordrist8845 oh, is that why I started convulsing on the floor?

@@americana_incarnate1717 ... still alive down there?

And have part of it casually on fire.

I hate to be that guy but did you mean "symbolic"

@@PocketHexapod Yeah, Symbolic, stupid auto correct

@@abthedragon4921 I now wonder what word it was initially.

@@hiddenshadow2105 I meant to type symbolic but my phone autocorrected to symbiotic somehow.

Superior tech only gets you so far when you make to many large oofs

@@Sevofthesands As August/Octavius taught us. Being mighty may win the battles, but being bureaucratic wins you empires.

@@mesektet5776 remember kids don't be just smart or powerful be powerfully smart.

Mese Ktet 1.Greek Fire can’t be used on field Campaigns and the Arabs also used it. 2. Cataphract Armor was so Heavy it made them easy targets for Norman crouched lance charges which is why Cataphract armor often got lighter as time went on after the 1000s.

The Byzantine Empire was basically under constant attack from all sides for their entire existence. They were effectively a "sponge" that kept all sorts of potential invaders from reaching Western Europe. Having some high tech weapons only goes so far, if anything it's amazing that some napalm, armored cavalry, and a nigh imprenetrable capital city enabled them to survive for a millennium against an endless parade of new rivals.

They're really good in m2tw

@@thatlonelygiraffeinc.6989 They are, but don't be deceived by the elite Varangian Guard, who because of the two-handed animation bug usually do worse in battle than basic spearmen

@@sulphuric_glue4468 really? I didn't know that at all. Spearmen are pretty op in that game too

@@sulphuric_glue4468 can you educate me on what said bug is?

If you haven't already, I heartily recommend playing as them in Crusader Kings 2, as they have a unique, incredibly fun event chain where you can reconquer old Roman territories and proclaim the Roman Empire reborn. Also you can go mad, burn down the Holy See and bring back a reformed Hellenic faith if that's your thing.

Ajohnymouse Read Bloodlands by Timothy Snyder

Hopefully you admire them genuinely and not to be edgy

@@vetabeta9890 ​ God no, I used to play ice hockey and my best friend from when I started was a Russian guy and his family are some of the sweetest people I have ever met. Then after a while I realize, despite the fact I was told as a child to hate Communists and be suspicious of Russians, I knew next to nothing about either Communists or the Russian people. I knew I was Czech and learned we were both slavs, but again I didn't know what that meant. So I set out to learn and found a treasure trove of interesting things unknown to the rest of those around me, and I became so invested that when I invite that same Russian friend to sit with me during a WW2 course during a quiz on the Eastern front, he knew little about it and his grandparents half-jokingly, half seriously yelled at him for not knowing who Georgy Zhukov was and encouraged him to spend more time around me so he could learn his history. Its not edge, its a genuine curiosity and fascination with a region American schools completely ignore until you actively look for it at university. I like the folklore, I like the people, from the Rus in Kiev to now. I get asked about the Soviet era a lot though, and I hate that WW2 is the only thing people really focus on in regards to any attention paid to the area. It would be like having a Korean-American learning about far east Asia in it's entirety but then being asked about Japan all the time. Sure, the Japanese empire and the Soviet Union were big in WW2 but theres much more to Russians than Cossacks, more to Japanese than Samurai, and no one asks about the leader that never lost a battle native to MY people's particular region, Jan Zizka for Czechs and Admiral Yi for Koreans.

@@qaiser648 I had to read parts of it for my WW2 history class since our professor was Polish and it was brutal, but Eastern Europes a brutal place and Stalin, Beria, and the NKVD were an exceptionally brutal bunch. Not condoning it but that was easily the most brutal front of the entire war and with anti-axis AND anti-Soviet partisans being a threat to both sides, Poland and the Red Army fighting in the 1920s, it doesn't surprise me that people either cruel in unique circumstances or pragmatic people prioritizing the war being won and threats in the west being subdued by any means necessary resulted in atrocities.

@@vetabeta9890 The big thing I learned, and this hypothetical Korean American likely learned, is that people don't ask about the smaller nations next to giants and that bothers me a bit since Czechs and Koreans are very interesting in their own right.

Miss me with "Ballistas"

@@OverlySarcasticProductions That will warrant quite the ballistic reaction.

“Bruh, she said it was okay we didn’t pay our taxes. She just wants birds for some reason.” “Dude, the village is on fire.”

@@stormrunner1177 And the guys who killed her husband? Scalded to death. What a sweetie!

"saint"

What about Svjatoslav, her son, who said 'Mom, I am going to be rebel pagan punk teenager my whole life" and then did so?

@@hiddenshadow2105 and then HIS son rebelled against him and became a Christian

As horrid as it was. At least they fell with style doing a few flips on the. Way down

"nooo, that's not how it's supposed to go. you got this-" oh.

badum tisssss

*C A R T H A G O D E L E N D A E S T*

Ceterum censeo Cartaginem esse delandam lmao

How... How old are you?

In church I could never withhold laughter. Baby Jesus always looks like he is having none of your bull. "My child, I am not enthused."

@@jonotwist My mother possesses an image of baby Jesus that, to me, looks utterly and completely smug. Yes. Smug baby Jesus.

DarkRose 777 good luck! 🍀

I'm becoming a history teacher and I sincerely hope you'll Smash that test! Good luck!

@@simonafflerbach3388 I did! Thanks to you guys and Blue

@@darkrose7774 I know I'm 5 months late but, yay

I hope that 2020 has been as kind to you as is feasible, in that case. I get the feeling.

Samuil Terziyski isn’t the title “velikiy Kynaz” or Grand Prince?

@@randomguy4167 for that I'm unsure (I'm Bulgarian). I think Muscovy did use Great Knyaz, but for the Rus I'm uncertain

@@randomguy4167 1.

@@randomguy4167 the main guy is Grand, others - not

@@randomguy4167 it was but it's not"tsar"

So does that mean Basil the Second was King 2: Electric Boogaloo?

Fun fact: So does Theoden, of Lord of the Rings fame! Most of his ancestors too. Tolkein couldn't innovate *all* the time.

@@clockworkkirlia7475 As far as names go Tolkien had no problem yoinking directly.

It’s like the Latins naming a kid “Rex.”

*Emperor* King.

They protecc They attack But most importantly They push Arabs back

Fiskarsmurfen sorry you’re having such a difficult time. Hope things turn around soon.

Alp Arslan after winning:"ooh someone's salty."

Alo Arslan: I WILL DRINK FROM YOUR SKULL! No seriously, I't going to be hollowed out, decorated with silver and gems, you're going to be the most FABULOUS emperor turned drinking vessel this side of the Mongol Khanate

Sultanate of Rum: It's free real estate.

The two armies were actually about equal before the pecheneg desertion

@@maddmaddox1648 30.000 to 40.000 doesn't sound equal.

The people and talent was roman, the region was greek. Really calling them Roman or Greek is inaccurate at this point since after awhile they just turned into Greece 2.0

@@clayxros576 I know, but the memes

@@clayxros576 The "people" were Roman citizens but majorly Greek ethnically and culturally as the time passed for the ERE.

Desū Gun more like majorly ethically Anatolian and Armenian with Hellenic Roman culture.

@@tylerellis9097 There is truth to that but the heart of the empire was comprised of the Greek mainland and the Anatolian coast which were predominantly Greek.

J Corbo Then they got stomped by Norman Crouched Lance Charges

Roman Empire was used by the Byzantines, yes, because they were Eastern Rome, just changed a bit over the years. Nobody else really wanted to admit they were Romans though, so they used terms like "kingdom of the Greeks" or "empire of the Greeks" which is a little bit true but mostly false. (I'm no expert tho)

@@priamneville5899 Muslims overall didn´t have problem with it and called them Romans. It´s just Catholics who claimed to have the Roman Empire (HRE) in Germany and Italy who didn´t like to admit ERE was Roman Empire. But this all varied depending on how friendly to each other they were so you can have Catholic in one century saying how they are just "kingdom of the Greeks" while in another century, they would have no problem in seeing them as Rome (and apparently, they were on the friendliest terms after fall of Latin Empire when multiple emperors visited western Europe and even tried to mend the schism).

Priam Neville They were the Roman Empire not Eastern Roman Empire and many realms called them Roman Empire or more specifically Romania(land of the Romans) even the Crusaders

@@priamneville5899 It was not until the 9th century that Charlemagne's court start calling them "the Greeks" because the Carolingeans wanted to position themselves as the legitimate continuation of the Roman Empire, although only Constantinople was the capital of the uninterrupted Roman imperial state that had a continuous and traceable existence from Augustus in, I believe, 32 BC. Charlemagne (Carl or Charles the Great, Carolus Magnus in Latin, thus the "Carolingean" or lineage-of-Carl/Carol Empire) also ordered filioque inserted in the Nicene Creed and initiated the first schism (called by the West the "Photian" schism, after Ecumenical Patriarch Photios) over this issue, which receded after Charlemagne's death until it was revived in the 11th century by the Roman Pontiff's excommunication of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which was returned in kind. Charlemagne could not be satisfied with being the ruler of just another barbarian kingdom, and the consequences of that have shaped the world we live in today.

@@michaels4255 After a quick fact-check, I noticed two patently false claims in your comment: 1. Although it is true that _filioque_ isn't in the original version of the Nicene Creed, and it is true that Charlemagne was an aggressive promoter of it (to the point of accusing Patriarch Tarasios of heresy over not reciting it), he cannot be the perpetrator of the edit since it predates him by several centuries, although the controversy over it was rejuvenated during his reign. 2. _Filioque_ was not what the Photian schism was about. It was over the deposing of St. Ignatius as the Patriarch of Constantinople by Emperor Michael III and his replacing by Patriarch Photios, which the Pope considered illegitimate. Charlemagne also can't be blamed for that, as he had already been dead for half a century when that happened.

How did this happen?

So they called a Crusade

@@ellerykingston1077 actually they called a couple cruasades, some if which almost weren't failures

*Ah!*

lol

C. 410 to 1453, with an interruption in 1205 for a few years.

Right, the east does not use a missal, thus "mass" is not a correct term for the Divine Liturgy.

@wearenotabrickwallweareskittarii In this period, eastern and western Christendom were not separate churches, this was pre-schism. However, there were liturgical differences already. The Greek churches have always used the Biblical word "liturgeia" for its religious services, not mass. At this early date, I'm not even sure the Latin West was using the term mass yet.

You, living in Constantinople, way back in 950 AD: "oh man this empire is sweet, can't wait for Blue to make a video about all this" -B

@@OverlySarcasticProductions My Byzantine happiness when Blue makes a video about Byzantine history which is sure to last multiple Millenia given how prosperous and efficient the empire is. :'D