View Voyages To Antiquity Online Brochure

The coming of the barbarians The emergence of the barbarian kingdoms in the 5th century and the rise of Islam in the 7th century meant that the medieval Mediterranean world would not be nearly as cohesive as its ancient counterpart. Amidst this chaotic background of plagues, wars and crusades emerged two remarkable cultures: the Norman Kingdom of Sicily and the Venetian Empire. The Kingdom of Sicily was a state that existed in South Italy and Sicily from its founding by Roger II in 1130 until 1194, when it was absorbed into the Holy Roman Empire. While much of Europe was engulfed by vicious religious wars, in Sicily the Normans presided over a miraculous society that combined Latin, Byzantine and Arab culture. It was, writes John Julius Norwich in The Middle Sea, “the most brilliant and cultivated court of the Middle Ages”. The rise of venice The Venetian Republic existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century AD until 1797. It is often referred to as La Serenissima, the Most Serene Republic. Over the years the Venetians acquired an overseas empire that was primarily concerned with protecting anddeveloping their commercial interests. “The Venetians were exporting no ideology to the world,” says Jan Morris in The Venetian Empire: A Sea Voyage. “They were not hoping to found lesser states in their own image. They had no missionary zeal. They were not great builders like the Romans.” What they were was an economic superpower motivated by the pursuit of profit. Theirs was an empire of coastal outposts and island strongholds stretching from the Adriatic to Greece and its islands to the eastern Aegean. The great riches their dominions brought to Venice not only funded the magnificent architectural and artistic achievements we see today but also drove a mini industrial revolution particularly in the production of ships and armaments. The Venetian Arsenal was the centre of this industry and at its height developed the first methods of mass production that enabled the construction of a galley per day. The Venetian Empire is the last great power that concerns us here, but duringthe Voyages to Antiquity cruises there will be several reminders of later events that have shaped the history of the Middle Sea: the tragedy of Gallipoli in World War I; the construction of the Suez Canal; and the transformation of so much of the coast by tourism. Despite all these upheavals, however, the world of the ancient civilisations endures and, as you will discover on your journey, is still a source of inspiration and wonder. 489-Theodoric of the Ostrogoths 493ADconquers Italy 534ADByzantine Emperor Justinian conquers the Vandal kingdom in Africa 536-Byzantines conquer Italy562AD 570ADProphet Muhammad is born 638AD Arabs capture Jerusalem The Arabs get a foothold in Sicily and begin a slow process, not 827ADcomplete till AD 965, of squeezing the Byzantines out of the island The Byzantine empire enjoys a revival, bringing the Slavs within the Greek c. 950ADOrthodox fold and winning victories against the Muslims The Turks and the Byzantines meet 1071ADin battle at Manzikert, with victory going to the Turks Venice acquires valuable trading 1082ADprivileges from Constantinople, her merchants being excused all dues and customs in the Byzantine Empire 1091ADNorman king Roger I conquers Sicily 1095ADPope Urban II preaches the first crusade 1130ADRoger II crowned king of Sicily In the cathedral on Torcello, and in St Marks, Venetian mosaics are a c. 1200ADculmination in the west of the Byzantine tradition The crusaders of the fourth crusade 1204ADbesiege, take and destroy the Christian city of Constantinople The Byzantine Empire continues, in 1204ADmuch reduced form, with a new capital at Nicaea Many of the treasures adorning the church of San Marco in Venice are loot1205ADtaken from Constantinople during the fourth crusade Osman inherits the leadership of the c. 1285ADtribal group later known by a version of his name, as the Ottoman Turk Constantinople falls to Muslim conqueror, Mehmed II, bringing the Ottoman Turks their capital city. 1453ADThe Christian emperor Constantine XI dies in the fighting in Constantinople, as the Greek Byzantine Empire yields to that of the Ottoman Turks Mehmed II, conqueror of 1462ADConstantinople, begins to build Topkapi Sarayi as his palace 13