Byzantine Empire quiz

More questions about Byzantine Empire

These visible examples show the question style. LearnClash turns the full topic into ranked duels and spaced repetition.

1. 1 Easy

   Who moved the Roman capital east in 330?

   Answer: Constantine I

   Why: Constantine built his capital on the old Greek city of Byzantium, whose name gave the empire the label historians use today.

2. 2 Medium

   What did two monks smuggle to Justinian inside hollow canes?

   Answer: Silkworm eggs

   Why: Those eggs founded a home silk industry that kept Europe's silk monopoly in the empire's hands for about 650 years.

3. 3 Hard

   Which successor state retook Constantinople from Latin rulers in 1261?

   Answer: Empire of Nicaea

   Why: Michael VIII Palaiologos launched the retaking of the capital from Nicaea, restoring the imperial dynasty until 1453.

4. 4 Easy

   What disease swept Justinian's empire from 541?

   Answer: Plague

   Why: Ancient DNA from victims' graves shows it was caused by Yersinia pestis, the same germ behind the later Black Death.

5. 5 Medium

   How did Ottoman ships get past the harbor chain in 1453?

   Answer: Dragged over land

   Why: On 22 April 1453 the ships rolled over the hill behind Galata on a road of greased logs, straight into the Golden Horn.

6. 6 Hard

   What 636 battle saw the empire lose Syria to Arab armies?

   Answer: Battle of Yarmouk

   Why: The defeat at Yarmouk broke Byzantine defenses in the Levant, opening the way for the loss of Jerusalem and Egypt.