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Constantinople Facts & Worksheets

Under Constantine the Great's rule in 330, Constantinople was designated as the capital of the Roman Empire. Constantinople continued to serve as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire after the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the latter part of the 5th century.

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Under Constantine the Great’s rule in 330, Constantinople was designated as the capital of the Roman Empire. Constantinople continued to serve as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire after the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the latter part of the 5th century.

See the fact file below for more information about Constantinople, or you can download our 28-page Constantinople worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

ETYMOLOGY 

  • In his Natural History, Pliny the Elder states that Lygos, a settlement most likely of Thracian origin established between the 13th and 11th centuries BCE, was the first known name of an arrangement on the site of Constantinople.
  • Though some claim it is Thracian, the origins of the name Byzantion—more popularly known by its later Latin form, Byzantium—are unclear. According to the city’s founding myth, Byzas, the head of the Megarian colonists, inspired the settlement’s name.
  • Early in the third century CE, the city was known as Augusta Antonina under the short reign of Emperor Septimius Severus. In 196, the city was destroyed for endorsing an opposing candidate in the civil war, and it was rebuilt in honor of his son, Marcus Aurelius Antoninus.
  • Known by prestigious titles like Megalopolis (the Great City) and Basileuousa (Queen of Cities), Constantinople was the largest and most prosperous city in Europe from the 4th to the 13th centuries and a center of education and culture for the Mediterranean basin. However, in everyday speech, provincial Byzantines and Constantinopolitans referred to it as just Polis, or “the City.”
  • On the other hand, the Slavic terms tsar (‘Caesar’ or ‘King’) and grad (‘city’) have been used to refer to Constantinople as Tsargrad or Carigrad, ‘City of the Caesar (Emperor)’ in East and South Slavic languages, including Kievan Rus’.
  • The Greek term eis tin Polin, which means “to the city,” is the source of the current Turkish name for the city, Istanbul. During the Ottoman era, this name was used in colloquial Turkish speech with Kostantiniyye, the more formal adaptation of the original Constantinople.
  • When referring to one of their most significant leaders, the city-based Orthodox patriarch known as “His Most Divine All-Holiness the Archbishop of Constantinople New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch,” they still use Constantinople.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

  • Foundation of Byzantium – Constantinople was founded in 324 by the Roman emperor Constantine I (272-337) on the site of an existing city, Byzantium, which had been settled in the early days of Greek colonial expansion, around 657 BCE by colonists of the city-state of Megara. 
  • Sack of Constantinople – The Fourth Crusade’s diversion from the Holy Land to strike, collect, and pillage the Byzantine city of Constantinople divided and undermined the Christians’ efforts to maintain the war against the Muslims. 
  • According to Hesychius of Miletus, specifically “claim that people from Megara, who derived their descent from Nisos, sailed to this place under their leader Byzas, and invent the fable that his name was attached to the city”.
  • The city maintained its independence as a city-state until it was annexed into the Persian Empire by Darius I in 512 BCE, who saw the site as the ideal location for constructing a pontoon bridge crossing into Europe because Byzantium was located at the narrowest point in the Bosphorus strait.
  • The refoundation as Constantinople- Constantine’s plans were far more colorful. He was well aware that Rome was an unsatisfactory capital, having restored the Empire’s unity and being amid major governmental reforms, as well as sponsoring the unification of the Christian church. Rome was too far from the borders and thus from the armies and imperial courts, and it provided an unappealing playground for disgruntled politicians.
  • Constantinople took six years to build and was dedicated on May 11, 330. Emperor Constantine allocated the growing city, like Rome, into 14 regions and embellished it with imperial metropolis-worthy public works.
  • The emperor encouraged private construction by offering residents gifts of land from imperial properties in Asiana and Pontica. On May 18, 332, he announced that free food distributions would be made to citizens, as in Rome.

CULTURE

  • Due to its advantageous location controlling the trade channels across the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea, Constantinople was the most extensive and wealthiest urban center in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea under the late Eastern Roman Empire.
  • In certain respects, it is the center of Byzantine art output and would hold the title of capital of the Greek-speaking eastern empire for more than a millennium. 
  • On the other hand, manuscripts by Greek and Latin authors were precious because of the libraries’ preservation during a time when chaos and instability in Western Europe and North Africa led to their widespread destruction. Thousands of these manuscripts were taken to Italy by refugees after the city’s fall, and they were instrumental in igniting the Renaissance and the shift to the modern era. Over the centuries of its existence, the city’s cumulative influence on the West is incalculable.
  • Meanwhile, the first known Western Armenian journal edited and published by a woman (Elpis Kesaratsian) was based in Constantinople. Kit’arr or Guitar was first published in 1862 and was only available for seven months.
  • Xenophon initially referenced the marketplaces of Byzantium and then Theopompus, who recorded that Byzantines “spent their time at the market and the harbor” even before Constantinople was formed. In Justinian’s age, Mese Street was a daily market running around the city from east to west.
  • Furthermore, the Byzantine Empire developed its distinctive architectural style by incorporating Greek and Roman architectural patterns. The reproductions of Byzantine art and architecture throughout Europe attest to its impact.
  • The reproductions of Byzantine art and architecture throughout Europe attest to its impact. St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, the Ravenna basilicas, and other cathedrals in the Slavic East are a few examples. 
  • Additionally, the empire was the only one in Europe to continue producing gold currency until the 13th-century Italian florin, with the solidus of Diocletian turning into a highly valued bezant during the Middle Ages.

INTERNATIONAL STATUS

  • The city served as a line of defense against the barbarian invasions of the fifth century, protecting the eastern provinces of the former Roman Empire. The barbarians from the south of the Danube found easier targets to the west rather than the wealthier provinces to the east of Asia, making the 18-meter-tall walls constructed by Theodosius II effectively impregnable. 
  • The city was fortified in the 5th century by the Anastasian Wall, a 60-kilometer wall that encircled the Thracian peninsula. Many academics contend that as Ancient Rome and the West fell apart, the East was able to flourish comparatively unhindered by these intricate defenses.
  • Because of its renown, Constantinople was also mentioned in modern Chinese stories like the Old and New Book of Tang. 
  • These accounts spoke about the city’s enormous walls and gates as well as a rumored clepsydra that was topped with a golden statue of a man. 
  • Furthermore, the Chinese chronicles also described how Mu’awiya I had attacked the city in the seventh century and collected tributes in a peace settlement.

Constantinople Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Constantinople across 28 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Constantinople. Constantinople continued to serve as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire after the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the latter part of the 5th century.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Constantinople Facts
  2. Like or Dislike?
  3. Tell More!
  4. Between the Emperors
  5. CONSTRUCTinople
  6. Wrap It Up
  7. About Constantinople
  8. Byzantine Empire
  9. This or That
  10. Stamp My Card!
  11. I Write What is Right

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Constantinople?

Constantinople, known today as Istanbul, is a historic city located in modern-day Turkey. It served as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) and later the Ottoman Empire. Constantinople has immense historical significance due to its strategic location, cultural heritage, and role as a center of trade, religion, and politics for over 1,500 years.

When was Constantinople founded?

Constantinople was founded by the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great in 330 AD. It was established as the new capital of the Roman Empire, replacing Byzantium, a Greek city, and was named after Constantine himself. The city was strategically situated between Europe and Asia, making it a vital center for commerce and military defense.

What were some key events in Constantinople’s history?

Constantinople witnessed numerous significant events throughout its long history. Some of the key events include its establishment as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, the Great Schism between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church in 1054, the Fourth Crusade’s sack of the city in 1204, and the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Empire in 1453, which marked the end of the Byzantine Empire.

What was the significance of Constantinople during the Byzantine Empire?

Constantinople was the heart of the Byzantine Empire, serving as its political, cultural, and economic center. It was one of the wealthiest and most advanced cities in the medieval world, known for its magnificent architecture, including the Hagia Sophia, and its role as a hub for trade between Europe and Asia. Constantinople also played a crucial role in the preservation and transmission of classical Greek and Roman knowledge during the Middle Ages.

How did Constantinople change after it was conquered by the Ottoman Empire?

After the Ottoman conquest in 1453, Constantinople was transformed into the capital of the Ottoman Empire and renamed Istanbul. The city retained its status as a major cultural and economic center, albeit under Islamic rule. Many churches were converted into mosques, including the Hagia Sophia, which became one of the most famous mosques in the world. Istanbul remained the capital of the Ottoman Empire until its dissolution in the early 20th century and has since become the largest city in Turkey and a vibrant metropolis bridging Europe and Asia.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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