Byzantium

History

Despite native resistance, usurpations of Imperial power and civil war, the Roman Empire continued to expand to such an extent that it became necessary to divide it for governmental purposes. Diocletian (accession 284) shared power with a joint Augustus and two subordinate Caesars. By this time, the centre of power was shifting to the east. Constantine established a new, Christian capital at Byzantium (renamed Constantinople in AD 330) and in practice the Empire broke into an eastern and western half with outlying provinces being conquered by barbarian invaders.

Emperor Justinian tried to reunite the two halves he was unsuccessful and the Western Empire fell to the invaders. The Eastern Empire lasted until the Turkish expansion of the medieval period, when territory was lost. It retained Roman institutions and Latin as an official language for two centuries until Greek took over. Latin, however, remained the language of the Church and science and many modern European legal systems are based on Roman law.

Society was a mix of Greek, Roman and traders from other nations. Names of Roman citizens remained largely the same but a greater amount of 'borrowings' and nicknames came into use. Those of the early Byzantine Christian saints are still popular in the Catholic church, especially as Confirmation names, and can be found in various forms in most European countries.

The area eventually became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1453 with the name of the city being changed to Istanbul.

Byzantine Names

Male

Ablabius	Abramius	Abundanitus	Acacius	Acindynus	Aemilian
Agapetus	Agaptius	Agnellus	Alyattes	Amirrutzes	Ammonianus
Ampelius	Anastasius	Anatolicus	Anatolius	Andreas	Andronicus
Anicius	Anthemius	Anthimus	Antiochus	Arcadius	Armatus
Armenius	Armentarius	Arsaphius	Arsenius	Asbadus	Asterius
Auxitius	Avienus	Babylas	Bacauda	Baduaruis	Basiliakos
Batzas	Beatus	Beppolenus	Boethius	Bonifatius	Bonosus
Bonus	Butlilinus	Callinicus	Calopodius	Cantacuzenes	Caracalla
Carellus	Carinus	Carus	Castinus	Charegiselus	Chilbudius
Christoboulus	Christophorus	Chrysogonus	Colluthus	Comentas	Comentiolus
Cometas	Comitas	Comitiolus	Commodus	Conon	Constantianus
Constantinianus	Constantinus	Corippus	Cosmas	Cresconius	Cyricus
Cyril	Dalmatius	Damasus	Damianus	Danielus	Ddymus
Decentius	Deuterius	Diocletian	Diosconis	Domentziolus	Domianus
Domitian	Domnicus	Domninus	Domnitziolus	Donus	Dorotheus
Droserius	Dulcissinuis	Dulcitius	Dynamius	Elagbalus	Elpidius
Ennodius	Epiphanius	Eudaemon	Eudoxius	Eugenius	Eulalius
Eulampius	Eulogius	Eupatarius	Euphemius	Euphratas	Euphronius
Eusebius	Eustathius	Eustochius	Eustratius	Euthalius	Eutolmius
Eutychianus	Eutychius	Fabius	Florentinus	Florentius	Florian
Florus	Formosos	Francio	Fructosus	Fulgentius	Gabrielius
Galerius	Gallienus	Genethlius	Gennadius	Georgius	Germanus
Gerontius	Glycerius	Godilas	Gordian	Gratian	Gregoras
Gregorius	Hannibalianus	Helladius	Heraclius	Hermeias	Hermongenes
Herodianus	Himerius	Honoratus	Honorius	Hydatius	Hypatius
Iacobus	Ianuarius	Ignatius	Innocentius	Ionnacius	Ionnes
Iordanes	Ioseph	Iosephius	Iosephus	Iovinus	Iovivus
Irenaeus	Isaaces	Isaacius	Isidorus	Jovian	Lactanius
Latinius	Lecapenus	Leontius	Macedonius	Magnentius	Majorian
Marcian	Marthanes	Martinianus	Martyrius	Maruthus	Maurentius
Maurianus	Mauricius	Maurinus	Maurus	Maxentius	Maximianus
Maximin	Maximinus	Megas	Megistus	Meletius	Melminius
Menas	Mercurius	Methodius	Michaelius	Moschus	Mundus
Musonius	Narses	Nazares	Nepotian	Nicephorus	Nicetas
Nicetius	Nichomachus	Nicolaus	Nilus	Nonnosus	Nonnus
Olybrius	Olympiodorus	Olympius	Opilio	Origen	Pachymeres
Palladius	Pamphilus	Pancratius	Pantagathus	Pardus	Parthenius
Paschalis	Pastor	Paternus	Patricius	Paulus	Pegarius
Pelagius	Perigenes	Petronas	Philagrius	Philaretus	Philippicus
Phillippus	Philoxenus	Phoebammon	Phokas	Photinus	Photius
Plutinus	Potamius	Praesentinus	Praetextatus	Principius	Priscian
Probus	Regino	Rogatus	Salvian	Sarapammon	Satabus
Scholasticus	Sebastianus	Senuthius	Severus	Sittas	Smaragdus
Soterichus	Speciosus	Stauracius	Stilicho	Strategius	Syagricus
Syagrius	Symeon	Symeonius	Synesius	Tatianus	Taurinus
Taurus	Theocharistus	Theoctistus	Theodoracius	Theodore	Theodoretus
Theodoricus	Theodorus	Theodulus	Theogenius	Theon	Theopemptus
Theophilius	Theophilus	Theophylact	Theophylactus	Theotimus	Timotheus
Trasaric	Trasaricus	Tribonianus	Tribunas	Tzimisas	Tzittas
Urbicus	Vaanes	Valentinian	Valerian	Varazes	Vasacius
Venantius	Venerandus	Vetranis	Viator	Victorinus	Vigilius
Virius	Virus	Vitalianus	Vitalius	Volusian	Zemarchus
Zeno	Zenobius	Ziper	Zoilus

Female

Adeodata	Adula	Aetheria	Aetia	Agnella	Alexandria
Anastasia	Anna	Anthusa	Antipatra	Antonina	Anzoy
Appa	Arabia	Arethusa	Argentea	Armentaria	Athanasia
Augustina	Aureliana	Basilia	Basilina	Basina	Baudegundis
Bobila	Bore	Byzantia	Campana	Candida	Catella
Cervella	Cesarea	Charito	Clementina	Columba	Comito
Consolantia	Constantia	Constantina	Cyra	Damiane	Destasia
Didyma	Domentzia	Dominica	Domnica	Domnola	Epiphania
Erchantrudis	Eudocia	Eudoxia	Eugenia	Euphemia	Euphrasia
Eusebia	Evantia	Fausta	Flacilla	Gabrielia	Galla
Georgia	Germana	Gordia	Gordiana	Gregoria	Gundesvinda
Helena	Herena	Hesychia	Honorata	Honoria	Ianuaria
Ionna	Ionnia	Ionnina	Irene	Italica	Iustina
Labinia	Leocadia	Leontia	Macedonia	Marozia	Masticana
Maximina	Megaris	Megethia	Melissa	Minervina	Minicea
Nereida	Nicasia	Nonna	Palatina	Pasara	Passara
Pateria	Patricia	Paula	Paulina	Pericleia	Petronella
Petronia	Placidia	Placidina	Pompeiana	Praeiecta	Proba
Probina	Proseria	Rhode	Rustica	Rusticana	Salvianella
Sergia	Sidonia	Sophia	Syagria	Tetradia	Theocharista
Theodora	Theodoracis	Theodosia	Theognosia	Theophano	Valeriana
Veneranda	Victorina	Vigilantia	Vigilia	Vitula	Viviana

Surnames

Bryennius	Cerularius	Comnenus	Dragases	Ducas	Laskaris
Palaeologus	Simocatta	Tarchaniotes	Tzimiakes	Vatatzis

Emperors

Name	Reign	Family	Spouse
Heraclius	610-41 AD
Constantine III	-641
Constans II	641-88	son of Constantine III
Constantine IV	c 673
Justinian II	685-695 dep
Leontius	695	deposed Justinian II
Tiberius II	697/8	deposed Leontius
Justinian II restored	704/5-11		Theodora (a Khazar)
Philippicus (Bardan)	711-3	killed Justinian II
Anastasius II	713-6
Theodosius II	716-7 abd
Leo III the Isaurian	717-
Constantine V Copronymus	720-75 co-emp
Leo IV	775-	son of Constantine V	Irene
Constantine VI	780-97dep	son of Leo IV + Irene
Irene	797	deposed Constantine VI
Nicephorus I	802-11
Michael I Rangabe	811-13
Leo V the Armenian	813-20
Michael II	820-9
Theophilus	829-42	son of Michael II	Theodora
Michael III	842-67

Macedonian Dynasty

Basil I the Macedonian	867-86	deposed Michael III
Leo VI	886-912	son of Basil I
Alexander	912-3	brother of Leo VI
Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus	913-59	son of Leo VI
Romanus I Lecapenus	920-44
Romanus II ?
Nicephorus II Phocas	963-9
John Tzimisces	969-76
Basil II Bulgaroctonus	976-1025	son of Romanus II
Constantine VIII	976-1028	son of Romanus II
Romanus III	1028-34		Zoe, daughter of Constantine VIII
Michael IV the Paphlagonian	1034-41		Zoe, daughter of Constantine VIII
Michael V	1041-2	nephew of Michael IV
Theodora + Zoe	1042		daughters of Constantine VIII
Constantine IX Monomachus	1042-55		Zoe, daughter of Constantine VIII
Theodora	1055-6	last Macedonian	daughter of Constatine VIII
Michael VI the Aged	1056-7abd

Comnenus Dynasty

Isaac I Comnenus	1057-9 abd
Constantine X Ducas	1059-67		Eudocia Macrembolitissa
Eudocia	1067-8	wife of Constantine X
Romanus IV Diogenes	1068-71		Eudocia Macrembolitissa
Michael VII	1071-8	son of Constantine X
Nicephorus III Botaneiates	1078-81
Alexius I Comnenus	1081-1118	father of Anna Comnena
John II	1118-43	son of Alexius I
Manuel I	1143-80		Mary of Antioch
Alexius II	1180-2	son of Manuel I	Mary as regent
Andronicus I Comnenus	1182-5	nephew of John II
Isaac II Angelus	1185-95-1204	brother of Alexius I
Alexius III	1195-1203	brother of Isaac II
Alexius IV Angelus	1203-4	s Alexius III
Nicholas Canabus	1204
Alexius V Ducas Murtzuphlas	1204 dep
Constantine XI Lascaris	1204 dep
Theodore I Lascaris	1204-22	brother of Constantine XI
John III Ducas Vatatzes	1222-54
Theodore II Lascaris	1254-8	son of John III
John IV Lascaris	1258-61 dep aged 8	son of Theodore II
Michael VIII Palaeologus	1261-82	deposed John IV
Andronicus II	1282-1328 abd	son of Michael VIII
Andronicus III	1325-41	grandson of Andronicus I
John V	1341-7 1354-91	son of Andronicus II
John Cantacuzenus	1341-54
Manuel II	1391-1425 Const only
John VIII	1425-48	son of Manuel II
Constantine XI Palaeologus Dragases	1448-53	brother of John VIII Last Emperor

Baldwin I (of Const)	1204-5	Hainault + Flanders	crusaders
Baldwin II (of Const.)	1228-73	nephew Baldwin I

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This collection of names compiled by Kate Monk. Copyright January 1997, Kate Monk. Last updated November, 97. Copies may be made for personal use only.