The largest expansion of the Byzantine Empire occurred under Emperor Justinian I from 527 to 565. During this period, the empire expanded its territory significantly, similar to the old Roman Empire. Let's examine the map and text to understand the extent of this expansion:
1. Under Justinian I (527-565): The empire regained control of Rome and much of the Mediterranean. The map shows that the Byzantine Empire extended to include Italy, Rome, Naples, Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, and parts of North Africa.
2. The empire around 1020: The map indicates that the Byzantine Empire maintained its control over Italy, the Balkans (including Serbia, Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Greece), Asia Minor, Cyprus, Egypt, Palestine, and parts of Syria.
From the map, we can see that the largest expansion of the Byzantine Empire under Justinian I included the following regions:
- Italy: Rome, Naples, Sicily
- Mediterranean islands: Sardinia, Corsica, Crete, Cyprus
- Balkans: Serbia, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece
- North Africa: Parts of present-day Tunisia and Libya
This expansion brought the Byzantine Empire to its greatest territorial extent since the fall of the Western Roman Empire. However, it's important to note that the empire experienced periods of decline and subsequent recoveries before ultimately collapsing in 1453 under Ottoman-Turkish rule.
I hope this explanation clarifies the largest expansion of the Byzantine Empire. Let me know if you have any further questions!