Byzantium

Byzantium (/bɪˈzæntiəm, -ʃəm/) or Byzantion (Ancient Greek: Βυζάντιον) was an ancient Greek city in classical antiquity that became known as Constantinople in late antiquity and Istanbul today. The Greek name Byzantion and its Latinization Byzantium continued to be used as a name of Constantinople sporadically and to varying degrees during the thousand year existence of the Byzantine Empire. Byzantium was colonized by Greeks from Megara in the 7th century BC and remained primarily Greek-speaking until its conquest by the Ottoman Empire in AD 1453.

This article is about the ancient city. For the city in the late Roman period (330–1453), see Constantinople. For the Ottoman and modern city (after 1453), see Istanbul. For the empire, see Byzantine Empire. For other uses, see Byzantium (disambiguation).
Byzantium
Byzantion
Location of Byzantion, corresponding to the modern-day Fatih district of Istanbul
Alternative nameByzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome")
LocationFatih, Istanbul, Turkey
RegionMarmara Region
Coordinates41°00′55″N 28°59′05″E
TypeAncient city
Part of
Area6 km2 (2.3 sq mi) enclosed within Constantinian Walls 14 km2 (5.4 sq mi) enclosed within Theodosian Walls
History
Founded667 BC
Cultures
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