|Home||Minoan Crete - Aegean Islands -Frescos||Classical Times -
Sculpture||The New State - Painting||Photo Gallery| About 330aC
emperor Constantine the Great chose Constantinople as capital of
the Roman Empire, because of its location on the crossroads of
the two main trade routes of the time - the land road leading
from Europe to Mesopotamia and the sea crossing of Bosporus,
which linked the Mediterranean with the Black Sea. The change
from ancient to Byzantine costume began (c.400) with the end of
the Roman Empire. The social and financial status as well the
profession, the age and sex were the main factor for costumes
during Byzantine period. Costume was the identity for the two
main parts of Byzantine society, a) the higher urban class with
aristocrats, provincial officials (public and military) and
clergy and b) the poor citizens, servants, monks, soldiers and
farmers. nula, a full circle cloak. Byzantine art and especially
mosaics and icons are the basic recourses for this period's
costumes. was the ba