337-1267 A.D. THE BYZANTINE PERIOD

In 337 A.D. the Roman Empire was divided into East and West for the first time, with Corfu being included in the Western section. The partition however was finalised in 395 A.D. and Corfu was ceded to the Eastern Roman Empire.Centuries of darkness followed, during which Corfu suffered barbarian raids repeatedly, such as the one in 455 A.D. when the Vandals of Genzerichou laid waste to the island. The sack of Corfu by the Goths under Totila folowed in 550 A.D., an event which led to the adandonment of the ancient city and its relocation for defensive purposes behind the fortifications of the Old Fortress. In the second half of the 7th century A.D. Saracens seized Corfu, ravaged it and then used it as a base of operations..

In 733 A.D. the Byzantines expelled the Saracens, signalling the start of a new era for Corfu, under Byzantine Orthodox rule.

In 1081 A.D. the Normans under the leadership of Robert Guiscaud besieged and captured the island. Their rule did not last long, however, since the Byzantines, with the help of Venice, beat them in a naval battle and again took possession. Various Frankish knights conquered the island in subsequent years and in 1204 A.D., when knights of the Fourth Crusade seized Constantinople, Corfu fell into Venetian hands. The next decade was Corfu's first period under Venetian rule, but in 1214 A.D. Byzantium again took possession of the island, which became part of the Despotate of Epirus, at that time one of three independent Greek states. Half a century of peace followed, until a new threat, this time from Sicily, arose.

The use of the Greek language in the Eastern Roman Empire constituted the basis for the development of a separate consciousness from that of Rome. The Church of Western Greece left the control of the Pope and came under the auspices of the Patriarch in Constantinople. Corfu became a Metropolitan Bishopric and the Greek world came into opposition with the Latin one.

When in 1267 A.D. the Angevins conquered Corfu, they attempted to impose the Catholic religion in place of the Orthodox. The attempt failed completely, since the end of Byzantine rule did not by any means signify the end of the Greek Orthodox consciousness and culture amongst the people of Corfu.

1267-1386 THE ANGEVIN OCCUPATION

In 1267, Charles of Anjou, the French King of Sicily, seized the island and began efforts to replace the Orthodox Church with the Catholic one. During this period the island was divided into the four districts which still exist today - the regions of Giros, Oros, Mesis and Lefkimmi. Also at this time, Corfu was settled by two new peoples. The first group consisted of Jews banished from Spain, who were treated little better when they came to Corfu. Despite protective measures imposed by the Angevins, they were persecuted until 1386, when, having become a large community, they were at last allowed to play a part in public life. The second people were the Vagenets, who came from the coastal region of Epirus and involved themselves in tough manual labour, thus becoming a separate lower class. Meanwhile the external threat from the Turks was always present and, fearing an attack, the Council of Corfu sought the protection of the ruler of the seas, the Serene Republic of Venice. So it was that on May 20th 1386, the banner of St. Mark was raised upon the Old Fortress.

1386-1797 THE VENETIAN PERIOD

Four centuries of Venetian rule were to determine the character of the island. The existing feudal system was strengthened through the nobility which was listed in the 'Libro d'Oro', while at the same time new social classes made their appearance, the 'civili' (bourgeoisie) and the 'popolari' (the common people). Not only were commerce and agriculture at their peak, thanks to the compulsory planting of olive trees and their cultivation, but intellectual and artistic life also flourished. While the rest of the Greek world was under the Turkish yoke, the protected Corfiots spoke Italian and enjoyed a flowering of literature and the arts. For this reason, many literary and artistic figures from other parts of Greece made their way to Corfu to settle. But this cultural development was the privilege of the aristocracy, and was made at the expense of those in the country who, working without economic profit and living in a cultural void, began to revolt. The first uprising came in 1610 and was followed by four major and several minor revolts, all of which were savagely suppressed. As a result, when the French fleet sailed into Corfu they were welcomed as liberators. During the Venetian period, Corfu suffered repeated but ultimately unsuccessful attacks by Genoese pirates and Turks, who razed villages and devastated the countryside. The resulting decline in the population forced the Venetians, who needed a labour force to exploit the resources of the island, to encourage immigration from the mainland.