Byzantine empire 2

The Byzantine Empire

Successor to Rome

Hagia Sophia

Constantinople

The Emperor Constantine made Constantinople thecapital of the Roman Empire.Its location was important because:

- It was further away from barbarian invasions that plagued the west.

- It was a crossroads of trade.- It was an easily fortified site on a peninsula.

Justinian527-565

Led the Byzantine Empire to its height in culture and in wealth.

Reconquest of former Roman territories that had fallen into the hands of barbarians.- A.D. 533, he sent General Belisarius to recover North Africa from the Vandals.-A.D. 535, Belisarius took Rome from the Ostrogoths-Eventually, Justinian’s armies had conquered Italy and parts of Spain.

Justinian’s CodeThe results of a panel of ten legal experts who

studied 400 years of Roman law.The code was used for 900 years.Consisted of 4 works:

The Code – nearly 5,000 Roman Laws The Digest – summarized the opinions

of Rome’s greatest legal thinkers. The Institutes – a legal textbook The New Laws – new legislation passed

after A.D. 534.

Justinian’s ConstantinopleRebuilt a 14-mile sea wall that ringed the coast.Repaired the 70 foot towers along the

innermost wall.Built baths, aqueducts, schools and hospitalsThe Hippodrome was the entertainment centerAs the leader of the Eastern Church, he built

many churches.- Hagia Sophia

-means “Holy Wisdom”-a Byzantine domed church set on arectangular base.

TheodoraJustinian’s wifeMet with foreign envoysPassed lawsFour major changes:

1. Men could not beat their wives.2. Women could sue for divorce.3. Women could own property up to the value of their dowry – possessions given to the bride by her father to help pay for her keep.

Justinian at court withTheodora. Justinian wascredited with bringing about new “Justice”.

Political Achievements

• Centralized the government• Bureaucracy was well paid• Created an intelligence service• Persons: Justinian & Theodora • Importance:

Strong government with loyal officials.Empire lasted until 1453

Military Strengths• Well trained and well funded• Instruction manuals• New technologies

– Greek fire– Lance

• People: General Belisarius, infantry, cavalry and corps of engineers

• Importance: Skilled and loyal military expanded the empire.

Economic Achievements

• International economy• Crossroads of trade between Europe and

Asia• Income taxes• People: Merchant class; foreign traders• Impact: financial stability; funded the

military and bureaucracy

Greco-Roman Knowledge is preserved

Byzantine libraries stored literature and scientific writings

Children went to public schools or had private tutors and studied Greek and Roman literature, math, science and history and philosophy.

Children studied Greek as their primary language.

Important Contributions ofthe Byzantine Empire

Religion: Eastern Orthodox Church Cyrillic Alphabet

Art: Icons: religious images such as portraits and statues

Mosaics: pictures made from small pieces of tile or glass.

Architecture: Hagia Sophia & HippodromeLaw: Justinian’s Code = Roman laws, Greek laws,

legal textbook; Foundation for law in Western Europe

CyrillicAlphabet

Developed bythe Byzantinemonk St. Cyril and is basedon the Greekalphabet

The Christian Church

The iconoclastic Controversy: A debate began over the use of icons which are pictures, images or other representations of religious figures such as the Christ or the saints. The Patriarchs and priests in the Eastern empire used icons to teach the Slavs who could not read. However, in A.D. 730, the Byzantine Emperor Leo III banned the use of icons claiming that it was idol worship.

Beginnings of a Schism

The Western Pope supported the use of icons and threatened to

excommunicate (kick out of the church) the Byzantine Emperor. Two branches of Christianity would emerge from this iconoclastic controversy: the Roman Catholic church in the West and the Eastern Orthodox Church in the East.

Schism of 1057Eastern Orthodox Church:Constantinople was the center Patriarch was the leading bishopGreek was used in the liturgyPatriarch and other bishops formed the

church’s main hierarchy of leadershipEmperor was the head of the ChurchPriests may marryDivorce was allowed under certain

conditions

Icons

Icons are religious images used by Eastern Christians to help them focus on God

Iconoclasts are people who believe that icons are idols

Icons are an important part of the Easternreligion despite the Byzantine Emperor’s attempt to ban them in the 8th century A.D.

Schism of 1054

Roman Catholic ChurchRome was the center for the RCCLatin is used in the liturgyThe Pope was the head of the churchThe Pope had authority over all kings and

emperorsPriests may NOT marryDivorce was not permitted.

The Decline of the Byzantine Empire

During the 1000s, the Seljuk Turks captured most of Anatolia. Soon they were ready to attack the Byzantine capital called Constantinople. The Byzantine Emperor asked the West to help and with the approval of the Pope, the First Crusade was launched to rid the non-Christian invaders from Constantinople.

Ottoman Turks take ConstantinopleA.D. 1453

In the 1300s, a new group of Turks would invade and capture Constantinople. These were the Ottoman Turks who by 1453 would incorporate the Byzantine Empire into the Ottoman Empire which would last until the end of World War I.

Russia: The Slavs & Vikings

The Slavs were the inhabitants of Russia. By the mid 800s, they were trading with Constantinople. The Slavs began to accept Byzantine customs and a culture mixed with Slavic and Greek traditions was formed in Russia.

Meanwhile, in the 800s, the Vikings invaded Russia from Scandinavia. The Vikings were called Rus which is the root of the word Russia.

Vikings & Slav

In the late 800s, the Viking chief Rurik became the king of the Vikings in Russia and ruled over the Slavs whom they treated as slaves. The word “slave” comes from the poor Slavs. C’est dommage. King Rurik also founded the city of Novgorad which was Russia’s first major city.

Kiev

A better site for a key Russian city was Kiev which was on the Dnieper river that fed into the Black Sea. From here, the Vikings could trade with Constantinople.

Government & Society in Kievan Russia

Society was divided into two groups: peasants and nobles. Nobles were called Boyars who were the Vikings. The Boyars acted as a royal council to the Kievan Prince. Thus power was concentrated in the aristocratic Vikings. As time passed, the noble Vikings married Slavs and the people of Russia became a mix of Vikings and Slavs. As these Russians continued to trade with the Byzantine Empire, the Russian culture was influenced by the Greek culture of the Byzantines.

Kiev

The Byzantine Christians sent missionaries to the Russians and in 957, Princess Olga became the first Kievan noble to become a Christian. Olga’s grandson Vladimir I was converted to Eastern Orthodox Christianity after hearing about the beauty and splendor of Byzantine churches. He then required all of the residents of Kiev to be baptized in the Dnieper River. Vladimir also liked the Eastern Orthodox idea that the king was the head of the Church and superior to the Patriarch.

Important Kievan Rulers

Vladimir I: made the Eastern Orthodox religion the official Russian religion.

- expanded the Russian state into Poland and towards the Black Sea.

Yaroslav the Wise created a code of law called the Pravda Russkaia which was Russia’s first written code of law.

Khanate of the Golden Horde

In 1240, the Mongols from northeastern Asia sacked Kiev. The Mongols would rule Russia until 1480 when Ivan III successfully threw off Mongol rule. The Mongols named their territory the Khanate of the Golden Horde. The Mongols allowed the Russians to follow their own culture including their religious practices. The Eastern Orthodox Church cooperated with the Mongols to keep peace in the Khanate. As long as the Russians paid tribute (bribe money) and obeyed the Mongols, there would be peace.