Late Antiquity Western Civilization University High School
Feb 12, 2016
Late Antiquity
Western CivilizationUniversity High School
Late Antiquity 3rd century: Western
Roman Empire begins to crumble last emperor deposed in 476
CE western Europe largely in
control of barbarian tribes ancient world medieval
world
…and the Eastern Roman Empire? survives; transitions into Byzantine Empire
named after Byzantium (old name for Constantinople) called themselves “Roman Empire” (“Romania”)
Byzantine Empire centered further east than traditional Roman Empire
culture more Greek than Roman more Greek spoken than Latin
Christianity more central in Byzantine Empire
but still, they considered themselves Romans traced emperor line back: Augustus Constantine current
emperor even same chariot factions!
Byzantine Empire
Why Didn’t ERE Fall To Barbarian Tribes Like WRE?
excellent military strategy, leadership powerful geographic location of
Constantinople
Why Is This A Good Place For A Powerful City?
Why Is This A Good Place For A Powerful City?
Why Is This A Good Place For A Powerful City?
Constantinople surrounded by massive series
of stone walls construction began under
Constantine entirely surrounded city (land
& water) problems: earthquakes,
population growth Theodosian Walls: 2nd
series of walls, larger city perimeter
Theodosian Walls
Sea Walls walls built along coastline ship-wrecking chain stretched across harbor on
floating barrels quick current
Justinian I (Justinian the Great) Byzantine emperor from
527-565 CE goal: restore Roman Empire
to dominance, reclaim WRE reclaimed some lost lands,
even claimed some new lands…
Lazica land on eastern Black Sea (Laz People!)
Justinian I (Justinian the Great) greatest accomplishment?
(probably not reclaiming Italy…) Roman law was a mess by
nowenormous number of
laws, contradictory, confusing, outdated, repetitive
Justinian I (Justinian the Great) Justinian leads effort to
codify, condense, and clarify Roman law Corpus Juris Civilis translation: “body of civil
law”
An Excerpt From Corpus Juris Civilis
“Roman citizens unite in legal marriage when they are joined according to the precepts of the law, and males have attained the age of puberty and the females are capable of childbirth … if the latter have also the consent of the relatives under whose authority they may be, for this should be obtained and both civil and natural law required that is should be secured.”
An Excerpt From Corpus Juris Civilis
“The Julian law declares that wives have no right to bring criminal accusations for adultery against their husbands, even though they may desire to complain of the violation of the marriage vow, for while the law grants this privilege to men it does not concede it to women.”
Plague of Justinian
outbreak of bubonic plague in Constantinople in 541-542 CE infectious disease
usually passed by rodents, fleas
kills 2 out of 3 people within 48 hours
Plague of Justinian
comes from Greek “bubo” meaning “swollen gland” swollen lymph nodes,
fever, chills, muscle cramps, seizures, changing skin color, inflammation of lungs, bleeding from ears (black blood!)
Plague of Justinian probably arrived on
trading ships from Egypt 10,000+ dying in
Constantinople each day?
no room for bodies; corpses stacked in streets
greatly weakened Byzantine Empire