THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE (330-1453)

THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE (330-1453)

THE BIG QUESTION: What were the main characteristics of

the Byzantine Empire?

INTRODUCTION After the fall of Rome, the Eastern Roman

Empire continued as the Byzantine Empire with Constantinople as its center.

It lasted for almost 1,000 years. Constantinople was located along land

routes that connected Europe and Asia and on the Bosporus, a waterway connecting the Black and Mediterranean Seas

It was surrounded on three sides by water and had thick city walls, making it almost invulnerable to attack

BYZANTINE GOVERNMENT The Byzantines saw themselves as

simply continuing the Roman Empire Byzantine emperors were all-powerful

and continued an imperial system over a diverse population

The official language of government was Latin, but most people spoke Greek (eventually Latin was replaced by Greek in the government)

Constantinople

Rome

Carthage

Arabia

PersianEmpire

Kingdom ofThe Franks

Kingdom ofThe Visigoths

AFRICA

BYZANTINE CULTURE Religion – The Eastern Orthodox Church

Separate from the Catholic Church Did not recognize the Pope as the head of

their church Had their own Patriarch (leader) Some other issues were the use of relics

vs. icons, view on the trinity and the shape of the cross displayed in churches

CULTURE CONTINUED… Developed a vibrant

culture Built magnificent churches

like the Hagia Sophia with its giant dome and tall spires

Taught ancient Greek texts Artists used precious

materials (gold, silver, ivory) to display classical images

Especially known for their colorful icons and mosaics

JUSTINIAN (527-565) Reconquered much of the old Roman

Empire Greatest achievement was the Code

of Justinian Collected all of the existing Roman laws

and organized them into a single code Listed all the laws and opinions on each

subject Had special laws relating to religion and

required all persons in the empire to belong to the Eastern Orthodox Faith

Added new laws that pertained to women’s rights

ACTIVITYComplete the chart about the reasons for the survival of the Byzantine Empire.

Homework: Read the document from the Code of Justinian, then anwer the questions that follow.

DECLINE OF BYZANTIUM Continuously battled the Slavs and Avars to the

north, Persians to the east and spread of Islam in the south.

In the 600s, Muslims took most of the Middle East In the 1100s, The Seljuk Turks took most of Asia

Minor European crusaders attacked Constantinople in

1204 and Italian cities competed for Byzantine trade

By the 1440s, the empire was reduced to a small area around Constantinople which was finally conquered by the Ottomans in 1453

BYZANTINE INFLUENCE IN RUSSIA Emerged in the 9th century when Vikings

organized Slavs into a kingdom centered in Kiev (other Russian cities developed in the north – Moscow & Novgorod)

Early Russian cities traded with the Byzantines

Byzantine influence on Russian culture Orthodox Christianity (converted Slavs and

Bulgars) Cyrillic alphabet Byzantine crafts and other products

What legal principle do all three sections share? ___________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________ Why was the Code of Justinian such an important legal advance?

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THE CODE OF JUSTINIAN: ON BRINGING AN ACTION TO COURT

• You must [determine] the proof necessary to establish the fact that you are entitled to the money which you [claim] you have deposited. Emperor Antonius, 156 A.D.

• He before whom proceedings are brought shall order public documents, both civil and criminal, to be produced, for the purpose of being examined, in order to [judge] the truth. Emperor Severus, 193 A.D.

• Persons who wish to bring an accusation must have evidence, for the law does not permit a party to inspect the documents of the other side. Therefore, if thee plaintiff does not prove his allegations, the defendant shall be discharged, even if he furnishes no evidence. Emperor Antoninus, 223 A.D.