The Byzantine Empire. The Roman Empire was officially divided in 395. The western area was overrun by German tribes. It did not exist after 476. However,

The Byzantine Empire

The Roman Empire was officially divided in 395. The western area was overrun by German tribes. It did not exist after 476. However, the Byzantine, or eastern, part remained strong. It lasted for hundreds of years

• In A.D. 330, the emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire to the east.

• He was worried about the growing power of German tribes.

He thought that he could better meet that threat in the east. The site of the new capitol was the old port city of Byzantium. He had the city rebuilt and then renamed it Constantinople. Constantinople became the center of the empire. Power moved eastward.

• In 527 C.E., Justinian became the Byzantine emperor. • He sent an army to try to regain control of Italy. He

hoped to restore the Roman Empire once again. By about 550 C.E., Justinian would rule over almost all of the territory of the old Roman Empire.

• Justinian directed legal experts to create a complete code of laws based on the laws of ancient Rome. This body of civil law—the Justinian Code—served the empire for 900 years..

• Justinian also worked at making Constantinople a strong but also a beautiful capital. He built high, sturdy walls to protect the city from attack.

• He constructed a huge palace, public baths, courts, schools, hospitals, and many churches. The main street of the city was lined with shops and open-air markets. People bought and sold goods from Asia, Africa, and Europe there.

• One of the most famous churches that Justinian rebuilt was Hagia Sophia.

• Justinian suppressed pagan (polytheistic or animistic) religions. He barred pagans from the civil service, Christians who were converted into paganism were to be put to death, as were any persons caught making secret sacrifice to the gods.

• In 532 riots (Nika Rivolt) began between two groups of people. These groups joined together and destroyed the city of Constantinople and tried to make another person the emperor.

Justinian was going to give up his rule. But his wife encouraged him to stay and fight. He and his soldiers stopped the riots.

• Justinian's troops maintained control of the city, killing thousands of rioters.

• After the riots Justinian became an even stronger ruler than he had before.

• He also worked to make Constantinople beautiful again.

• Justinian's wife was Theodora. Theodora was an important empress of the Byzantine Empire.

• She had been an actress when she met Justinian.• At that time it was against the law for government

leaders to marry actresses.

• Justinian had the law changed so that he could marry Theodora.

• They married in 522.

• When Justinian became emperor in 527, Theodora became the empress.

• In 542 A.D., a terrible plague made many people in Constantinople sick.

The disease was probably caused by rats. It killed thousands of people and returned every 8 to 12 years until about 700. This weakened the empire.

• During one of these plagues Justinian became sick. Theodora took his place as ruler of the Byzantine Empire until Justinian became well again.

• She was a strong and intelligent ruler.

• Even after Justinian was able to rule again, Theodora continued to make many government decisions.

• Empress Theodora had many strong ideas about the government, women, and religion.

As empress she helped Justinian solve many government problems.She decided who would be given government and church jobs.

• She encouraged Justinian to build hospitals and churches.

• She also worked to give women more rights.

• Theodora even started homes to care for poor girls.

• She and Justinian ruled together until her death in 548 A.D.

The empire was forced to confront many enemies over the centuries. German tribes, the Sassanid Persians, and Muslim armies all tried to gain control of Byzantine land. Constantinople remained safe during this time despite many attacks. Eventually, though, the empire shrank. By 1350, the empire included only the capital city and lands in the Balkans—part of southeastern Europe.