The Silk Roads

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The Silk Roads Byzantium
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Scope

• Trade route network
• Connecting all classical empires civilisations
• Globalization?
• Spread of goods, cultures, religions, diseases

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Foundations

• State interest in road networks political
  control, promotion of trade
• Empires pacified large areas, reduced transport
  risks, result wealth
• Examples Hellenistic states, Persian empires,
  Rome, China
• Trade routes require big efforts infrastructure,
  military security, beaurocracy, administration
• Consequence pressure towards development of
  statehood, empire as necessary condition for long
  distance trade

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The Silk Roads
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Impacts Spread of Religions

• Buddhism spreading from North India (3rd cent.
  BC), 200 BC-1000 AD most popular along silk
  roads, 5th cent. dominant in China, spread of
  Sanskrit
• Christianity 2nd/3rd cent. missionary work by
  followers of Paul of Tarsos, spread in
  Mediterranean sphere SW-Asia (split from 5th
  cent. Nestorianism in SW-Asia)
• Manichaeism Mani (216-272), asceticism,
  syncretism (Zoroastrianism, Christianity,
  Buddhism)

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Impacts The Decline of the Empires

• Wealth leading to internal decay, attracting
  nomadic invaders
• China end of Han dynasty (220 AD)
• Rome from 3rd cent. Internal decay (barracks
  emperors, 235-284), Diocletian (284-305,
  administrative separation into East West),
  Constantinus re-unites empire (324)
• External challenges to Rome Germanic migrations
  Visigoths sack Rome (410), Odovacer deposes
  Romulus Augustulus (476, end of West-Rome,
  Byzantium survives), beginning of Middle Ages

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Germanic Migrations
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Byzantium

• Connection with Silk Roads 6th cent. technology
  transfer from China leading to silk production in
  Byz., growing wealth
• Survival of East Roman Empire as Byzantium
  until 1453
• Capital Constantinopolis, full continuity of
  Roman structures after 476

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Byzantium
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The Byzantian State

• Highly centralised, focussed on Emperor (above
  law)
• Caesaropapism strong influence of Emperor on
  ecclesiastical affairs (e.g. appointment of
  Patriarch)
• Outstanding Emperor Justinian (527-656, wife
  Theodora), built Hagia Sophia, codification of
  Roman Law (Corpus iuris civilis), 533-565
  re-conquest of large parts of West Roman Empire

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Challenges

• Islamic threat from 7th cent. Expansion of Arab
  tribes, Byz. loses territories
• Administrative reforms theme system
• New expansion under Basil II. (Bulgar-Slayer)
• Ecclesiastical conflicts with Rome (Great Schism
  1054)
• Conflicts with W-Europe imperial authority
  claimed by Germanic empires (Franconian
  Charlemagne 800, Otto of Saxony 962)

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Society Culture

• Egypt, Anatolia breadbasket of the empire
• Mainly free smallholding peasants (military
  recruits), industries (textile), trade, banks
• From 6th cent. Greek official language
• Religion Orthodoxy (726-843 Iconoclasm, 1054
  Great Schism, monasticism Mt. Athos, Slavic
  mission 864 Bulgaria, 988 Russia)

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The 11th Century
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Decline

• Beginning late 11th cent. (Western European
  Islamic pressure)
• Reasons disintegration due to theme-system,
  external challenges (Normans as new trade power
  in Mediterranean, expansion of Venice,
  Turks/Saljuqs, crusades 4th crusade 1204,
  Constantinople sacked, 1453 fall under Ottoman
  rule)