Lecture 16: Macedonians, Slavs and Abbasids

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Lecture 16 Macedonians, Slavs
and Abbasids
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-- By 7th and 8th c. Byzantine Empire would lose
most of its territory to Slavs, Bulgars and
Muslims empire would consist of only Asia Minor
and some lands in the Balkans and S.
Italy -- Although physically smaller, Golden Age
of Byzantium would be in 10th c. revival due to
Michael II (842-867) -- Photian Schism
Patriarch Photius condemns Pope as a heretic for
belief that Holy Sprit proceeded from Father to
Son -- 9th and 10th c. Byzantium ruled by
Macedonian emperors who rebuild military and
create new administrative units (themes) which
combine military and civilian offices -- By
1025, empire includes Bulgarian Empire, Crete,
Cyprus, Syria and upper Euphrates in Egypt
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-- Bulgars would have largest Slavic empire in
7th c. from Danube to Black Sea, Aegean and
Adriatic (Scythia, Moesia, Thrace, Macedonia,
Dacua, Dardania and Rhodope by 1018 Bulgarian
Empire absorbed into Byzantine -- Umayyad
dynasty defeated by Abbasids in 8th c.
Umayyads driven into Spanish peninsula -- Abbasi
ds create new opportunities for non-Arab Muslims,
build new capital at Baghdad, look to Persia for
cultural influences -- Muslims inherit and
promote knowledge of ancient Mideast, Greece,
Persia, China and India -- Islamic civilization
based on trade and urban life cities dominated
by merchant middle class
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-- Muslims expand knowledge of math (algebra),
science, create numeral 0, that earth rotates
on its axis, astrolabe, -- Ibn Sina (Avicenna)
writes medical encyclopedia which describes
contagious nature of diseases which is
standard medical text in Medieval
universities -- Muslims unable to conquer
Constantinople because of Byzantine knowledge of
Greek fire (naptha?) -- Although cultures
different, Muslim, Byzantine and early
Christian art very similar, especially
architecture -- After Constantine, early
Christian architecture flourishes -- Early
Christian architecture took Roman model
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Mauseleum of Galla Placida, 5th c.
Ravenna
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Galla Placidia Interior looking east
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Galla Placidia Ceiling Mosaic
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San Vitale, 6th c. Ravenna South View
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San Vitale View of the Apse with Mosaic
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San Vitale Mosaic on South Apse Emperor
Justinian/Bishop Maximian
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San Vitale Mosaic on North Apse Empress
Theodora and Retinue
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Grand Mosque, Cordoba, Spain c. 785 CE
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Alhambra Courtyard of the Lions
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