Byzantine Empire

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Byzantine Empire

• 300 1453 C.E.

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Map of Byzantine Empire (600 CE)
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Constantines City--Constantinopolis
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Constantinople
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The Reign of Justinian

• The height of the first period of Byzantine
  history (324-632) was the reign of Emperor
  Justinian (r. 537-565) and his wife Empress
  Theodora (d. 548)

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The Imperial Goal Unity

• Build Strong cities and reconquer lost lands.
• Create a single law code.
• Strengthen the Eastern church.

One GodOne EmpireOne Religion
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Extensive Building Plans
Justinian was an ambitious builder. His greatest
monument was the magnificent domed church of
Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom), which was constructed
in just five years (53237).
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Interior of the Church of Hagia Sophia
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Justinians Code
Corpus Juris Civilis (body of civil law)
1. Digest 2. Code 3. Institutes 
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CHRISTIANS With Differences

• West (Roman Catholic)
• Pope in Rome
• Latin Language
• Most important holy day Christmas

• East (Eastern Orthodox)
• Patriarch in Constantinople
• Clergy could marry
• Greek Language
• Most important holy day Easter

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Great Schism (Split) 1054 CE

• Dispute over use of icons (Holy Images)
  contributed to split
• Byzantine Emperor outlawed prayer to icons
• Two branches of Christianity grew further apart
• 1054 provoked a permanent split between
  Byzantine, Eastern (Greek) Orthodox and Roman
  Catholic Church
• Iconoclasm The breaking of images religious
  controversy of the 8th c. Byzantine emperor
  attempted, but failed to suppress icon veneration

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What Happened to the Byzantines?
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The Fall of Constantinople

• in 1204, the Crusaders attacked, conquered, and
  pillaged the city of Constantinople, a goal that
  the Muslims had been trying achieve for centuries

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Conquered by the Ottoman Turks

• In 1453, the city was conquered by the Ottoman
  Turks and renamed Istanbul. Byzantine culture,
  law, and administration came to its final end.

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Legacy of Byzantine Empire
1. Throughout the early Middle Ages, the
Byzantine Empire remained a protective barrier
between western Europe and hostile Persian, Arab,
and Turkish armies. 2. The Byzantines were also a
major conduit of classical learning and science
into the West. 3. Served as a model of civilized
society for the rest of Western Europe.