The Eastern Roman Empire

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The Eastern Roman Empire
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After the Roman empire collapsed in the West, the
Eastern Roman Empire became the center of
civilization.

• The capital of the Eastern Roman Empire was
  Byzantium or Constantinople as it came to be
  known.

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Due to its location, it controlled trade between
Asia and Europe.
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Politics in Constantinople

• Senate still met as in Rome but the emperor had
  absolute power.
• Emperors were the head of both the church and the
  state.
• Justinian was a strong and important emperor.

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Justinians most important contribution was his
Code.

• The code summarized the laws of many of the
  provinces of the Roman Empire.
• Using these summaries, Justinian created new
  laws.
• Law students were taught how to use the code.

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Religion was important to the Byzantine Empire.

• People debated issues such as the nature of God
  and Jesus.
• The church was connected to the government.
• Icons were pictures of Mary, Jesus, and holy
  figures that were sold in markets.
• Those that objected to these figures were called
  iconoclasts.

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Icons
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Iconoclasts were one of the reasons the Christian
church split in 1054 A.D.

• Roman priests could not marry, Eastern priests
  married.
• The pope led the church in Rome, the patriarch
  led the Eastern Church.
• The churches became known as the Roman Catholic
  and the Eastern Orthodox.

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The architecture of Constantinople combines
elements of Greece as well as the East.

• Hagia Sophia

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The Spread of Islam

• In the 600s Arab victories claimed the lands in
  Syria, Palestine, Egypt, northern Africa and
  Spain.
• Bedouins were the Arabs from the desert who were
  nomads and worshipped many gods and spirits.

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Mohammeds Life

• Orphaned at six
• Was not literate
• Was a successful merchant
• Came to believe in one god, Allah (the same god
  worshipped by the Jews and Christians)
• left Mecca for Medina (This time was known as
  hegira meaning flight.)

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Mohammed created Islam

• Islam means surrender to God.
• The Koran contains the teachings of Mohammed.

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The Five Pillars of Islam

• Faith
• Prayer
• Alms
• Fasting
• Pilgrimage

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Islam spread through jihads or holy wars.

• Muslims conquered Spain, Portugal, North Africa,
  Palestine, and the Fertile Crescent.
• The Koran written in Arabic was considered the
  only true word so it spread easily through Arab
  lands.

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Muslim Empire
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Arabs were tolerant rulers who treated the Jews
and Christians with respect.
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Islam split into two sects.

• Shiites are the minority group who believe that
  Mohammeds grandson, Husayn, was the rightful
  caliph.
• The Sunni are the orthodox Muslims and are in the
  majority in the Muslim world.

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Accomplishments of Islam

• Translated Greek books into Arabic
• First chemical laboratories
• Treatment of disease (diagnosed smallpox and
  wrote an encyclopedia of medicine)
• Created algebra
• Arabic numerals
• Wrote the Arabian Nights