Byzantine Empire

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Byzantine Empire
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Objective(s)

• Students will be able to analyze and describe the
  political/social/religious developments of the
  Byzantine Empire after the collapse of the Roman
  Empire.
• Students will be able to explain the relationship
  of the Byzantine Empire regarding the development
  of Eastern Europe.

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I. Origins

• Beginnings rooted in Romes eastern capital
  Constantinople, founded in 4th century
• Became cultural, commercial center of Roman
  empire in later years
• Controlled Middle East, North Africa
• After fall of western half, Byzantium became
  center of Mediterranean world
• Empire based on Christianity, power of autocratic
  emperor

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II. A New Power

• 527 Justinian, a Byzantine nobleman, takes
  throne of eastern empire
• Sends his armies to reconquer western
  territories
• Successful in reconquering much of old Roman
  Empire
• Ruled with absolute power
• Head of both empire and church
• Unpopular with many, but ultimately successful in
  continuing legacy of Rome

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III. New Roman Culture

• Latin no longer most popular language, most spoke
  Greek
• Hellenistic culture takes hold in society
• Restructuring of Roman Law
• Justinian Code made up of four works
• Code contained 5,000 Roman laws still useful
• Digest summarized opinions of Romes greatest
  legal thinkers
• Institutes textbook explaining how to use laws
• Novellae mean New Laws, anything passed after
  534
• Covered everything marriage, slavery, womens
  rights, and much more
• Lasted 900 years

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III. Continued

• Justinian ordered construction of many great
  public works
• 14-mile stone wall along city coast
• Hagia Sophia once considered greatest church in
  Christian world
• Built public baths, aqueducts, courts, schools
• Preservation of Greco-Roman culture
• Education focused on Greek Latin grammar,
  philosophy
• Byzantine scholars helped preserve many older
  works from Ancient Greece and Rome

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IV. Split in Christian Church

• When Rome split, Christianity began to develop
  differently in east west
• In east Patriarch was leading bishop, but
  Emperor head of church
• In west the pope was head of church no
  authority in east
• Differences in religious doctrines (teachings)
  led to permanent split (11th century)
• Roman Catholic Church in west (Rome, western
  Europe)
• Eastern Orthodox Church in east (Byzantine
  Empire)

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V. Decline

• After split in church, Byzantine Empire faced a
  steady decline
• Outside invaders
• Sassanid Persians in the east
• Muslim armies from south
• Lombards in the west
• Avars, Slavs, Bulgars in north
• Empire slowly shrank due to constant attacks
• 1350 reduced to tip of Anatolia
• City of Constantinople held until 1453,
  eventually fell to Muslim Turks

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VI. Eastern Europe

• Byzantine Empire pushed Christianity north
• Accelerated development of independent
  civilizations in Eastern Europe
• Missionaries bring culture development of
  Slavic written language (Cyrillic)
• Kievan Rus
• Scandinavian traders moved through Slavic lands
  of eastern Europe
• Settlements and governments established along
  trade routes
• City of Kiev became focal point of commerce,
  culture
• Became center of small kingdom, called Kievan
  Rus, later Russia

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VI. Continued

• Based many traditions on Byzantine culture
• Autocratic (supreme) ruler that controlled church
  Russian Orthodoxy develops
• Called czar, from Russian word for Caesar
• Developed strong aristocratic class boyars
• Invaded/conquered by Mongols in 1200s

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5-Minute Response

• Compare/contrast the Byzantine Empire with the
  Roman Empire.

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Vocab ch. 9

• Hagia Sophia
• Bulgaria
• Kiev
• Rurik
• Russian Orthodox
• Boyars
• Tartars