BYZANTIUM

Bell Ringer:The BLUE flow chart below lists the events that led to the

break up of the Roman Empire. Fill in the missing words using the hints in the red boxes.

First in 330 CE, Constantine decided to…

Then, power in the empire was…

In 410 CE…

In 476 CE…

Move the capital to the east.

Divided.

Rome was sacked

Odacer attacked Rome and the Western Roman Empire fell.

The Byzantine Empire rose to power.

Finally, in the east…

The Byzantine Empire, or Byzantium, was formerly a part of the Roman

Empire.

As the Empire in the west fell due to moral decay, invasions from barbaric tribes, and political turmoil the east

actually prospered for all of the reasons listed above.

SignificanceWhy was Byzantium important?

Empire ruled the east from 300 C.E. to 1453 C.E.

Constantinople was able to preserve classical culture

The empire was a center of trade, learning and cultural diffusion

Geography Eastern Roman Empire

becomes the Byzantine Empire

Asia Minor, Balkan Peninsula, Egypt, Palestine

Capital: Constantinople

Location is Everything

Why Constantinople?Good port for tradingFar from the Germanic Tribes

Natural defenses

Maps!

Asia Minor

Black Sea

Mediterranean Sea

Spain (Iberia)

ItalyGreece

Arabia

Canaan/ Judea

Egypt

Caspian Sea

12

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Checking for Understanding Why did the Eastern Roman Empire

survive when the Western Roman Empire fell?

What geographic factor was most important to the growth of the Byzantine Empire?

Religion

Religion

Christianity! A religious denomination is a

subgroup within a religion that operates under a common name, tradition, and identity.Ex: various Christian denominations

Religion The Christian Church is present in both the

West (Rome) and the East (Constantinople) Both have leading bishops

In Rome there is a Pope In Constantinople there is a patriarch

A small disagreement between the two churches over icons, led to larger disagreements eventually a split or schismA schism is a division between people, usually

belonging to an organization or movement

What is an icon?A painting of Christ or another

holy figure, used as an aid to devotion.

Religion

West (Rome)

Pope View on Icons: okay Church service in

Latin Priests can’t marry

East (Byzantium/Constantinople)

Patriarch View on Icons: not

okay. Church Service in

Greek. Priests can marry.

Roman Catholic ChurchEastern Orthodox Church

Branches within Christianity

Early Christianit

y

Western Church

Catholicism (Roman Catholic Church)

Protestantism

Lutheran

Baptist

ProtestantCatholicism

Eastern Orthodox

Great Schism (11th Century)

Reformation(16th Century)

Achievements

Achievements

Preserved Greco-Roman culture

Art MosaicsBlended Greek, Roman, and Middle Eastern styles

What is a Mosaic?A picture or pattern produced

by arranging together small colored pieces of hard material, such as stone, tile, or glass

Other Achievements

Constantinople’s Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom)

Justinian Code Surviving for 1000 years Language: Greek

Adoption of Greek alphabet for the Slavic languages by St. Cyril (Cyrillic alphabet)

Hagia SophiaA 6th century masterpiece built as a Christian church, converted to a mosque in 1453, and made into a museum in the middle of the 20th century.

Images of the Exterior

Images of the Interior

Checking for Understanding Compare the Byzantine achievements

with the achievements of the Ancient Roman Empire.

Political

Political

Emperor: sole and absolute ruler with power from divine origin.

Famous ruler: Justinian

Justinian (527 – 565)

Restores the glory of RomeRebuilds

ConstantinopleRe-conquers

Roman territoryReforms the empire

Rebuilding Constantinople Justinian: repairs defensive walls

and fortifications, and builds new ones

Rebuilding Constantinople

Justinian: modernizes the cityMese (“Middle Way”)HospitalsSchoolsPalacesAqueductsLaw courtsPublic bathsHippodrome (free chariot races!)

Rebuilding Constantinople Justinian: builds churches, including

the Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom)

Reconquer Goal was to reconquer lost

Roman territory.

Reforms

Justinian declares he (the emperor) is in charge of the church

Reforms and strengthens the bureaucracy and tax collection

Justinian CodeReviews, revises, edits, and codifies 5,000

Roman lawsBecame the basis for western legal codes

for centuries to come!

Economy

Economy

Center of tradeTrade Routes between Black Sea and

Baltic Sea Mese – “Middle Way” Lots of trade Trade Economy centered around

providing for Constantinople (and trade)

Social

Social

Women had more rights and freedom (Empress Theodora)

Schools Hippodrome (free chariot

races!)

BYE BYE, BYZANTIUM

Decline of Byzantium…looks similar to the Romans

Bankrupts the empire Too large to control Split of the Christian Church hurts the

Byzantines Turks and Mongols invade from the East

throughout the 13th and 14th centuries Finally, the Ottoman Turks conquer

Constantinople in 1453

Know This Date!

Constantinople falls: 1453

Justinian Resume