the post-classical period. after the roman empire divided in 395, the eastern half became known as...
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THE BYZANTINES AND THE SLAVS
The Post-Classical Period
The New
Rome
Byzantine Foundations
After the Roman Empire divided in 395, the eastern half became known as the Byzantine Empire
Constantinople was the capitol Mixture of Roman, Greek, and Persian
cultural traditions made Byzantium unique
Between 500 and 1200, this civilization was one of the most advanced in the world
Wealthiest part of the Roman Empire
Justinian and Theodora Justinian ruled the Byzantine Empire at its height Theodora, his wife, was very involved with politics and worked hard to improve the social standing of women Justinian protected his empire from the Persians and fought to re-conquer the
western Roman Empire Justinian appointed a commission to codify
Rome’s laws Justinian code preserved Rome’s legal heritage
and became the basis for most European legal systems
Byzantine Religion
During Justinian’s reign the Hagia Sophia was built Emperors were seen as God’s representatives on
earth and starting in the 400s they were crowned by the Patriarch of Constantinople
Emperors played a major role in church affairs The controversy over the use of icons became a
political issue by the 700s. Emperor Leo III ordered all icons to be removed from
churches Church leaders resisted the order A church council in Nicaea (787) approved the use of icons The Eastern Church further settled the issue in 843 by
allowing pictures but not statues
Conflict with the Church in Rome
Iconoclastic Controversy The pope in Rome v. the patriarch in
Constantinople The pope granted Charlemagne the title
of Emperor, which the patriarch was only legally able to do
In 1054 a schism, or separation, occurs The separated the church into the Roman
Catholic church in the west and the Eastern Orthodox Church in the east
Byzantine Life
Byzantine society had a hierarchy of social groups, but there was much mobility
Family was the center of life Marriage was a sacred institution- divorce was
difficult Women were to live in partial seclusion
The economy was based on farming, herding, or laborers- major industry was weaving silk Commerce thrived in cities
Art and Learning
Art was primarily of religious subjects Mosaics Illuminated Manuscripts Education and Learning was also important in
Byzantine Culture University of Constantinople est. 850 Wealthy people hired tutors for their kids Literature focused on Salvation of the soul and
obedience to God’s will Byzantine scholars spent much of their time
copying the writings of ancient Greeks and Romans
The spread of Christianity By the end of the 300s, monasteries and
converts were formed Missionaries were also sent out to carry
messages about Christianity to others Cyril and Methodius
Believed that the Slavic peoples would be more accepting of Christianity if it was presented in their own language
Created the Cyrillic alphabet Translated the Bible to this language and wom
many converts
Decline and Fall of the Byzantine
Frequent attacks from the Germanic Lombards, Slavs, Avars, Bulgars, Persians, and Arabs
626- the Slavs were at the walls of Constantinople, but their advance was stopped
By the 630s, the Arabs conquered Syria and Palestine and were moving into N. Africa
By 700 the Byzantine Empire was reduced to primarily Greek territory
1071 Normans seized southern Italy and the Seljuk Turks defeated the Byzantine town of Manzikert
The Ottoman Turks invaded the eastern provinces By 1300 the Byzantine Empire consisted of
Constantinople and Greece 1453 the Ottomans laid siege to Constantinople
Armenia and Georgia
Armenia- Kingdom came under the power of the Roman Empire in 55 B.C. In the 300s A.D. they came under the influence of Christianity. Gregory, a missionary converted the king to Christianity, and Armenia became the first officially Christian country in the world.
Georgia- the Silk road passed through the Caucasus Mountains, which allowed for much cultural diffusion. Christianity spread to Georgia in the 300s A.D. and the country eventually became a battle ground between the Persians and the Byzantines, and it eventually becomes part of Russia.
The Eastern Slavs
The Eastern Slavs
When Constantinople fell, the leadership of the Eastern Orthodox Church fell to the Slavs
Their civilization was built on Byzantine religion, law and culture
Early Slavs lived in villages and relied on agriculture and hunting
Most of their houses were sturdy log homes build without nails
Rivers were used for trade
Kievan Rus
Vikings protected Slavic trade routes and provided military aid Rurik was the Viking leader who named the
region Rus Oleg, Rurik’s successor conquered Kiev,
which allowed him to control the water trade route
They established a trade relationship with the Byzantine Empire
Government was organized into principalities with local self-government
Arrival of Christianity
Before AD 900, the Slavs worshipped nature spirits and gods such as Perun, the god of thunder
Contact with the Byzantine Empire introduced them to Christianity
Olga, a Kievan princess, was the firs to accept Christianity and her grandson Vladimir made it the official religion
As a result, monasteries were developed and Kiev cut ties with western Europe
Kiev’s Golden Age and Decline
Kiev’s civilization reaches its height under Yaroslav’s rule
First library was created Legal system drew from Justinian’s Code Culture was significantly ahead of any
city in western Europe Declined after Yaroslav’s Death
Began the practice of dividing the lands among his sons
No clear line of succession Mongol Invaders
Mongol Rule
Mongols conquered much of the Slav’s territory, but simply wanted to impose taxes, not their own culture on the conquered people
Many monks, farmers, and artisans moved to the remote northern regions to avoid Mongol rule, creating Novgorod
Novgorod becomes a strong independent principality after successfully defeated the invading Swedes
Moscow’s Beginnings
Small prosperous town located near vital land and water routes
Territory grew by war and diplomatic marriages 1325 leadership of the Eastern Orthodox church
was transferred there Moscow was heavily burdened by Mongol taxes Over the course of 100 years, the people of
Moscow slowly drove the Mongols out Under Ivan III, Moscow finally refused to pay
taxes Ivan brought the Russian principalities under his
rule, and became known as Ivan the Great
The Third Rome
Ivan III married Sophia, the niece of the last Byzantine emperor
He named himself ceasar and made the two-headed eagle of the Byzantine empire the symbol of his rule
By 1493, Ivan called himself sovereign of all Russia and the land was 100 times larger than Moscow
The people spoke one language and Moscow became home to the Eastern Orthodox Church