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The Byzantine Empire

The Byzantine Empire. A New Rome. Setting the Stage. Byzantine Empire was the eastern half of the old Roman Empire Byzantium – Capital City Constantinople under the rule of Constantine before split of empire

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The Byzantine Empire

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  1. The Byzantine Empire A New Rome

  2. Setting the Stage • Byzantine Empire was the eastern half of the old Roman Empire • Byzantium – Capital City • Constantinople under the rule of Constantine before split of empire • Eastern Empire would continue for nearly 1000 years after the fall of the West

  3. A New Rome • 395: Romans divide empire • Difficult communication between East & West • Western Empire was beset by corruption and attacks from barbarians • Eastern rulers view themselves as rulers for all of Rome

  4. 395: Empire Splits

  5. A New Rome (cont.) • 527: Justinian becomes emperor • Goal: Regain the glory of Rome • 533: Sends general Belisarius to re-conquer North Africa = succeeds • 535: Belisarius captures Rome from the Ostrogoths • Rome changes hands 6 times over the next 16 years • Justinian reclaims Italy, calls himself Caesar

  6. Byzantine Empire – Greatest Extent • Orange: Added by Belisarius for Justinian

  7. Byzantine Emperors • Rule with absolute power • Head the state and the church • Appoint bishops at will and are ruthless in politics • Constantly under threat of assassination • 88 Emperors (29 murdered, 13 step down)

  8. Life in New Rome • Byzantine Empire was Roman, but had its own identity • Complex society with a uniform law system • Justinian’s Code • Code decides legal questions & regulated life (marriage, property, etc) • Code serves empire for 900 years

  9. Justinian’s Code • Code consisted of 4 works • 1) The Code = ~5,000 old, useful Roman laws • 2) The Digest = 50 volumes of summaries & quotes from great Roman legal minds • 3) The Institutes = Law textbook for students • 4) The Novellae (New Laws) = legislation passed after 534

  10. The Imperial Capital • Justinian sets out to create a beautiful capital for the empire • Rebuilds Constantinople’s fortifications • 14-mile stone wall • Built churches, schools, aqueducts, hospitals • Crowning achievement: The Hagia Sophia

  11. The Hagia Sopia

  12. Culture & Education • Although Roman, many Byzantines spoke Greek • Byzantines valued education • Education focused on classical learning • Greek & Latin grammar • Philosophy • Greek & Roman classics • Literature – Homer • History – Herodotus • Geometry – Euclid • Medicine – Galen

  13. Constantinople & the Nika Rebellion • Main Street – the Mese (“Middle Way”) • Trade center for products from around the world • Hippodrome – chariot races & other acts (free) • 60,000 capacity • Nika Rebellion – fans call for Justinian’s head, Belisarius kills 30k rebels • Theodora urges Justinian to stay – p. 303

  14. The Hippodrome

  15. Fall of the Empire • Empire faces setbacks after Justinian dies • Riots, foreign attacks, etc • Plague of Justinian • Bubonic Plague from rats; kills 10k/day at its height • Attacks from all over the empire • West: Lombards • North: Slavs, Avars, Bulgars, Russians • East: Persians & Muslims • Constantinople attacked several times & Turks slowly take territory • Battle of Manzikert

  16. Byzantine Empire

  17. 1453: Fall of the Empire (cont.) • The Byzantines used everything to maintain their empire • Diplomacy, marriages, military power • Heraclius organizes provinces into military districts (delays enemies) • Foreign attacks, slowly shrink the empire • 1350: empire reduced to the tip of Anatolia & a strip on the Balkans • The Walls keep invaders out • Constantinople falls in 1453

  18. The Walls

  19. Division of the Church • Christianity develops differently between the east & west • Reason: Distance & Contact • As the Eastern Empire grows, distance becomes greater • Eastern Christianity built on works of early figures • St. Basil – p. 304 • Patriarchs subservient to the Emperor • 730: Leo III bans use of icons = riots

  20. Division of the Church (cont.) • West: Pope supports use of icons • Orders excommunication of Leo III • Theodora restores icons in 843 • 1054: Pope & Patriarch excommunicate each other • Church splits • West: Roman Catholic Church • East: Orthodox Church

  21. Conversion of Slavs • Both churches fight for converts • Byzantine missionaries push to convert Slavs • North of the Black Sea • Cyril & Methodius invent the Cyrillic alphabet • Allows Slavs to read the Bible in their own tongue

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