The Byzantine Empire

1. The Byzantine Empire Chapter 11.1

2. New Rome • The Roman Empire was divided in 395 • Difficulty communicating between eastern and western empires • Revolts in the western empire • 527 Justinian became the king of the Eastern Empire • 533 Belisarius- Byzantine General; recovers North Africa from invading Western Tribes

4. A New Rome contd.. • Belisarius attacks Rome two years later and takes it from the Ostrogoths • Over the next 16 years, Rome changed hands 6 times • Justinian finally unites all of the former Roman Empire under his rule including parts of Spain • He ruled with absolute power, controlling both the state and the church.

5. Byzantine Emperors • Appointed and dismissed bishops at will. • Were at constant risk for attack due to brutal politics • Of 88 Emperors, 29 died violently and 13 abandoned the throne to live in monasteries

6. Justinian A farmer’s son Had a law changed so he could marry Theodora because their social statuses did not match Worked for his uncle, Justin, emperor, from age 11 Became emperor in 527

7. Zeno: The First Byzantine Emperor Each of the emperors had their own coin minted for them. This is one of the ways we know what they looked like…

8. Life in the New Rome • Few spoke Latin, most spoke Greek • Justinian set up a panel of legal experts to regulate laws for the empire • Codified 400 years of Roman Law • Justinian’s Code • Set up uniform laws and consisted of 4 works • The Code: laws that were still useful • The Digest: summarized opinions of Rome’s great legal thinkers • The Institutes: textbook for law students • The Novellae: Code of new laws passed after 534

9. Justinian’s Code • Justinian's Code: regulated areas of life like: • Marriage • Slavery • Property • Inheritance • Women’s rights • Criminal justice • Justinian died in 565 but Code served for 900 years.

10. Imperial Capital • Rebuilt Constantinople • Refortified coastline • Church building: Hagia Sophia which means “Holy Wisdom”. Rebuilt the original which was destroyed in 532 • Enlarged the palace • Built baths, aqueducts, courts, schools, and hospitals

11. Imperial Capital • Effects of building • Preserved Greco Roman culture • Byzantine families valued education • Byzantine scholars preserved the great works of Greece and Rome • Justinian illustrated the connection between church and state

12. Constantinople • Named after the Roman Emperor Constantine who converted to Christianity and moved the capital of Rome from Italy to Turkey • Big city with markets, street performers, food stands, and tons of exotic goods from Asia, Africa, and Europe

13. Constantinople: Modern day Istanbul Bustling port city

14. Hippodrome • Free entertainment in this coliseum • Word means “horse” and “racecourse” • Citizens could see chariot races and performances • Held 60,000 spectators • Rowdy fans could be seen on opposite sides of the stadium

16. Nika Rebellion • 532, two opposing chariot teams were racing in the Hippodrome. • Fans from either side started a city wide riot shouting “Nikka” which means victory • They were angry that city officials punished people who rioted before • Belisarius intercepted the rebellion and slaughtered 30000 rebels • Justinian was going to leave but his wife told him to stay.

17. Theodora • Her father was a bear keeper for the Hippodrome • Began performing burlesque in the Hippodrome by the age of 15 • Met Justinian at 21 • Considered one of the first feminists she worked for • Women’s property rights • Anti-rape legislation • Banishing brothel keepers

19. Belisarius • Came to command the Byzantine army at 25 • Defeated the Vandals and the Ostrogoths to help Justinian claim the rest of the Roman Empire for the East.

20. The Fall of the Byzantine Empire • Justinian died in 565 • Lots of setbacks: • Riots • Religious quarrels • Palace intrigues • Foreign dangers

21. The Empire Weakens • Plague of Justinian: much like the bubonic plague • Arrived from rats on ships from India • Worst year of the plague: 10000 people died each day • Lasted from 542-700 when it finally subsided • Attacked by barbaric tribes: Lombards, Slavs, Bulgars, Persians • With the rise of Islam, Arabs attacked in 647 and 717

22. The Empire Weakens • Russians attempt to take over Constantinople three times between 860 and 1043 • 11th Century Turks take over Muslim World • Fell to the Ottoman Turks on 1453 and Constantinople becomes Istanbul

23. The Christian Church Divides • 1054: The Great Schism • Christianity splits between Eastern and Western • Western: Roman Catholic • Eastern: Eastern Orthodox • See pg. 305