Byzantine Empire

Fall of Rome

• Lots of causes that we have discussed• 370 CE – the Huns invade Northern Europe• People of Northern Europe (Germanic Tribes)

invade Rome to get away from them• Series of battles between Rome and tribes

Continued attacks

• 410 CE – Germanic tribes get to city of Rome, plunder the entire city

• 476 CE – Western Roman Empire dies– Last emperor a 14 year old boy – no one wanted

to be emperor anymore

– Question we will look at today: why does Western Rome die, and Eastern Rome stay?

Foundation of Constantinople

• 330 CE – Roman emperor Constantine gives up on Rome, makes new capital, Constantinople– Formerly Byzantium

Rome

Constantinople

Constantinople• Easier to defend than

Rome– On a peninsula – less

sides to defend from armies

• Great trade location – closer to trade routes from Asia to Europe

• Chance to start over, build a Christian capital

• When Rome falls in 476 CE, Constantinople stays

476 CE, fall of Rome, but…

• Beginning of Byzantine Empire

• Civilization is going to combine Greek and Roman culture, continue their ideas for 1000 years after– Greek and Roman

architecture– Spoke Greek– Based around Christianity

Justinian, Byzantine’s Greatest Emperor

• Justinian – ruled from 527 to 565 CE

• Preserves traditions of Greece and Rome– Takes a lot of territory

backRed – Byz. Empire before Justinian

Orange – Byz. Empire after Justinian

Chosen by God

• Byzantine emperors chosen by God, given advice from God– What does this mean about their power?

• Absolute power – can’t be questioned

Laws

• Justinian believes he needs new laws to rule empire

• Tried using Roman laws– Problems • written in Latin, Byzantine Empire spoke Greek• A lot of the laws were outdated

• Creates a panel to make new laws• 534 CE - Justinian Code – 5,000 laws based on

all kinds of ideas from Rome

Hagia Sophia• Justinian’s crowning

achievement• Wanted to build most

advanced church in the world– Wants his city to be

destination for all Christians– Constantinople not just a

Christian city, but THE Christian city

• Has church built that combines ideas of Roman buildings and early Christian buildings

Hagia Sophia is an example of the heavy focus on Christianity in Byzantine Empire

Cultural Diffusers

• Byzantines believed they were Roman, continued working to live Roman lives

• Byzantines also spread their ideas to modern-day Russia – connected by rivers– Christianity, Cyrillic

alphabet

Schism• Schism - Eastern Orthodox religion

splits from Roman Catholic religion

•Western Europe and Eastern Europe develop different ways of practicing Christianity•Western Europe – pope, Latin language•Eastern Europe – no pope, Greek language•1054 – disputes continue, Pope and leader of Byzantine religion excommunicate each other– Excommunicate – declare someone an

outcast from the church After schism of 1054, Christianity never again unified

Entertainment• Chariot racing in hippodrome the biggest form of entertainment• Could seat 60,000 people• Fans a lot like soccer hooligans today• Would dress in color of favorite racer, move in groups, fight other groups of fans• Nika Riot – fans riot against government, feel Justinian is too strict with a few

fans who did wrong– Nearly burn the city to the ground before Byzantine army kills 30,000 fans