Byzantine Empire

Byzantine Empire (395-1453)

330 A.D.-- Constantinople becomes the

capital of the Eastern Roman

Empire. It was dedicated in May

of this year

Constantine rebuilds the Greek city of Byzantium

ConstantinopleAge of Justinian

Rules from 527-565

Purpose/GoalRevive Ancient Rome by conquering the provinces

that were overrun by invaders

Belisarius– his general conquers North Africa, Italy and southern Spain

Constantine I

Column of ConstantineCemberlitas

The Burnt Column as it is

also known as was built to

honor Constantine in

330.

It stands on top of the second

hill of Istanbul.

It was originally higher than it

is today and was topped by a

statue of Constantine

dressed as the sun god.

Constantinople

Historyonmaps.com

Geography

Bosporus—a strait, which is a narrow body of water connecting two larger bodies of water

ConstantinopleA harbor protected on three sides by water

Quick Quiz

In reference to Constantinapole where would you find these bodies of water?

?--Sea of Marmara

?--Bosporus, a straight

?--Black Sea

Constantinople

The city was protected on land with walls for

defense. These were known as the Theodosian

Walls

ConstantinopleWhy is Constantinople so important?

It is an important hub for trade. Silk from China, wheat from Egypt and spices from southeast Asia.

It is an International City. It has ancient Greek, Roman and Christian influences and political threats from Islam.

Constantinople

Age of Justinian

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D50IUZPGPqg

San Vitale at Ravenna in northern Italy

Justinianrose to power in 527 with his

appointment as co-emperor

to Justin I, his uncle, who died

later that same year. He

remained in power until 565.

In the religious sphere he

took a role in shaping church

policy. He fought to extinguish

the last vestiges of Greco-

Roman paganism, to root out

and to oppose competing

Christian sects, including the

Arians and the Monophysites.

Theodora (500-548)

Age of Justinian Rules from 527-565

Foreign Policy

Purpose--Revive ancient Rome by conquering the provinces that were overran by invaders.

Belisarius—his general conquers North Africa, Italy and southern Spain.

Age of Justinian

Government

Corpus Juris Civilis--body of civil law published in December 533

Justinian’s Code--used to collect, revise

and organize all the laws of ancient Rome

ConstantinopleArchitecture

Hippodrome

A multi-purpose stadium where chariot races

were held.

ConstantinopleArchitecture

Hagia Sophia

Holy Wisdom

Church

Persian dome with a rectangle base

ConstantinopleArchitecture

Close up view of the Hagia Sophia

ConstantinopleArchitecture

Interior of the Hagia Sophia

15th Century it becomes a mosque.

Today, it is a museum.

Great Schism 1054

I—Nicene Creed

II—Primacy, Emperor Vs. Patriarch

III—Iconoclastic Controversy

IV—Leavened Vs. Unleavened Bread

Great Schism 1054I Nicene Creed

Great Schism 1054I—Nicene Creed

Developed at the Council of Nicene in 325 as a

development of the heresy of Arius (Arianism)

Arius—a priest in Alexandria who believed that

the Father, Son and Holy Spirit were separate.

Great Schism 1054I—Nicene Creed

Holy Spirit Holy Spirit

Father Father Son

Son

Eastern Orthodox Roman Catholic

Great Schism 1054II—Primacy, Emperor Vs. Patriarch

After the fall of Rome in 476 A.D. Constantinople was the seat

of power for the Eastern Roman Empire. The patriarch of

Constantinople had jurisdiction over Alexandria, Antioch and

Jerusalem. Some emperors even claimed to be equal in

authority to the twelve apostles and as such claimed to have

power to appoint the patriarch of Constantinople.

The patriarch served at the emperor’s pleasure. One of the first

controversies was when Emperor Constantine appointed an

Arian heretic as a patriarch.

Great Schism 1054III Iconoclastic Controversy

Reliquary of the True Cross, late 8th and early 9th Century Byzantine

Great Schism 1054Icon, What is it?

A sacred image venerated in churches and homes.

Why is it a problem?

Great Schism 1054The Iconoclastic theologians believed the

worship of images, or icons was fundamentally

a pagan belief.

Products of human hands should not be

worshipped only Christ and God should be

the proper objects of veneration.

Possible Influence

Islam

Great Schism 1054Emperor Leo III (rules 717-741), he supports

Iconoclasm, breaking of images.

Pope’s Response

Views it as a threat not only to his authority but to church practices. Iconoclasm dies out in

the 9th century.

Great Schism 1054IV Leavened Vs. Unleavened Bread

Great Schism 1054Greek Rite

Leavened Bread

Patriarch Cerularius forces Latin rite (Western

Christians) in Constantinople to use leavened

bread.

Great Schism 1054Latin Rite

Unleavened bread

Conquering Normans in southern Italy forced

Greeks to use unleavened bread for their

eucharist.

Byzantine Influences in Russia

The Byzantine’s had connections to Russia

via the Dnieper (nee puhr) and Volga Rivers.

Byzantine Influences in Russia

Byzantine Influences in Russia

Cyril and Methodius

--brothers, they were born in Thessalonica in 827 and 826 respectively.

--They were living in a monastery on the Bosporus when the Khazars sent to

Constantinople for a Christian teacher.

--They both developed an alphabet to translate the Gospels and liturgical books into Slavonic.

Saints Cyril and Methodius

Saints Cyril and Methodius

Sophia, Bulgaria