CH. 6: Byzantine Empire

Creation• The Byzantine Empire was created by the

Roman Emperor Constantine.• The Roman Empire was split into to because it

was believed to large to rule.

Byzantium/Constantinople/Istanbul

• The Capital will be renamed Constantinople after Constantine.

• The City has water on 3 sides making it easily defensible.

• Giant chains were placed in the harbor to prevent unwanted ships from entering.

• It is located geographically between east and west• Had a multiethnic feel, sewer system, hospitals,

orphanages, and elderly homes

Justinian I

• Justinian will be ruler during a riot. He will lead the army against them at the urging of his wife, and 30,000 citizens are killed.

• With a portion of the City being destroyed Justinian saw the opportunity to rebuild.

• Justinian will build new roads, bridges, baths, parks, roads, hospitals, etc.

• One of the finest works, the Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) still exists today.

Justinian Code• Justinian will also be known

for other reasons.• Due to its geographic

location Constantinople had a variety of laws.

• Justinian had a group of scholars remove repeated laws, improve bad laws, add new laws.

• This would be known as the Justinian Code, and Western Societies are based from it.

Church• The church of the Byzantine Empire will be the

Eastern Orthodox Church (starts as part of the Roman Church)

• Orthodox means “agreement in right belief.”• This references the fact that the church believes its

teachings go back to the message from Jesus and the early Bishops.

• The Emperor will be the head of the Eastern Orthodox Church making them extremely powerful.

Church Structure

• Top: Emperor• Patriarch: Picked by

Emperor, #2 in terms of religious matters.

• Bishops & Priests• Priests could married,

but Bishops could only be selected from unmarried Priests.

• The Church will be very similar to the Catholic Church.

• They will pay special attention to Saint Basil (helped reform the mass) and Saint Cyril (created Cyrillic Alphabet)

• Pantocrator: Found in All E.O.C. Means “creator of all”

Icons

• Icons: art work depicting Saints and Jesus

Iconoclasm

• Emperor Leo III will see the prayer and worship of Icons as offensive to God.

• He will order icons smashed (Iconoclasm)• Pope Gregory III will take offense to this,

especially when it happens in Italy• Leo will revoke the Iconoclasm, but Gregory

no long trust the Byzantine Empire

Holy Roman Empire• Pope Leo III, no longer seeing the Byzantine

Empire as a reliable ally will look for new support.• He will find Charlemagne, King of the Franks• He will support Charlemagne in the creation of

the Holy Roman empire, the Church’s new defender

1054

• In an effort to reassert Byzantine control, all Catholic churches will be closed in the Byzantine Empire.

• The Pope will excommunicate the Patriarch of Constantinople, which will cause the patriarch to excommunicate the Pope (he can’t)

• The two churches will be split until 1964