Ch. 9 - Christian Europe Emerges, 600–1200

AP World History

Byzantine Empire

leads to the Russian Empire

Writing Assignments:Read “The Eastern Empire

survives”Think about the development of

the Eastern empire and the methods of the emperors to control their empire.

Write: Answer the prompts as thoroughly as you can.

Writing Assignments for this Unit:

1. Recreate the map on pg 235 in your text books.

2. Reading/Writing Assignments rest of unit: unless otherwise noted, complete questions on handouts with complete sentences – short paragraphs always nice.

Read “The Vision” graphic novel and answer the following questions:

1. What did Constantine believe about his vision? 2. Approximately how long after his vision did

Constantine grant freedom of religion to Christians? 3. How Christians might have felt about the Edict of

Milan.? 4.Did Christians trust the emperor’s new policy? Why

or why not? 5. How might the new policy affect their lives? 6. How might Christians feel about the government’s

past actions?

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The Early Byzantine Empire

Capital: Byzantium On the Bosporus Commercial, strategic value of location Constantine names capital after himself

(Constantinople), moves capital there 340 CE 1453 falls to Turks, renamed Istanbul

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The Later Roman Empire and Byzantium Byzantine Empire inherits Roman Empire after fall

of Rome in 5th c. CE Eastern territories remain major power until 13th c.

CE Roman infrastructure in place

Roads, institutional hierarchies Challenges from strong Persian empire (Sassanid

dynasty, 226-641 CE) Invasions of Germanic peoples

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Caesaropapism

Power centralized in figure of Emperor Christian leader cannot claim divinity, rather

divine authority Political rule Involved in Religious rule as well Authority absolute

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The Byzantine Court

Etiquette reinforces authority of EmperorRoyal purpleProstrationMechanical devices designed to inspire awe

The Byzantine Empire was the eastern half of the old Roman Empire.

Long after Rome fell (476 A.D.) under the Germanic invaders, Byzantium continued in Constantinople.

Byzantine, Russian, and Turkish cultures develop, while Christian and Islamic societies fight over religious issues and territory.

The Byzantine Empire lasted over 1000 years, from the 400s until the Empire’s fall to the Ottoman Turks in 1453.

One outstanding emperor

was Justinian and he ruled from 527–565 A.D..

His reign saw great Byzantine expansion across North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and even southern Spain.

He wanted to restore the empire to its former Roman glory.

His reign was one of the last that still used Latin as the official royal language.

Greek became the new language.

New Laws for the Empire Justinian seeks to revise

and update laws for governing the empire

Justinian Code—new set of laws consisting of four main parts

Code regulates much of Byzantine life; lasts for 900 years

Creating the Imperial Capital

Justinian launches program to beautify capital, Constantinople

Byzantines preserve Greco-Roman culture and learning

Constructs new buildings; builds magnificent church, Hagia Sophia

Justinian oversaw the

construction of a great church in the city that would to be the shining example of Byzantine architecture.

Built the Church of the Hagia Sophia.

(Hagia Sophia translates from the Greek as Holy Wisdom.)

(The building measures 250 feet by 235 feet and features a great dome measuring 107 feet across and peaking at a height of 185 feet.

The building took five years to complete with 10,000 men working on it. Inside, the great church was adorned with marble, elaborate columns, intricate mosaics, and gold.)

Mosaic depicting Justinian (left) presenting model of church of Hagia Sophia to the Virgin Mary. Constantine to the right presents her with a model of Constantinople

Constantinople’s Hectic

Pace City becomes trading hub

with major marketplace Giant Hippodrome offers

chariot races and other entertainment

Racing fans start riots in 532; government restores order violently

Empress Theodora—powerful wife and adviser to Justinian

Years of Turmoil Justinian dies in 565; empire

faces many crises after his death

The Plague of Justinian Bubonic plague

repeatedly sweeps empire; kills many residents

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Byzantine Conquests

General Belisarius recaptures much of western Roman Empire under Justinian

Unable to consolidate control of territories Withdrew to defend empire from Sassanids,

Slavs

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The Byzantine empire and its neighbors 527-554 C.E.

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Islamic Conquests and Byzantine Revival

7th century Arab Muslim expansion Besieged Byzantium 674-678, 717-718 Defense made possible through use of “greek

fire”

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Imperial Organization

Themes (provinces) under control of generals Military administration Control from central imperial government Soldiers from peasant class, rewarded with

land grants

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Tensions with Western Europe

ChurchByzantine: Greek; Roman: LatinConflicts over hierarchical control

Fealty of Germanic peoplesRoman pope crowns Charlemagne in 800, a

challenge to Byzantine authority

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Byzantine Economy and Society

Constantinople largest city in Europe, 5th-13th c.

Dependent on small landholders, free peasants Earlier large landholdings destroyed by

invasions in 6th-7th centuries Theme system rewards soldiers with land

grants

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Decline of the Free Peasantry

Large landholdings on the increase Reduces tax revenues, recruits to military Last three centuries indicate steady decline of

economy

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Manufacturing and Trade

Trade routes bring key technologies, e.g. silk industry Advantage of location causes crafts and industry to

expand after 6th century Tax revenues from silk route Banking services develop

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Urban Life

Aristocrats: palances; artisans: apartments; working poor: communal living spaces

HippodromeChariot races, “greens vs. blues”Politically inspired rioting

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Orthodox Christianity

Legacy of Classical GreeceGreek replaces Latin after 6th c. CE; language of

New Testament Byzantine education sponsors development of

large literate class for state bureaucracyTraining in classical canon

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The Byzantine Church

Church and state closely aligned Council of Nicea (325) bans Arian movement

Human/divine nature of JesusConstantine favors Arians, but supports Nicean

condemnation Byzantine Emperors appoint Patriarchs Caesaropapism creates dissent in church

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Iconoclasm

Emperor Leo III (r. 717-741 CE) Destruction of icons after 726 Popular protest, rioting Policy abandoned 843

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Greek Philosophy and Byzantine Theology

Attempt to reconcile Greek philosophy with Judeo-Christianity

Constantine establishes school to apply philosophical methods to religious questions

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Ascetism

Hermit-like existence Celibacy Fasting Prayer St. Simeon Stylite

Lived atop pillar for years

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Byzantine Monasticism and St. Basil (329-379 CE)

Patriarch of Constantinople reforms monasteriesCommunal livingHierarchical structure

Mt. AthosNo women, female animals allowed

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Tensions between Eastern and Western Christianity

Ritual disputesBeards on clergyLeavened bread for Mass

Theological disputesIconoclasmNature of the Trinity

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Schism

Arguments over hierarchy, jurisdiction Autonomy of Patriarchs, or Primacy of Rome? 1054 Patriarch of Constantinople and Pope of

Rome excommunicate each otherEast: Orthodox ChurchWest: Roman Catholic

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Social Problems in the Byzantine Empire

Generals of themes become allied with local aristocratsIntermarry, create class of elite

Occasional rebellions vs. Imperial Rule

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Challenges from the West

Western European economic development Normans from Scandinavia press on Byzantine

territories Crusades of 12th-13th centuries rampage

through Byzantine territoryConstantinople sacked, 1204

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Challenges from the East

Muslim Saljuqs invade AnatoliaThreatens grain supply

Defeat Byzantine army in 1071, creates civil conflict

Period of steady decline until Ottoman Turks capture Constantinople in 1453Renamed Istanbul

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The Byzantine empire and its neighbors about 1100 C.E.

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Influence on Slavic Cultures

Relations from 6th c. CE Bulgaria influenced culturally, politically Saints Cyril and Methodius

Create Cyrillic alphabet Slavic lands develop orientation to Byzantium

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Kievan Rus’

Conversion of Prince Vladimir, 989 Byzantine culture influences development of

Slavic cultures Distinctively Slavic Orthodox church develops Eventual heir to Byzantium

Attacks from East and

West Byzantium faces attacks

from many different groups Empire survives through

bribery, diplomacy, and military power

Constantinople falls in 1453; brings an end to Byzantine Empire

A Religious Split Christianity develops

differently in Eastern and Western Roman Empires

Two churches disagree over many issues, including use of icons

Icons are religious images used to aid in prayer

Leading bishop of Eastern Christianity known aspatriarch

In the West, pope excommunicated emperor—

banished him from the Church

A Religious Split

Pope and patriarch excommunicate each other over religious doctrines

Eastern and Western churches officially split in 1054

West—Roman Catholic Church; East—Orthodox Church

Byzantine Missionaries Convert the Slavs Eastern Orthodox missionaries seek to convert

northern peoples, Slavs Missionaries create Cyrillic alphabet—basis of

many Slavic languages Alphabet enables many groups to read the Bible

Kievan Russia and the Byzantine Empire in the Eleventh CenturyBy the 11th century, the princes of Kievan Russia had brought all the eastern Slavs under their rule. Loss of Egypt, Syria, and Tunisia to Arab invaders in the 7th to 8th century had turned Byzantium from a far-flung empire into a fairly compact state. Byzantine rulers then looked to the Balkans and Kievan Russia as the primary arena for extending their political and religious influence.

The Rise of the Kievan State 900–1200

In its early history, Russia was inhabited by a number of peoples of different language and ethnic groups whose territory shifted from century to century.

What emerged was a general pattern of Slavs in the east, Finns in the north, and Turkic tribes in the south.

Forest dwellers, steppe nomads, and farmers in the various ecological zones traded with each other.

Long-distance caravan trade linked Russia to the Silk Road, while Varangians (relatives of Vikings) were active traders on the rivers, and the Khazar Turks built a trading kingdom at the mouth of the Volga.

The Rus were societies of western Slav farmers ruled by Varangian nobles. Their most important cities were Kiev and Novgorod, both centers of trade.

In 980, Vladimir I became Grand Prince of Kiev. He chose Orthodox Christianity as the religion of his state and imitated the culture of the Byzantine Empire, building churches, adopting the Cyrillic alphabet, and orienting his trade toward the Byzantines.

Internal political struggles and conflict with external foes led to a decline of Kievan Russia after 1100.

Society and Culture Kievan Russia had poor

agricultural land, short growing season, and primitive farming technology. Food production was low, and the political power of the Kievan state relied more on trade than it did on landholding.

The major cities of Kiev and Novgorod had populations of 30,000 to 50,000—much smaller than Constantinople or large Muslim cities. Kiev, Novgorod, and other much smaller urban areas were centers for craftspeople and artisans, whose social status was higher than that of peasants.

Christianity spread slowly in the Kievan state. Pagan customs and polygamy persisted until as late as the 12th century. In the 12th century, Christianity triumphed and the church became more powerful, with some clergy functioning as tax collectors for the state.

Comparative Perspectives Church Differences Between Western Europe and Byzantium Church leaders developed different theological viewpoints and

customs. Western church leaders wrote their treatises in Latin; eastern

church leaders wrote in Greek. The eastern church was influenced by Arab conquests of the

seventh century; the western church was not. Arabian conquests separated the two churches through an interruption in communication, leading to more distinctions in their development.

Political and Economic Distinctions Between Western Europe and Byzantium

Initially, the Byzantine Empire, following Roman political and legal heritage that had mostly faded in the west, enjoyed more economic prosperity and sophistication in the arts and culture than the west.

Christianity became embedded in Byzantine society before it did in the western church.

The Byzantine Empire did not witness the improved military techniques, new agricultural technologies, population growth, and trade of Western Europe, leading to its decline in prosperity and cultural innovation in comparison to the west.

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Absolutism in Russia: The Romanov Dynasty (1613-1917) Peter I (“the Great,” r. 1682-1725)

Worked to modernize Russia on western European model Developed modern Russian army, reformed Russian government

bureaucracy, demanded changes in fashion: beards forbidden Built new capital at St. Petersburg

Catherine II (“the Great”, r. 1762-1796) Huge military expansion

Partitions of Poland, 1772-1797 Social reforms at first, but end with Pugachev peasant rebellion

(1773-1774)

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The Russian empire, 1801-1914

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The Russian Empire in Decline

Russia a massive, multi-cultural empireOnly approximately half speak Russian,

observe Russian Orthodox Christianity Romanov Tsars rule autocratic empire Powerful class of nobles exempt from

taxation, military duty Exploitative serfdom

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The Crimean War, 1853-1856

Russian expansion into Caucasus in larger attempt to establish control over weakening Ottoman empire

Threatens to upset balance of power, Europeans become involved

Russia driven back from Crimea in humiliating defeat

Demonstration of Russian weakness in the face of western technology, strategy

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Reform: Emancipation of the Serfs Serfdom source of rural instability and peasant

revolt Tsar Alexander II emancipates serfs in 1861,

without alleviating poverty, land hungerForced to pay for lands they had farmed for generations

Limited attempts to reform administration, small-scale representative governmentNetwork of elected district assemblies called zemstvos

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Industrialization in Russia

Count Sergei Witte, minister of finance 1892-1903

Massive railroad constructionTrans-Siberian railroad

But massive industrial discontentPeasants uprooted from rural lifestyle to work

for low wages, long hours

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Repression

Intelligentsia class spreads radical ideas for social changeSocialists, anarchistsTerror tactics, assassinations Attempt to connect with the mistrustful peasantry in

1870s, denounced and sent into Siberian exile Tsarist authorities turn to censorship, secret police Nationalist sentiment seething in Baltics, Poland,

Ukraine, Georgia, central Asia

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Radicalization

1881 radical People’s Will movement assassinates Tsar Alexander II Prompted widespread pogrom attacks on Jews Increased repression

Nicholas II (r. 1894-1917) enters into war with Japan (1904-1905)

Humiliating defeat exposes government weaknesses Social discontent boils over in Revolution of 1905 Strikes force government to make concessions