The Byzantine Empire

I. After the Fall of Rome• 330, Emperor Constantine moved Empire’s capital to

Byzantium, later renamed Constantinople• 395 – Roman Empire officially split between East and

West empires– Two emperors share equal power

• After decline of west, eastern Roman Empire would last another 1000 years– Becomes known as

Byzantine Empire

The state of the Roman Empire by 476.

II. A New Power• 527 C.E. – Justinian, a Byzantine noble-

man, takes throne of eastern empire– Sent his armies to reconquer western

territories• North Africa, Italy, parts of Spain

eventually reclaimed in name of Rome• Ruled over almost all of the territory that was once

originally Roman Empire – Ruled with absolute power

• Head of empire and church– Led to a new age of Roman influence and

domination

II. Continued…• Justinian ordered the building and

construction of many great projects– 14-mile stone wall along city coast– Hagia Sophia – once considered greatest church in

Christian world– Public baths, aqueducts,

courts, schools

III. New Roman Culture• The Byzantine Empire developed its own culture

separate from that of the western empire• Latin no longer most popular language, most people

spoke Greek• Restructuring of Roman Law

– Justinian Code – based on 400 years of Roman law, made up of four works:

• Code: contained 5,000 Roman laws still considered useful• Digest: summarized opinions of Rome’s greatest legal thinkers• Institutes: textbook explaining how to use laws• Novellae: means New Laws, anything passed after the year 534

– Covered everything: marriage, slavery, women’s rights, criminal law, and much more

– Lasted over 900 years as dominant law

III. Continued…• Preservation of Greco-Roman culture

– Education focused on Greek & Latin grammar, philosophy

– Byzantine scholars helped preserve many scholarly works from Ancient Greece and Rome

– Along with Muslim scholars, would help influence the Renaissance in western Europe

IV. Split in Christian Church• When Roman Empire split, Christianity began to develop

differently in east & west– Causes:

• distance and lack of contact/communication• Disagreements on practices/beliefs – use of icons, behavior

of Christians • In east: Patriarch was leading bishop, but Emperor head

of church• In west: the pope was head of church• Arguments between the eastern patriarch and western

pope led to permanent split – Roman Catholic Church in west– Orthodox Church in east

V. End of another empire• Plague of Justinian

– Began before Justinian’s death (Justinian himself survived the disease)

– 542 C.E. – 10,000 people a day were dying– Would come and go until the year 700– Killed up to 25% of population

• Empire slowly shrank due to constant attacks– Sassanid Persians in the east– Muslim armies from south– Lombards in the west– Avars, Slavs, Bulgars in north– 1350 – reduced to tip of Anatolia

• City of Constantinople held until 1453

VI. Influence on Eastern Europe• Byzantine Empire pushed Christianity north

– Accelerated development of independent civilizations in Eastern Europe

– Missionaries bring culture – development of Slavic written language (Cyrillic)

• Kievan Rus’– Scandinavian traders moved through Slavic lands of eastern

Europe– Settlements and governments established along trade routes – City of Kiev became focal point of commerce, culture

• Became center of small kingdom, called Kievan Rus’, later Russia

VI. Continued…– Based many traditions on Byzantine culture

• Autocratic (supreme) ruler that controlled church – Russian Orthodoxy develops

– Called tsar, from Russian word for “Caesar”

• Developed strong aristocratic class – known as “boyars”

– Invaded/conquered by Mongols (Tatars) in 1200s