The Byzantine Empire

I. A New Rome

Western Roman Emp. crumbled in 5th cent. Capital of East = Byzantium

A. The Reign of Justinian

East = Greece, N. Balkan Pen., Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Cyrenaica

Emperor Justinian (r. 527-565) Led political, economic, intellectual, &

artistic revival

1. Theodora 525: married Justinian Helped change Byz. law regarding

women Domestic violence Owning property Widow & custody Nika Revolt (532)

2. Belisarius

Commander-in-chief of army Regained former Roman territories in

Med. Byz. reached its greatest height

533: recovered N. Africa 535: attacked & seized Rome (Ostrogoths)

Byz. Emperors = absolute power headed state & church threat of assassination

II. Life in New Rome

Byz. Emp. developed its own character Roman ties?

A. Justinian Code

Panel of legal experts reviewed 400 yrs. of Roman law (outdated & contradictory) 1. the “Code” = 5,000 Roman laws (useful) 2. the “Digest” = summarized opinions of

great Roman thinkers 3. the “Institutes” = textbook for law

students 4. the “Novellae” = (New Laws), presented

legislation after 534

Decided legal questions regarding marriage, slavery, property, inheritance, women’s rights, & criminal justice

565: Justinian died, but code survived

B. Creating the Imperial Capital

Ambitious building programs Rebuilt fortifications of Const. Church building (connection betw. church &

state) Hagia Sophia (“Holy Wisdom”)

“the most splendid church in the Christian world” Completed in 537 “Solomon, I have outdone thee!”

Enlarged palace Also, baths, aqueducts, courts, schools, hospitals

Greco-Roman culture preserved Education focused on Greek & Roman

lit.

III. Strengths of the Empire

Political, military, economic strength

A. Political Strength

Centralized govt. Skilled, efficient, well-paid officials Practiced shrewd diplomacy

B. Military Strength

Frontier forces, infantry, cavalry Rewarded soldiers w/land grants 590: instruction manuals for

officers on military strategy Improved army weaponry 500s: built navy

“Greek fire”

C. Economic Strength

Prosperous ag., manufacturing, & trade Const. = heart of emp.

Strategic location on Bosporus betw. Asia & Europe

Govt. = regulated trade & manufacturing

IV. The Church Divides

Christianity developed differently betw. West & East

A. A Religious Split Patriarch (Rome, Const., Alexandria,

Antioch, & Jerusalem) Pope (patriarch of Rome) = supreme

authority in West (Byz. did not recognize)

Debate over icons (holy pics = Jesus, Virgin Mary, & the saints)

Byz. = iconoclasts (icons constituted idol worship & should be suppressed)

726: Emp. Leo III—outlawed icon worship in East

West = pope of Rome summoned a council in 787 Opposition to icons = heresy

Council threatened iconoclasts w/ excommunication

Friction betw. Pope (Rome) & patriarch (Const.)

Combined w/cultural & language diffs. 1054: Church split

West = Roman Catholic Church East = Eastern Orthodox Church

V. Decline of the Empire

1300s: Ottoman Turks rose to power

1453: captured Const. (Byz. Ended)