Chapter 9 Civilization in Eastern Europe
Byzantium and Orthodox Europe
Constantinople Originally Byzantion, a market town/fishing
village on the Bosporus Strait Constantine named it Constantinople and
made it the capital of the E. Roman Empire City kept its name from 340 CE – 1453 CE
Crossroads – access to Anatolia, SW Asia, SE Europe, etc.
The Byzantine Court Caesaropapism – emperor rules not only as
a secular lord, but also plays prominent role in ecclesiastical affairs
Heavily jeweled crowns, silk robes of dark, rich purple (the color reserved for imperial use)
Latin = language of the court; Greek = language of the people
Justinian (527-565 CE) “the sleepless emperor” Theodora Construction project thoroughly remade
the city Hagia Sophia – one of world’s greatest
examples of Christian architecture Gold, silver, gems, precious stones, and
healing pwrs Justinian Code
Systematic review and improvement of Roman law
Makes Greek official language Unsuccessfully tries to expand the empire
Hagia Sophia
Belisarius General employed by Justinian to recapture
the Roman Empire Gains N Africa and parts of Italy
Want N Africa b/c of its grain production Can’t maintain Rome against Germanics Ravenna – home of gorgeous Christian mosaics Will lose what they gained pretty quickly
New external pressures Focus on defending the eastern empire What group is about to debut?
They attack 717-718 CE and the Byzantines have a secret weapon…
So cool… When Muslims tried to invade Byzantium, the Byzantine
forces used a weapon called “Greek fire” – basically ancient napalm – against the fleets and ground forces
Greek fire even burns as it floats on water – very hazardous to wooden ships
Managing the Empire
Byzantine empire loses some landholdings, but still maintains Anatolia, Greece, and Balkans
“Theme” system – imperial province (theme) under jurisdiction of a general
Assumes responsibility for military defense and civil admin.
Enabled quick mobilization Byzantine empire expands as
each theme’s military can gradually spread outward
Basil the Bulgar Slayer – blinded 15,000
The blind leading the blind….ha ha….
Supposed sight of the massacre causes the Bulgarian king’s death
Helps gain control of the fiesty Bulgarian kingdom
Trade Crossroads for Eurasia Commercial links between manufacturers and merchants between
central Asia, Russia, Scandinavia, northern Europe, and lands of the Black Sea and Mediterranean basin
Bezant – Byzantine gold coin Very wealthy from control of trade and levying of custom duties
China India Persia Western Europe Russia and Scandinavia – timber, furs, honey, amber, and slaves
Banks, business partnerships, loans for business ventures Pool resources and limit risks
Iconoclasm Icons – particularly popular in Byzantine churches
Inspired the popular imagination and encouraged reverence for holy personages
Emperor Leo believed veneration of religious images was sinful
726 orders iconoclasm – breaking of icons Also disagree over
Sacrament of communion Whether priests should be allowed to marry Use of local languages in church
1054 – Great Schism
Thesis Practice On your own paper respond to the following
prompt: Compare and contrast the rise and roles of
Constantinople and Mecca Compare and contrast the split in the
Christian Church and Islam
Effects of the Crusades During 4th Crusade
Constantinople is attacked Plundered and burned Ruled for 50 years Empire never quite
recovers, Venetian merchants gain upperhand
Istanbul v. Constantinople 1453 – Ottoman forces
take over Ancient Christian city is
overturned Istanbul becomes capital
of Ottoman Empire Hagia Sophia is turned
into a mosque and turets are added
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mv-KcF3Rkv8&feature=related
Arts Mosaics Icons Greek, Roman, Persian, and other Middle
Eastern styles blend together
The Rise of Russia HUGE Borders both Europe and China, touches the
Baltic Sea and the Pacific Ocean Is Russia part of Europe or Asia? Northern forests – poor soil, cold, snowy climate South – band of fertile land, attracted farmers
(modern day Ukraine) Southern steppe – open, treeless grassland,
nomadic people, herds and horses Dnieper and Volga River – major trade routes
Kievan Rus’ Slavs expand into southern Russia Varangians (Russian word for Vikings) – trade
with Slavs, Kiev becomes a midpoint between Scandinavia and Constantinople
Cyril and Methodius Missionaries from Constantinople, adapt Greek alphabet
to Slavic language – develops Cyrillic (still used in Ukraine and Russia)
Byzantine Christianity Onion domes from Byzantium
Kievan Rus’ First ruler – prince Rurik Russia is coined by the Scandinavians,
could be from Greek word for “red” Vladimir I (r. 980-1015)– converts to
Christianity on behalf of all his people Organizes mass baptisms for his subjects, forced
conversions Russian Orthodox Church soon develops
Yaroslav the Wise 1019 – 1054 Improved code of
law Arranged marriages
between his kids and the royal families of Western Europe
Eastern Europe Roman Catholicism and Latin
alphabet reach Czech and Hungarian areas Magyars (Turkic people) take
over Hungary 9th c. 1334 Casimir III the Great – openly
welcomes the Jewish population to move to Poland
Mongol Conquest A young leader
united the nomadic Mongols of central Asia
Overrun lands from China to Eastern Europe – dubs himself “Genghis Khan” – “world emperor”
The Golden Horde 1236-1241 – Batu, Genghiz’s grandson leads
Mongol armies into Russia “Golden Horde” because of the color of their tents Also called Tatars in the Russian tradition Loot and burn Kiev and many other Russian towns “no eye remained to weep for the dead” Rule from a capital on the Volga for the next 240
years ***This is Russia’s dormant/stagnant period***
240 Years of Mongol Rule Women become especially subservient to their
husbands. (Husbands can even sell their wives into slavery to pay family debts)
Absolute power Mongols have will serve as an inspiration for Russian rulers later on
Mongols severed Russian ties to Western Europe at a time when Europeans were making rapid advances in the arts and sciences
Moscow Steadily becomes a
political and spiritual center Princes in Moscow
slowly gain pwr against Mongols
Became the capital of the Russian Orthodox Church
Ivan the Great Ivan III – 1462-1505 Brought much of N. Russia under his rule Built the framework for absolute rule Worked to limit the boyars powers
Boyars – Russian, land-owning nobles Adopted the rituals of the fallen empire’s traditions to
emphasize Russia’s role as the heir to Byzantine power Double-headed eagle symbol
Titles himself Czar (Russian for caesar) “the czar is in nature like all men, but in authority he
is like the highest God”
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