The Byzantine Empire

1
The Byzantine Empire

• Rising from the Eastern portion of the Roman
  Empire
• Chapter 9.1

2
Constantine Creates a New Rome

• Constantinople sits at a crossroads of land and
  sea routes and its great wealth comes from trade.

The city of Constantinople was located on the
shores of the Bosporus, a strait that links the
Mediterranean and Black seas. The city commanded
key trade routes linking Europe and Asia.
3
Constantine Creates a New Rome
The city of Constantinople was located on the
shores of the Bosporus, a strait that links the
Mediterranean and Black seas. The city commanded
key trade routes linking Europe and Asia.
Constantine tripled the size of Ancient Byzantium
by erecting a new set of walls which was later
expanded
4
Constantinople The New Rome
Protected by walls and water, Constantinople
commanded key trade routes linking Europe and
Asia, making it Europes busiest marketplace.
5
Byzantium Flourishes under Justinian
Why is Justinian important? The Byzantine empire
reaches its peak under the emperor.
Who is Belisarius? A general who recaptured the
lost lands of Italy, North Africa and parts of
Spain
6
Hagia Sophia

• The Hagia Sophia, or holy wisdom, was rebuilt
  after riots and a fire swept Constantinople in
  532.

7

• What did Justinian accomplish that was more
  important than expansion of the empire or
  rebuilding its capital?
• He revised and organized the laws of ancient Rome
  into the Body of Civil Law, or Justinians Code.

8
Biography of Empress Theodora

• Empress Theodora challenged Justinian to stand
  his ground and crush the rebellion in 532. She
  said I accept the ancient proverb Royal purple
  is the best burial sheet.
• She was saying, she would rather die defending
  Constantinople than flee and survive.

9
Justinian Rules with absolute power

• Justinian was an autocrat, what kind of power did
  he have?
• He was the sole ruler with complete authority,
  even over the church. He was deemed Christs
  co-ruler on earth.

• How did East and West differ with regards to
  church leadership?
• Unlike the feudal monarchs in the West, he
  combined both political and spiritual authority.

10
Great Schism

• How did the Great Schism affect the Christian
  church?
• By 1054, religious conflicts between the eastern
  and western churches provoked the Great Schism.
  The Byzantine church became the Eastern or Greek
  Orthodox Church.
• The pope (Roman Catholic) and patriarch (Eastern
  Orthodox) excommunicate each other.

11
The Empire suffers crisis and collapse

• In 1204 Venetian merchants persuaded knights on
  the Fourth Crusade to attack Constantinople and
  plunder the city for its wealth

12
Conquest of Constantinople

• In 1453, Ottoman forces captured the city and
  renamed it, Istanbul which became the new center
  of Muslim culture.

13
Review Questions

• 6. How did its location help Constantinople
  thrive?
• b. It was a harbor city on a trade route guarded
  by water.

7.One of Justinians most important
accomplishments was a d. revised code of Roman
laws and writings.
8. What was one difference between Roman and
Byzantine Churches before the Great Schism? a.
Byzantine Christians rejected the popes claim to
authority over all Christians.
9. The crusades began when Seljuk Turks c.
challenged Byzantine power.
10. An important contribution of the Byzantine
empire was its c. blending of Christianity and
Greek culture