The Byzantine Empire and Russia

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The Byzantine Empire and Russia

• The Rome of the East
• 312-1453

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Constantinople The New Rome

• With the collapse of its western half, the Roman
  Empire was restricted to Eastern Europe
• The fall of Rome to the Ostrogoths in 476 marked
  the end of the western half of the Roman Empire
• The eastern half continued as the Byzantine
  Empire, with Constantinople as its capital.
• Constantine wanted this city to be built from
  scratch as the center of the Christian world. He
  and his following emperors made Constantinople
  into one of the most elaborate and civilized
  cities in the world.

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The Origins

• 292 Diocletian divides the Roman empire into
  two.
• 324 Constantine reunites the two parts
• 330 Constantine builds a new capital in the
  location of ancient Byzantium
• 337 The death of Constantine results in division
  between east and west.

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City of Constantinople
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Constantinople

• Successive emperors build strong walls, palaces,
  churches, gardens, aquaducts and made the city
  the biggest, strongest and most enlightened city
  of medieval Christendom

The Walls of Theodosius
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The Fall of Rome

• Barbarian tribes keep pushing into a fragmented
  and weakened Roman Empire.
• The east through bribery, diplomacy and better
  military resists effectively
• 476 Rome Falls
• 491 Anastasius I His competent rule reorganizes
  the east. Financial strength and administative
  success.

The Last Legion
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Differences from the West

• They spoke Greek not Latin
• The didnt dress in togas. Instead they wore
  Greek clothing
• Had somewhat different religious practices from
  Western Christians
• Broke with Pope over Monophosite heresy
• Highly fortified city of Constantinople was
  impervious to assault

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Justinian the Great

• Justinian was perhaps the last emperor who tried
  re-conquering the west.
• Justinian, however, is most famous for the body
  of laws Justinians Code
• Justinian is also credited for founding Byzantine
  architecture with his building of the Santa
  Sophia (Hagia Sophia)
• Married an actress Theodora
• Ruled during the great plague

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The Reign of Justinian

• The height of the first period of Byzantine
  history (324-632) was the reign of Emperor
  Justinian (r. 537-565) and his wife Empress
  Theodora (d. 548)

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The Imperial Goal Unity

• The imperial goal in the East was to centralize
  government and impose legal and doctrinal
  conformity.

One GodOne EmpireOne Religion
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1st Method Law

• Justinian collated and revised Roman law. His
  Corpus Juris Civilis (body of civil law) had
  little effect on medieval common law. However,
  beginning with the Renaissance, it provided the
  foundation for most European law down to the 19th
  century.

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Code of Justinian

• The Codex Justinianus (529) compiled all of the
  laws from the time of Emperor Hadrian. Contained
  over 5000 laws.
• The Digest,was issued in 533, and was a greater
  achievement it compiled the writings of the
  greatest Roman legal minds along with current
  edicts.

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Code Continued

• The Institutes was intended as sort of legal
  textbook for law schools. Later, Justinian issued
  a number of other laws, mostly in Greek, which
  were called Novels
• It was made up of the current law of the time,
  and a turning point in Roman Law from then on
  the sometimes contradictory case law of the past
  was transformed into an ordered legal system.

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2nd Method Religion

• Religion as well as law served imperial
  centralization. In 380, Christianity had been
  proclaimed the official religion of the eastern
  empire. Now all other religions were considered
  demented and insane.

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• "Not since the world was made was there . . . so
  much wealth as was found in Constantinople. For
  the Greeks say that two-thirds of the wealth of
  this world is in Constantinople and the other
  third scattered throughout the world."
• --Robert of Clari, a French crusader who
  witnessed the pillage of the city in 1204,
  describing Constantinople.

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Hagia Sophia The Church of Holy Wisdom

• Justinian was an ambitious builder. His greatest
  monument was the magnificent domed church of
  Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom), which was constructed
  in just five years (532- 537).

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

• Hippodrome-race track
• Nica Rebellion
• Theodoras speech
• Belisarius retakes the city
• The Great Massacre

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The Plague

• The bubonic variety is carried by fleas which
  live on rodents, particularly the black rat.
  without modern treatment it can result in death
  in 40 to 70 per cent of its victims
• The plague moved from city to city in the empire.
  In 558 it returned to Constantinople for a new
  crop of victims
• The plague brought a period of economic growth to
  an end. One estimate suggests that the population
  of the empire in 600 was only 60 per cent of what
  it was in 500.

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Justinians legacy

• Hagia Sophia remained the seat of Eastern
  Christianity until the Fall of Constantinople.
• 552 Byzantine monks sneak silkworms and mulbery
  out of China.
• Justinian orders the codification of Roman law
  (Corpus Iuris Civilis).
• He was heavy-handed towards heresies
• In 529 he closed the philosophical school of
  Athens, thus destroying the last stronghold of
  paganism.

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The Byzantine Empire after Justinian

• No other Emperor can keep the Empire together and
  the territories gained under Justinian are once
  again lost.
• The Emperor becomes the head of the Eastern
  Christian Church.
• Great Universities and centers of learning were
  established
• New forms of art and architecture included the
  use of domes and mosaics

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New Weaponry

• Greek Fire
• Advanced siege weaponry
• Battering rams
• Bridges carried by ships

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Greek Fire

• Greek Fire was the secret weapon of the Eastern
  Roman Emperors. It is said to have been invented
  by a Syrian Engineer, in the seventh century (673
  AD)
• The "liquid fire" was hurled on to the ships of
  their enemies from siphons and burst into flames
  on contact. As it was reputed to be
  inextinguishable and burned even on water, it
  caused panic and dread.

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Greek Fire Continued
Its introduction into warfare of its time was
comparable in its demoralizing influence to the
introduction of nuclear weapons in our time. The
secret behind the Greek fire was handed down from
one emperor to the next for centuries. Rumors
about its composition include such chemicals as
liquid petroleum, naphtha, burning pitch, sulfur,
resin, quicklime and bitumen, along with some
other "secret ingredient". The exact composition,
however, remains unknown
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The Great Eastern SchismSetting the Stage for
Division

• Byzantines used Greek language in Church services
  unlike the Western Churches who used Latin.
• Jealousy existed between East and West.
• They clashed over technical points regarding the
  faith
• Ecumenical councils were called to settle the
  arguments
• Who is the leader of the Church? Emperor or Pope?

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Independent Thinking

• Ideas thought to be heresies by the Roman
  Catholic Church received imperial support
• Arianism denied that Father and Son were equal
  and coeternal.
• Monophysitism taught that Jesushad only one
  nature, a composite divine-human one.
• Iconoclasm forbid the use of images (icons)
  because it led toidolatry.

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The Religious Battles

• Arianism was the first major heresy which
  threatened to split the empire (4th-5th c.)
• In the age of Justinian Monophysitism won over
  the entire orient and Egypt (6th-7th c.)
• The ambivalence of Monophysitic provinces towards
  the center weakened Byzantine rule in Syria,
  Palestine and Egypt.
• When these provinces were lost to the Arabs in
  the 7th century, Orthodoxy prevailed.
• Then the more divisive Iconoclastic movement
  would tear apart the Empire for the next two
  centuries (8th -9th).
• The political effects of Monophysitism and
  Iconoclasm were detrimental.

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The Christian Church

• Leader of the Christian Church
• Pope in the West
• Patriarch in the East
• Icons
• Many
• kept icons of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and saints
• Venerated/honored icons in churches and homes
• vs. someIconoclasts
• believed keeping icons was wrong
• Iconidols

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Iconoclastic Controversy

• Emperor Leo II ordered destruction of icons.
• Many church leaders in West condemned use of
  Icons.
• Pope called council of bishops to discuss
  controversy.
• Heresy to NOT allow the use of Icons.
• Threatened Iconoclasts with excommunication.
• Caused split between the Eastern and Western
  Churches.
• Icons accepted later into Eastern Orthodox Church.

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1054The Split

• Many differences eventually led to the split
  mainly the idea of Papal superiority and the
  social differences that had emerged between each
  part of the Christian Church.
• The Orthodox Church accused Rome of heresy for
  changing the Creed.
• The Patriarch excommunicated the Pope and the
  Pope Excommunicated the Patriarch and in 1054 the
  One Christian Church officially became two.

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Differences Between East and West
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Decline of the Byzantine Empire
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The Fall of Constantinople

• in 1204, the Crusaders attacked, conquered, and
  pillaged the city of Constantinople, a goal that
  the Muslims had been trying achieve for centuries

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Conquered by the Ottoman Turks

• In 1453, the city was finally and permanently
  conquered by the Ottoman Turks and renamed
  Istanbul. Byzantine culture, law, and
  administration came to its final end.

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Byzantine Influence Over Russia and Eastern Europe

• Cyrillic alphabet created by Eastern Orthodox
  monks for the Slavic language. It is based on
  Greek, and still used through the various Slavic
  countries today, such as Russia
• Russian art and architecture is based on
  Byzantine styles.
• Eastern Orthodox Church became official Church in
  Russia when king Vladimir was converted and he
  had all of his subjects converted as well
• The Byzantine Empire and Russia became great
  trading partners and they also pattered their
  governing style after the Byzantines.

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The Geography of Russia
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• Russias varied climate zones helped shape early
  Russian life
• A band of fertile land in the south was home
  to Russias first civilization.
• The steppe provided a highway for nomads
  migrating from Asia to Europe.
• A network of rivers provided transportation for
  both people and goods. Major rivers ran north to
  south, linking Russia to the Byzantine world in
  the south.
• The city of Kiev was located at the heart of the
  vital trade network linking Vikings, Slavs, and
  Constantinople. Kiev would later become the
  center of the first Russian state.

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Growth of Russia, 13301584
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Russia The Setting and People

• Located on large plain from E. Europe to C. Asia
• South is grassy, treeless steppe
• Rivers provide transportation link
• Invaded at different times
• Slavs
• Were frequently enslaved slavsslaves
• Avars
• Huns
• Magyars
• Vikings
• Mostly interested in trade

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Kievan Russia

• Rurik the Rus ruled over Slavic peoples along
  Dnieper River.
• Ruler of Rus people who controlled trade with
  Byzantine Empire
• Princes governed by councils of boyars
• Prince could call veche (town mtgs)
• Yaroslav the Wise?Pravada Russkia
• Combined custom, traditions, old laws
• Outlined lawful responses to crime

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Kievan Religion

• Traders and Greek missionaries brought
  Christianity
• Vladimir I sent officials to Byzantine Empire,
  converted to Christianity
• Beauty of Hagia Sophia
• Wanted to marry Anna, princess
• Ordered all citizens to convert to Christianity
• Religious themes dominate culture
• Writing hymns, sermons
• Art Icons, mosaics, frescos
• ?All reflected religious ideas and values

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• Russia under the Mongols
• Strong influence on Russia
• roads, communication, lang., customs, behavior
• Mongols wanted to gain from wealthy resources
• Slavs allowed freedoms, taxed heavily

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Effects of the Mongol Conquest
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In the early 1200s, Mongol armies, led by Genghis
Khan, conquered Russia. The Mongols ruled Russia
for 240 years.

• Kiev and other Russian towns were destroyed.
• Many Russians were killed.
• The Mongols tolerated the Russian Orthodox
  Church, which grew more powerful.
• Russians adopted Mongol practice of subjugating
  women.
• Trade routes opened up between China and Eastern
  Europe.
• Absolute power of the Mongols served as a model
  for later Russian rulers.
• Russia was cut off from Western Europe at an
  important time.

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The Rise of Moscow

• Princes in Moscow cooperated with Mongols to gain
  independence.
• Ivan I Mongols gave title Great Prince
• Leader of Eastern Orthodox Church moved to Moscow
• Fall of Constantinople leads Moscow to become
  Third Rome and spiritual light to world
• Architecture reflected spiritually, awe and
  wonder of people who worshipped in Moscow

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Ivan The Great

• Ivan III. (1462-1505) Ivan the Great
•  Ivan III does not acknowledge power of Mongol
  Kahn
• Tradition of absolute monarchy established in
  Russia
• 1440. 1505.
• Prince of Moscow. Founder of Modern Russia.
• Marries niece of last Byzantine emperor.
• Adopts two-headed eagle. Takes title of czar
  (tsar).
• Starts absolute rule Limits power of boyars
  (landowning nobles).
• Brings much of northern Russia under his rule.

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Ivan the Terrible

• Heir of Roman and Byzantine Empires
• Took title Czar (Caesar)
• Good Period
• Developed modernized legal code
• Updated military, defended frontier
• Opened trade with Western Europe
• Sponsored settlement of Siberia

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Ivan the Terriblevs everyone else

• Bad Period
• Formed oprichniki
• Arrested boyars and gave land to supporters
• Terrorized countryside
• Known for cruel unusual actions
• Mass executions of thousands
• members of boyars, church, and family

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Key terms

• Byzantine Empire
• Byzantium
• Greek Fire
• Code of Justinian
• Patriarch
• Great Schism
• Icons
• Orthodox
• Cyrillic
• Hippodrome
• Creed
• Kiev
• Nika Rebellion
• Pope
• Ecumenical Council
• Excommunicated

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Key People

• Justinian
• Theodora
• Belasarius
• Pope Leo III
• Vladimir
• Yaraslov the Wise
• Genghis Khan
• Ivan the Great
• Ivan the Terrible