Post- Classical World

1
Post- Classical World

• 500 CE 1000 CE

2
The Byzantine Empire

• 286 CE -1453 CE

3
Dioceltian Divides Roman Empire

• Diocletion divided Roman empire in 286 CE to try
  to more effectively rule the sprawling empire
• Established a tetrarchy
• 4 caesars and 4 capitals
• However, in-fighting followed Diocletians rule
• Constantine seized control of entire Roman Empire
  following famous Battle of Milvian Bridge against
  his brother in law, Maxentius

Emperor Diocletian
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Battle of Milvian Bridge "In this sign, you
shall conquer.
5
Milvian Bridge today. During the famous battle
in 312 CE, the bridge collapsed as Maxentius
troops retreated across the Tiber to Rome.
Maxentius had to engineer a pontoon bridge to get
his remaining troops across the Tiber River !
6
Constantine

• Following his vision Constantine legalized
  Christianity with his Edict of Milan in 313
  (however he did not convert until his deathbed !
• Not only that he crowned himself Patriarch of
  Church in Constantinople
• Caesaropapist rule
• Eastern emperors were now spiritual and temporal
  leader of empire
• Called Church Councils

Statue of Constantine in Louvre Museum
7
Constantine calls Council of Nicea

• Catholic faith attacked by a heresy (Arian) which
  called Jesus divinity into question
• Constantine called together a council of bishops
  to Nicea( in Turkey) in 325 CE
• Arian heresy was soundly refuted by the bishops
• Result Nicean Creed said today during Catholic
  Mass

Church fathers at Council of Nicea
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Icon to the left shows Constantine (crown) with
the assembled bishops holding a copy of the
Nicene Creed. The heresy was not finally
eradicated until Justinians reign (200 years
later)
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The Nicene Creed aka The Apostles Creed

• I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker
  of heaven and earth,and of all things visible
  and invisible And in one Lord Jesus Christ,the
  only begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father
  before all worlds,God of God, Light of Light,
  very God of very God, begotten, not made,being
  of one substance with the Father by whom all
  things were madewho for us men and for our
  salvation came down from heaven,and was
  incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary,
  and was made man and was crucified also for us
  under Pontius Pilatehe suffered and was buried
  and the third day he rose againaccording to the
  Scriptures, and ascended into heaven,and sitteth
  on the right hand of the Father and he shall
  come again, with glory, to judge both the quick
  and the dead whose kingdom shall have no end.
  And I believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord, and
  Giver of Life,who proceedeth from the Father
  and the Son who with the Father and the Son
  together is worshipped and glorified who spake
  by the Prophets.And I believe one holy Catholic
  and Apostolic Church I acknowledge one baptism
  for the remission of sins and I look for the
  resurrection of the dead,and the life of the
  world to come. AMEN.

10
Byzantine Court

• Large complex bureaucracy gave meaning to word
  byzantine
• Spiritual and temporal rule meshed in
  caesaropapism
• Legacies
• Justinians Code -Ius civilis codified existing
  Roman law into one body written in Latin
• Church state were one

11
The Mr. and Mrs
Theodora- actress, prostitute, Empress co-ruler
Justinian- Caesaropapist ruler of Byzantine Empire
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Justinian and his court
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Theodora and her court
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Two different views from most famous historian of
Byzantine Empire !
Procopiuss official history called Justinians
Wars paints a glorious picture of a glorious
Emperor

• However, Procopius Secret History paints a
  very different picture of Justinian and Theodora!
  
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procopius

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Hagia Sophia (Church of the Holy Wisdom) now, Aya
Sofia
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Christian and Islamic art reside side by side in
Aya Sofia today
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Byzantium/Constantinople was a very strategic
location because of its location on the Bosporus
straddling two continents.
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Byzantine emperors developed the theme system (
similar to Persia satrapies) to help rule their
expanding empire
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Byzantine Art (Icons)

• Typical Byzantine Art
• Icons
• Gold Gilt
• Mosaic
• Non-smiling face
• Long slender fingers

20
Iconoclast Movement ( 726 CE)

• Some Byzantine bishops believed people were
  worshipping icons as idols and tried to persuade
  Emperor Leo III to issue an edict against images.
• He was unmoved until he interpreted an
  earthquake as a sign of divine wrath against
  iconsand the edict was issued !
• The picture above shows iconoclasts
  whitewashing an image of Jesus.

21
Notice the Byzantine influence of St. Marks
Basilica in San Marco Square in Venice
22
Venetian merchants and sailors brought back many
Byzantine influences ( including these horses)
to Italy.
23
The actual stolen horses from Constantinople now
in the museum in Venice- still a lingering
resentment !
24
Decline of Byzantine Empire ( 800-1200 CE)

• Byzantine Empire was beseiged on all sides
• Umayyad Muslims threatened Byzantines
• Sasanians last native dynasty to reign in Persia
  also persecuted Christians of Byzantine Empire
• Nomadic tribes invaded the Balkans
• Enormous debts piled up.

Sassanid King captures Roman emperor, Valerian
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The Great Schism 1054 CE

• Final break with western Roman Catholic church
• Eastern - Greek influence
• Western Latin influence
• Pope and Patriarch excommunicate each other !
• Lingering resentments
• Crusaders ransacked Constantinople in 1204 CE
• Some trivial (beards on priests, celibacy)

Even Pope John Paul IIs ( the great unifier )
visit to the Patriarch could not could not heal
the rift between the east and west
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Unfriendly and Friendly Fire Leads to Trouble for
Byzantine Empire

• Seljuk Turks began moving into the Byzantine
  Empire from Central Asia in the eleventh century.
  
• The Turks had recently become Muslims, and the
  Byzantine emperor feared they would soon
  overpower his Christian empire.
• Byzantine Empire was finally captured by Ottoman
  Turks in 1453

Crusaders turned on their own Christian brethren
during 4th Crusade in 1204
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How did Orthodox religion travel to Russia ???
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Byzantine Church and Russia

• Russian princes developed an interest in
  Byzantine Empire around 800 CE
• Prince Vladimir I converted to Christianity (and
  ordered his subjects to do likewise ! )
• Byzantine art, architecture soon spread to Russia
  but took on a unique Russian style
• Today, the Russian Orthodox church carries on
  legacies of Byzantine church and culture

St Basils Cathedral in Moscow
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Different Orthodox Styles
Santorini
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By 1000 CE ..

• Battle for the Middle East
• Islamic Empire vs. Byzantine Empire
• West collapse of classical world in western
  Europe followed by period of regrouping in
  feudal system
• East Intense interaction with rest of world
• Technology explosion
• Period of peace and stability- golden age
• Extensive trade networks ( land and sea)
• Sinicization (spread of Chinese culture)
• Africa Rise of great African kingdoms (info
  later)