Byzantine Empire Byzantine Empire (c. 330-c. 1453)(c. 330-c. 1453)

Eastern Rome: Survivor Eastern Rome: Survivor SocietySociety

• Constantine established the Eastern capital at Byzantium.o Constantinople

• Reasons for survival…o Higher level of

civilizationo Fewer nomadic invasions• Geography

o Prosperous commerceo Stronger military

The Empire The Empire Continued…Continued…

• Attempt to preserve Roman legacy

• Called themselves Romans

• Forbid German or “barbarian” customs

• Could not wear boots, pants, or clothing made of animal skins

• Could not have long hair

• Continued to use many late Roman ideas

• roads• taxation• military structure• court system• law codes• Christianity

BeginningsBeginnings• It was Constantine the Great who began the re-

building of Byzantium in 324, naming the city Constantinople and dedicating it in 330. This founding marks the early beginnings of the empire.

• Constantinople became the sole capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.

• The death of the complete Roman Empire in 476 AD marked the birth of the new Roman Empire in Constantinople. Greek influences resurfaced.

• Greek thus became primary language in the 6th century.

• The empire was renamed Byzantine after the city Byzantium.

• The empire benefited from being the focal point of trade from east to west and vice versa.

ConstantinopleConstantinople

Justinian (c. 527- c. 565 Justinian (c. 527- c. 565 CE) CE)

• The greatest of all the eastern emperors was clearly Justinian (c.482-565).

• Justinian was a reformer in the fashion of Augustus Caesar.

• It was Justinian's desire to restore the Empire -- both East and West -- to all of its former glory.

• In fact, it has been said that his desire to restore the former Roman Empire was an obsession (Nova Roma).

JustinianJustinian• His greatest accomplishment toward this end was

the revision and codification of Roman law. Justinian understood that a strong government could not exist without good laws.

• The Byzantine laws had grown too numerous and too confusing.

• Justinian created a commission of sixteen men to bring order out of all the laws.

• These men worked for six years and studied more than 2000 texts.

• In 534, the commission produced the Corpus Juris Civilis – the Body of Civil Law (Justinian Code). o Contained laws pertaining to religion, anti-paganism,

heresy crimes and anti-Semitism.

Justinian (cont.)Justinian (cont.)• Temporarily regained North Africa, Italy and

southern Spain• Wife, Theodora, had considerable power.• Rebuilt Constantinople

o Hagia Sophia

Inside the Hagia Inside the Hagia SophiaSophia

Byzantine Empire under Byzantine Empire under JustinianJustinian

Afro-Eurasia in 600 CEAfro-Eurasia in 600 CE

The New Roman The New Roman EmpireEmpire

• Never as large as the Roman Empire.• Arab conquests in 7th century resulted in loss of

Syria/Palestine, Egypt, & North Africa.• Political authority centralized in Constantinople.• Emperor claimed to be God’s representative on

Earth.• Caesaropapism: “Peer of the Apostles”• Borrowed Persian & Greek court rituals.

Practice Question #1Practice Question #1• Unlike the Romans in the western part of the

empire, the eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire• (A) was never invaded or threatened by pastoral

nomads.• (B) recognized the political influence of the

Pope and Catholic Church.• (C) continued to use Latin as its chief language

until its fall.• (D) became Muslim.• (E) did not succumb to Germanic invasions

in the 5th century.

Practice Question #2Practice Question #2 As had Hammurabi’s Code (Mesopotamia),Justinian’s Code (Byzantine)•(A) dealt primarily with church law and religious

issues.•(B) became the basic law code for his state,

and influenced future law codes.•(C) led to internal disruptions and faced

harsh opposition.•(D) greatly influenced the laws of Islam.•(E) deviated sharply from previous legal traditions

when it sought to create a new tradition.

Practice Question #3Practice Question #3Although Byzantine society was patriarchal, •(A) Greek traditions accorded women great freedom and influence. •(B) Roman traditions granted women extensive legal rights. •(C) contacts with Islam led the Byzantines to protect women’s rights. •(D) women could inherit the imperial throne. •(E) wars kept men and husbands away from their traditional societal functions.

Theodora’s InfluenceTheodora’s Influence• Justinian was aided by his wife, Theodora

(c.500-547), the daughter of a bearkeeper at the Hippodrome, and was no less ambitious than her husband.

• In 532, mob violence erupted in Constantinople. These riots were called the Nika Riots ("Nika"= "Victory!"), and grew from political unrest over the government's fiscal measures.

• Rival factions of Blues and Greens (admirers of rival chariot-racing teams) fought in the streets over the results of a chariot race (kinda like soccer hooligans).

• Some Byzantine Senators saw this riot as an opportunity to overthrow Justinian.

• Justinian wanted to leave the city during the riots, but two of his generals (Belisarius and Narses) and his wife Theodora, persuaded him to stay.

• Theodora took it upon herself to raise a personal army, an army that eventually killed 35,000 people in a single day and expelled the plotting senators.

Arab Arab PressuresPressures

• Justinian’s successors began to concentrate on protecting the eastern frontier from Muslim invasions.

• The Byzantine Empire managed to withstand this threat, but not without losses.

• Byzantine control over the Mediterranean realm began to slip as the Arabs built a strong navy.

• Byzantium also held off a siege of Arab ships by using a new weapon called “Greek fire.” Combination of petroleum, sulfur, and lime fired out of bronze tubes.

• The empire lost key points in Phoenicia, Palestine and Egypt.

The BulgarsThe Bulgars• The most serious challenge to

Byzantium was Bulgaria (Slavic peoples).

• Bulgarian kings were feisty and resisted Byzantine rule from Constantinople’s founding all the way thru the 11th century.

• 1014 – Basil II finally defeated the Bulgarian threat; he blinded their captive soldiers and bribed as many of their generals to gain their favor.

Society/PoliticsSociety/Politics• Similar to early China

o Emperor ordained by God, was head of Orthodox church

• Women held considerable authority throughout the empire’s history.o Theodora exerted her power as empress.

• Merchants, like in China, were wealthy but afforded no real power.

• An elaborate bureaucracy (China similarity again) supported the emperor, one educated in Greek traditions/knowledge.o Members of this bureaucracy could come from any

social class, though aristocrats dominated.o This bureaucracy regulated trade and food prices

as well as taxed the peasants for resources.• Military organization similar to Roman organization.

• Byzantine coins were the standard currency for region.

• Manufacturing centero Glassware & mosaicso Thriving silk industry• Process spread from China• Government regulated production of

silk.

• Established banks and business partnerships

• Taxed merchandise that passed through empire (Silk Road clearinghouse).

Byzantine EconomyByzantine Economy

The The ““New RomeNew Rome”” - - ConstantinopleConstantinople

• The “New Rome”o Political, economic, and

cultural heart of the empire

• Largest city in Europeo Nearly 1 million people

• Important trade cityo Western anchor of Eurasian

trade routes• Silk Roads

o Europe’s busiest marketplace

Constantinople in Byzantine Constantinople in Byzantine TimesTimes

• Early emperors prevented wealthy from seizing peasant’s lando Theme System• Army recruited soldiers from peasant class• Peasants received land for service

• Free peasantry (theme system unraveled) replaced by large estates in the 11th century.o Led to declining tax revenueo Size of the army decreasedo Frequent peasant revolts• Zealots of Thessalonica (1342-1350)

Byzantine SocietyByzantine Society

Byzantine CultureByzantine Culture• Cultural FoundationsoChristian beliefsoGreek learningoRoman engineering

• Byzantine EducationoState-organized schoolsoWidespread literacy

• Chariot RacesoBlues vs. GreensoRiot of 532

• Byzantine emperors combined political and religious authority.o CaesaropapismoAppointed the Patriarch of the Orthodox Churcho Empire AND the church were essential for achieving

salvation

• Orthodox or “right thinking” provided a cultural identity separate from Roman Catholicism.

Orthodox ChristianityOrthodox Christianity

• The Bible

• Sacraments

• Church hierarchy of patriarchs (bishops, priests, etc.)

• Missionary activity

• Intolerant of other religions

Orthodox/Catholic Orthodox/Catholic SimilaritiesSimilarities

Religious Influence and IssuesReligious Influence and Issues• Little innovative artistic creativity emerged

from Byzantium save those in the forms of religious arts and architecture (still influenced by Rome and Greece).

• The construction of domed churches (ie. Hagia Sophia) continued Roman architectural forms.

• The creation of mosaics and icon painting flourished, enough to cause controversy…a brief clash over iconoclasm ensued (concern that icons were idols)…eventually it disappeared.

• What did occur was a rift between the West (Rome and Catholicism) and the East (the Orthodox Church of Byzantium)…the Greek Bible was translated into Latin…popes got involved with the iconoclasm issue…Charlemagne becomes declared the “true heir of Rome”.

• In 1054, the schism was made official (thanks to an argument over bread and sex) as pope and head of the Orthodox church excommunicated each other.

Orthodox Christianity

• Eastern Europe

• Constantinople

• Greek

• Iconoclasm

• Priests could marry

• Easter

• Caesaropapism

Roman Catholic Christianity

• Western Europe

• Rome

• Latin

• Support use of icons

• Priests remain celibate

• Christmas

• Pope

The Great Schism - 1054The Great Schism - 1054

They also disagree on:• The nature of the Trinity• Relative importance of faith and reason

Effects of the Great SchismEffects of the Great Schism

Practice Question #4Practice Question #4The schism between the Catholic and Orthodox churches was due to all of these issues EXCEPT:(A) papal interference in Byzantine political and religious affairs.(B) clerical celibacy; Catholic priests could not marry but the Orthodox could.(C) dispute over the type of bread to be used in religious ceremonies.(D) the Byzantine state controlled the church in the eastern lands.(E) Muslim influence on the Orthodox branch of Christianity.

Society/Society/PoliticsPolitics

• Empire depended on control over countryside (rural base).o A large, controlled peasant class

was crucial to providing tax revenue to the empire’s treasury.

o The empire was not very urbanized; Constantinople was only large city.

• Trade was crucial.o Held together the network of

trade that linked China/India to the newly emerging European kingdoms.

• Life was centered on secular Greek traditions.o Orthodox Christian artwork took

mosaic form, which even brought controversy (icons were considered graven idols).

Spreading ByzantiumSpreading Byzantium• Emperors realized they could gain

influence over other areas by spreading Orthodox faith in Slavic “Cyrillic” language translation to various “barbaric” societies.

• Missionaries like St. Cyril and Methodius went into Eastern Europe and Kievan Russia and brought them a new language and a new faith.

• Each area was absorbed into the Byzantine Empire through this conversion.

The Rise of Eastern The Rise of Eastern Europe and RussiaEurope and Russia

• Slavic peoples migrated into Russia and eastern Europe during the Roman Empire…they were simple agriculturalists organized in tribes and villages.

• They practiced animism, had rich oral traditions and songs to tell their histories

• Some established trade on rivers, and began interacting with Byzantium…the traders gained political control/influence.

• A monarchy emerged in Kiev in the 9th century and flourished as a center of commercial trade…Byzantine influence began with the conversion of Vladimir the I to Orthodox Christianity in the late 10th century.o Vladimir preferred orthodox Christianity because it gave him

direct power as ruler/controller of the faith…Roman Catholicism beckoned for control by the papacy.

Institutions and Institutions and Culture in the Kievan Culture in the Kievan

RusRus• Kiev borrowed much from Byzantium, but was

unable to duplicate the bureaucratic system.• Rulers favored the Byzantine style of rule, a god-

like king who was leader of the church, devotion to God’s power, to saints, churches and iconic figures…even polygamy stopped and Russian priests were allowed to marry and have children.

• Literary styles emphasized religion and politics while art mainly depicted religion.

• Peasants were free farmers and the landed aristocracies (boyars) had less political power.

Kievan DeclineKievan Decline• Began in the 12th century when rival princes

established competing governments.• Asian invaders seized territory as trade diminished due

to Byzantine decay…the Mongols were sweeping in from central Asia, blocking commercial contacts with the West.

• The culture, however, survived, because the tolerant Mongols did not interfere with local customs, just politics and trade…as long as tribute was paid, the Russians were left alone.

Practice Question #5Practice Question #5The first state in Russia arose when•(A) nomadic pastoralists established a sedentary

Jewish state.•(B) Byzantine missionaries converted Russian

farmers.•(C) Scandinavian traders set up a government

along their trade route.•(D) Arabs who conquered the area established

province of the Muslim empire.•(E) Catholic influences from western Europe

invaded the region.

Practice Question #6Practice Question #6• Christianity spread to the Balkans and Russia

through • (A) mass migration by Greeks to these regions. • (B) forced conversions of the Slavs by the

victorious Byzantine armies. • (C) military conquest. • (D) Christian merchants who intermarried and

settled amongst non-Christians. • (E) missionary activities.

• Begins to decline in 1085o Expansion by rising

European powerso The Crusades

• The Fourth Crusade (1204)o Turkish Muslims – Seljuks

• Decline slowed by “Greek fire”

• Empire falls in 1453o Constantinople conquered

by Ottoman Turks.

Decline of the ByzantineDecline of the Byzantine

Byzantine ChallengesByzantine Challenges

Mali

Oyo Benin

Zimbabwe

Zanj City-States

Ethiopia VijayanagaraSiam

Majapahit

Ashikaga Japan

Korea

Marinids HafsidsMamluk Sultanate

Granada

Portugal Castile

France

ScotlandEngland

Union of Kalmar

Holy Roman Empire

Poland-Lithuania

Hungary

Ottoman Emp.

Russian States

Khanate of the Golden Horde

JagataiKhanate

Ming China

Timurid Empire

States and Empires in 1400 CEStates and Empires in 1400 CE

Mali

Oyo Benin

Zimbabwe

Zanj City-States

Ethiopia VijayanagaraSiam

Majapahit

Ashikaga Japan

Korea

Marinids HafsidsMamluk Sultanate

Granada

Portugal Castile

France

ScotlandEngland

Union of Kalmar

Holy Roman Empire

Poland-Lithuania

Hungary

Ottoman Emp.

Russian States

Khanate of the Golden Horde

JagataiKhanate

Ming China

Timurid Empire

States and Empires in 1400 CEStates and Empires in 1400 CE

Afro-Eurasia in 1400 Afro-Eurasia in 1400 CECE

Short Answer Short Answer • Choose #1 and either #2 or #3 with a partner at your table to answer

in class…3-5 sentences for each (applies to #1). Provide at least three pieces of evidence and analysis (why?? What larger connections can be found between these things??). Fill out the charts with examples for all three themes. Be thorough! Stearns: 204-218

^^ANSWER IN YOUR JOURNALS!!! I will select three to share out at the beginning of class on Wednesday.

1. How is Russia a stepchild of the Byzantine Empire? 2. Compare the political, religious, and economic structures of the Arab & Byzantine empires in the post- classical period. *may use PERSIAN chart.3. Discuss the Byzantine religious, political and social structure. Is it “truly” a second Rome? You can make a double bubble thinking map or T-chart for this one.

Arab & Byzantine Arab & Byzantine EmpiresEmpires

Political

Religious

Economic

Roman Catholic vs. Roman Catholic vs. OrthodoxOrthodox