BYZANTINES ARE HERE
THE RISE OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE
The Byzantine Empire
• While the western part of the Roman empire fell in A.D. 476, the eastern part flourished.
• The Eastern part became known as the Byzantine Empire.
• Constantinople became one of the great cities of the world, mainly because of its location.
Greek Influence
• In many ways Byzantine was much more Greek than it was Roman, even though it was called “New Rome”.
• They eventually even began to speak Greek and have many of the Greek customs.
• This was another way the “Roman” way of life was fading.
Justinian
• Justinian became emperor of the Byzantine Empire in 527 A.D.
• He was a strong emperor. He controlled the military, made laws, and was his supreme judge.
• His wife’s name was Theodora, and she had a lot of influence with the government and her husband.
Justinian
• Justinian wanted to bring back the glory of the empire.
• He reconquered much of the territory that had once been in the Roman Empire.
• However, he conquered too much too quickly, and when he died much of it was lost again.
• He also redid the laws into a newer simplified version. This became known as Justinians Code.