Download - The Byzantine Empire
THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE
AND THE RISE OF
CHRISTIANITY
CHRISTIANITY
The main religion of the Byzantine Empire
Experienced great difficulties after its founding by Jesus Christ in
the early first century A.D.
Jesus preached such ideas as love, sin, salvation, and the coming of
the kingdom of God
JESUS CHRIST
A prominent religious leader who lived from 4 B.C. to 29 A.D.
Much of what is known about his life are derived from the
accounts of his followers, the Four Gospels.
Born in Bethlehem to Mary, and later brought up as a carpenter.
At the age of 30, he began his preaching ministry.
He was persecuted, and eventually persecuted by crucifixion.
Messiah in Judaism.
JESUS CHRIST
CHRISTIANITY SPREADS
Jesus’ followers reported on his resurrection and eventual ascension to
heaven.
Jesus’ apostles went to different areas, preaching the message of Jesus
particularly to the Jews.
St. Paul
- a former Pharisee
- became Christianity’s prominent apostle to the non-Jews or
gentiles.
CHRISTIANITY PERSECUTED
Christianity continued to spread to various areas, it encountered
opposition from both religious and civil authorities.
Persecuted Christians and forced the to renounce their beliefs.
Christians suffered severe persecution under the Roman emperors
Septimius Severus, Decius, and Diocletian. (2nd & 3rd centuries AD)
Christians paid for their lives for the sake of their faith, frequently
becoming a spectacle and fed to the lions during gladiator shows at the Roman
coliseum.
CONSTANTINE AND THE
RISE OF THE BYZANTINE
EMPIRE
CONSTANTINE
The first Roman emperor to accept Christianity in the empire.
Born at Naisa (Nis, Yugoslavia) in 280 A.D.
Soon proclaimed emperor in 306 A.D. by his army after the death of
his father Constantius.
Maxentius, his major rival, engaged Constantine in a battle for the
throne at the Battle of Milvian Bridge in 312 B.C.
Defeated Maxentius and soon became a strong supporter of
Christianity.
CONSTANTINE
Win in battles and agreed to tolerate Christianity in the empire, as
proclaimed by the Edict in Milan(313 A.D.)
Agreed to a partnership with Emperor Licinius however lasted
only for 10 years.
Became the sole ruler after defeating Licinius in battle (324 A.D.)
CONSTANTINE
He presided over the first general council of the Cristian Church,
Council of Nicaea, which condemned Arianism ( the belief that Jesus
Christ, the founder of Christianity, is of a lower substance than the
Fathe) and drew up the Nicene Creed , a statement of essential
Christian beliefs.
CONSTANTINE
LICINIUS
BASIC CHRISTIAN TENETS
One God in Three Persons- the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit.
The role of Jesus as the Savior of the world- as God who became
flesh or human to become the sacrifice for the sins of mankind.
BASIC CHRISTIAN TENETS
The resurrection of Jesus which provides the opportunity for
salvation.
Various concepts such as love of God and neighbor, heaven and
hell as reward and punishment for sinners, the resurrection of the
dead in the end days, the Last Judgement, etc.
RISE AND DECLINE OF
THE BYZANTINE
EMPIRE
Constantine transferred the capital of the Roman Empire from Rome
to Byzantine and renamed it Constantinople in his honor.
As Constantine continued ruling, he instituted many good policies in
the administration of the empire, such as a centralized bureacracy a new
monetary system based on the gold standards, and the separation of
civilian from military government.
Emperor Gratian, one of Constantine’s successors, appointed
Theodosius as the emperor of the east.
Theodosius died, after which, the empire was divided with finality
between his sons Arcadius(east) and Honorius(west).
While the western part of the empire would begin to crumble in the 4th
century, ultimately falling in 476 A.D. due to massive invasion by
barbarians in the north, the eastern part would continue as the
Byzantine Empire all the way to the 15th century, with various emperors
continuing to rule.
THEODOSIUS
IMPORTANT
BYZANTINE EMPERORS
JUSTINIAN
called The Great ; as he captured many parts of the western Roman
Empire from the barbarians.
Built many harbors, fortresses, and churches, and collected Roman
laws under one code.
Employed best generals to command his armies.
Overstretched the empire’s capabilities and much of the territory the
empire gained was lost after he died.
JUSTINIAN
HERACLIUS
The military and administrative reforms made by him became the
basis for the Byzantine System in the middle ages.
Defeated the Persians in their attempt to capture the empire.
HERACLIUS
BASIL II
Expanded the borders of the Byzantine Empire to their greatest
extent since the 5th century.
His greatest achievement is the defeat of the Bulgarians in 1014.
BASIL II
THE DECAY OF THE
BYZANTINE EMPIRE
The Byzantine Empire began to collapse during the 1000
After the death of Bazil II in 1025, the empire began to decay.
Crusades contributed to the tensions between Constantinople and the
Western European Christians.
The Seljuk Turks pushed deeper into Asia Minor and defeated the
Byzantine Empire.
Other crusades and civil wars further weakened the empire by 1300,
all that remained in the imperial territory were Constantinople and
part of Greece
THE BYZANTINE
LEGACY
WAY OF LIFE
The people of the Byzantine Empire are of a different mix:
Bulgarians, Greek, Normans and Turks.
The predominant language is Greek.
Religion is very influential in the lives of the people of Byzantine.
Christianity, under Emperor Theodosius I, became the empire’s
state religion.
BYZANTINE LITERATURE
The Greek classics concerned with theology and history are the
pride of Byzantine, Basil, John Chrysostom, and Cyril of Alexandria
are only some of the great authors of Byzantine Literature.
It also boasts of the Suda, a literary encyclopedia containing facts
and information on classical and Byzantine Literature.
BYZANTINE STYLE
A unique style in the arts and architecture which has its roots in 5th
century Byzantine.
Its characteristics include heavy stylization, strong lines, and rich
colors.
Byzantine architecture, on the other hand, is shown by such
classic structures such as Hagia Sophia and St. Mark’s Venice.
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