THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE

Review:Fall of Rome Roman emperor, Diocletian (284 AD)

divided the Roman Empire into east and west

Review:Fall of Rome Constantine (312 AD) rejoined east & west;

moved capital from Rome to Byzantium, renaming the city Constantinople

The Byzantine Empire western half suffered from invasion last Roman emperor ousted in 476 B.C. eastern empire became known as Byzantine

Empire

Emperor Justinian 527 Justinian (Byzantine

nobleman) took control of eastern empire

fought to regain control of Rome & Italian peninsula

called himself new Caesar & ruled like emperors of Rome

head of both church & state

exercised absolute power

Roman influence in Byzantine Culture Learning:

Byzantium valued Greco-Roman classical learning

Students learned Greek & Latin grammar, philosophy, read classic literature written by Greeks & Romans

Some Roman laws remained

Christianity - official religion

Rise of Constantinople

Justinian started public building projects:14-mile wall around citychurches (Hagia Sophia)courts, schools, &

hospitals

Markets offered trade goods from Africa, Asia, & Europe

Empress Theodora Justinian’s wife & advisor

(most powerful woman in Byzantium)

Met w/ foreign envoys, wrote to foreign leaders, passed laws, & built churches

Passed laws to protect women & grant them benefits

Justinian’s Code Some of Roman law continued in Justinian’s new

system of law. Legal system est. in Justinian’s Code served as

law in the Byzantine Empire for 900 years.

Justinian’s Code consisted of four works:1. The Code - contained 5,000 Roman laws2. The Digest - quoted & summarized opinions of

Rome’s greatest legal thinkers3. The Institutes - told law students how to use the laws4. The Novellae (New Laws) - presented all new

legislation

Justinian’s Code Practice Interpreting Justinian’s Code WS

Writing Prompt: What was the advantage of combining established Roman law with the new system of law in the Justinian Code?(Answer this question before you leave)

Impact on Russia Byzantium traded w/

Slavic peoples to north

Russian culture was created as Greek Byzantines interacted w/ Slavs

Slavic peoples - culturally similar but politically different communities

Impact on Russia: Trade

880 -city of Kiev settled on Dnieper River

People living in Kiev could sail to Constantinople to trade.

Location of Constantinople

Dnieper River

Impact on Russia: Politics & ReligionReligion:

957 - princess Olga from Kiev converted to Christianity

989 - grandson, Vladimir, converted entire population of Kiev to Eastern Christianity

Vladimir imported teachers from Byzantium to teach about new religion

Politics: Ivan III came to power in

Moscow – declared he would make Russia “third Rome” & took title “czar” (Russian for “Caesar”)

The Great Schism Christianity developed different religious

beliefs in eastern & western empires In 1054, the Pope (West) & Patriarch (East)

excommunicated each other (outcast from church)

Eastern (Greek) Church = Greek Orthodox Western (Latin) Church = Roman Catholic

Great Schism: Key Religious Differences

Greek Orthodox(East)

Roman Catholic(West)

Emperor claims authority over Patriarch & bishops

Patriarch & bishops share power & administer church as a group

Priests allowed to marry Divorce permitted in

certain cases

Pope claims authority over all bishops, kings & emperors

Priests may not marry Divorce not permitted