Download The Rise of the Byzantines

Main Idea:
 The Eastern Roman Empire grew rich and
powerful as the Western Roman Empire Fell.
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Lecture Focus:
 Think of your own community, how have
groups of people from different
backgrounds contributed to its character.
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Greeks made up the
Empire’s largest group,
but many other peoples
were found within the
Empire.
 Those included were
Egyptians, Syrians,
Arabs, Armenians, Jews,
Persians, Slavs and
Turks…a very diverse
group of people
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Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the
Roman Empire from Rome to a new city called
Constantinople.
 Constantine's city became the capital of the
Byzantine Empire.
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By 500 C.E., Constantinople was thriving
and had become one of the worlds great
cities.
One reason for Constantinople’s success was its
location, it lay on the water ways between the Black
Sea (N E) and the Aegean Sea (S W)
 Its harbors offered a safe shelter for fishing boats,
trade ships and warships.
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Constantinople also sat at the crossroads of
trade routes between Europe and Asia.
The trade that passed through made the city
extremely wealthy.
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Constantinople had a
secure land location,
lying on a peninsula,
the city could be
easily defended.
Seas protected it on
three sides and on
the fourth side, a
huge wall was built to
guard the city.
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Later a huge chain was even strung across the
city’s north harbor for greater protections.
Constantinople could not be taken by invaders
easily.
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Questions:
What Roman Emperor moved his capital city?
Emperor Constantine
What was the name of this city?
Constantinople
What were the names of the two seas in which this
city was between?
The Black Sea and the Aegean Sea
What so perfectly protected the city from
invaders?
Seas protected the city on three sides and a
huge wall on the fourth side
 The Byzantines at first followed the Roman Ways.
 Constantinople was known as “New Rome” and its
public buildings and palaces were built in a Roman
style.
The city even had an oval arena called the
Hippodrome, where chariot races and other
events were held.
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Byzantine political and social life also were based
on that of Rome.
Emperors spoke Latin and enforced Roman Laws.
The empire’s poor people received free bread and
shows of entertainment.
 Wealthy people lived in town or on large farming
estates…in fact many of these wealthy people had
once lived in Rome.
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As time passed, the Byzantine Empire became less
Roman and more Greek.
 Most Byzantines spoke Greek and honored their
Greek past.
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Byzantine Emperors and officials began to speak
Greek as well…
Some ideas also came from the Egyptians and the
Slavs, though not as much as Greece.
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Some other customs came from Persia into the
Byzantine Empire.
All of these cultures blended together to form a
unique Byzantine Civilization.
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Between 500 C.E. and 1200 C.E., the Byzantines
had one of the world’s richest and most advances
Empires.
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Questions:
What was Constantinople known as?
“New Rome”
As time passed the Byzantine Empire became less
Roman and more like ____________?
Greek
What other countries and empires had an influence
on the Byzantine Empire?
Egypt, Persia and Slavs
Reading Check:
Why do you think the Byzantine Empire had such a
blending of such different cultures?
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Answer in 2-3 well written sentences…