Download The Fall and Influence of the Byzantines

The Fall and Influence of the
Byzantines
Why is the empire going to fall?
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Military Changes
Crusaders
Split with Catholic Church
Iconoclasm
Renewed efforts from enemies of abroad
Devaluing of gold
Politics of Byzantines
Military
• Byzantines change army techniques – move
from a citizen army to a campaigning army of
primarily mercenaries.
• Army became a secondary concern after Basil
II stopped campaigning regularly.
• Had always relied on strategy and
administration which didn’t translate with
smaller empire.
Iconoclasm
• During the 8th century, Emperor Leo III
outlawed using venerated icons.
• This led to smashing of art and culture of the
church
• The western church rejected this because it
would mean they would have to smash their
art.
• Resolved to use them but not venerate them
but damage was done.
Split with Catholic Church
• By 1054 the Byzantines had split with the
Catholic church over a variety of issues.
– Iconoclasm in 700’s
– Inadequate protection
– Pope attempted to declare infallibility and
superiority to Orthodox Patriarch
– Various religious doctrine issues.
• Leads to Latin Catholics attempting to gain
sway over the Byzantines for souls/power.
Rise of New Enemies
• The Franks became great enemies in Europe,
although at times they worked together.
• Seljuk Turks
• Persians reborn
• Islam, Islam, Islam, and more Islam
Influence of Islam
• The development of Islam in 622 had a
profound effect on the empire.
• Islam is an aggressive religion that early on
developed a policy of spreading the faith
through conquest.
• Once Islam moves into Jerusalem and the holy
land two major thins occur…
– The Byzantines feel threatened in their existence
– The Latin Popes worry for the safety of pilgrims
This leads to the….
• Crusades
– At Council of Piasenza in 1095, Alexios I asked
Pope Urban II to send assistance to drive out
Muslims from Christian lands.
– He expected an elite mercenary group to
come…instead got 35,000 poorly trained and
armed troops.
– Forces them to swear allegiance which the Latin's
feel he breaks when he doesn’t come to help at
Antioch.
– First Crusade successful (sort of)
Fourth Crusade
• Never makes it to the holy land – actually slated to go
to Egypt. (not enough money to pay Venitians)
• Instead attacks port of Zara in Dalmatia – then moves
onto Constantinople (Alexios III offered to pay for
Egyptian attack)
• In 1204 they ransacked the city and burned most of it
to the ground.
• They raped, pillaged, and stole priceless artifacts.
• Byzantines went through three Emperors in a matter of
weeks and went into exile as three separate kingdoms
• Even created a new emperor and patriarch
Partition After Fourth Crusade
Short lived reunification…
• Three states in exile – Empire of Nicaea,
Despotate of Empirius, and Empire of
Trezibond developed.
• Each fought against local Muslim incursions
before Nicaea retook the city in 1261.
• Attempted to reunify and revive empire and
was able to rebuild city.
• However crippling taxes really hurt reform
effort.
Finally….
• The Ottoman Turks invaded in 1453 and
despite pleas from new Emperor Constantine
III, Rome sent no one.
• Fell to the Ottomans on May 29, 1453.
Influence on the Muslims and Russians
• Muslims
– Claimed to inherit Rome
– Incorporated much of the classical Roman and
Greek heritage into Muslim society.
– Became a more secular state (Therefore Turkey)
• Russians
– Adopted Byzantine religion, culture, and dress
– Traded and fought with them for centuries
– Claimed to become the center of Orthodoxy after
the fall of Constantinople
How were the Russians Converted….
• St. Cyril and St. Methodius were asked to
translate the Orthodox bible into Slavic.
• Missionaries then took the book up the rivers
to Russia and began converting them.
• Patriarchs claimed to have converted them by
as early as 860 AD
• In Mid 900’s, Princess Olga converted to the
faith, bringing it into the land
Vladamir The Wise
• In 986 sent envoys around the Western world
to choose a new religion.
– Rejected Islam because of circumcision and
restrictions on alcohol and pork
– Rejected Judaism because of loss of Jersualem.
– Rejected Catholics because of Latin
– Embraced Orthodoxy because of beauty and
amazement with Hagia Sophia and culture.
– Two conflicting stories on his baptism
– When he returned he held a mass baptism in
Dnieper River
• Greek learning and book culture was adopted
in Kiev and other centres of the country.
• Churches started to be built on the Byzantine
model.
• Russian nobility forced to accept religion
• Russian people became more comfortable
with an all powerful Emperor, like the
Byzantines.
• Led to the development of the Tsar after the
fall of Constantinople
• After 1721 and the rise of Peter the Great, the
Orthodox Church passes into the hands of the
emperor.