Download Early Byzantine Empire

INTRODUCTION TO THE
BYZANTINE EMPIRE
Introduction
 Even though the Western Roman empire fell,
the Empire still had much power – in the east.
The Eastern Roman empire became known as
the Byzantine empire – named after the
capital city of Byzantium.
 The Emperor Constantine moved the capital
of the empire to Byzantium. Eventually, the
city was named Constantinople in honor of
the emperor. Constantinople’s location made
it a center of trade and it was also easily
defended.
Power in the East
 When emperor Constantine moved the capital of
the empire to Byzantium – he moved the power
of Rome to the east.
Justinian Builds a New Empire
 After the western
empire fell, the
Byzantine Empire
prospered. The
Byzantine emperor
named Justinian (527-
565) was the main
reason for this. He and
his wife Theodora were
very gifted rulers.
The Justinian Code
 Justinian used his power to help the empire
succeed. Justinian is known for a lot of
things, but one of the things he is most
famous for is the creation of a law code –
called the Justinian Code. It was a system of
governmental laws that established a well
organized empire and kept the traditions of
Roman law alive. Many nations include
traditional Roman laws even today.
Public Works
 Justinian had many public building projects that
included buildings like Hagia Sophia – the main
church of the Greek Orthodox religion.
Hagia Sophia
Religion
 The Orthodox church in the east had many
differences to the Roman Catholic church of the
west. This eventually led to a schism or split.
Some of the differences include:
 The Orthodox church used Greek instead of Latin
 The head of the Orthodox church answered to
the emperor, while the head of the Roman
Catholic church (the Pope) claimed authority
over all kings and emperors.
 The Orthodox church allowed priests to marry
while the Roman Catholic church did not.
Let’s Review!!
Important things to remember about Rome.
 Roman Citizenship was significant because it
allowed citizens to participate in government.
 The Law codes of Rome allowed equal justice
for all – just like in America.
 The use of foreign soldiers in the Roman army
made it weaker because they had no loyalty
to Rome.
 The Pax Romana was a period of peace and
prosperity in Rome.
 Barbarian groups like the Huns, Visigoths,
Ostrogoths, and Vandals weakened the empire
until it eventually fell in 476.
 At its height the Roman Empire stretched from
Europe, to Africa, to Asia.
 The empire split and the eastern empire
continued for another thousand years after the
fall of the west.
 A major split or schism occurred between the
eastern church (orthodox) and western church
(catholic).