Download The Byzantine Empire

The Byzantine Empire
And the Crusades
By: Ms. Angel
The Reign of Justinian
• The Eastern Roman Empire
was centered on
Constantinople• Justinian became emperor in
527• Justinian wanted to
reestablish the Roman Empire
in the Mediterranean world-
Justinian's Achievements:
• Restored the Roman Empire in the
Mediterranean• Codified Roman Law
(The Body of the Civil Law)
• His empire included: Italy, part of Spain,
North Africa, Asia Minor, Palestine, and
Syria-
Justinian’s conquests left the E. Roman
Empire with serious problems!
• Too much territory to protect far from
Constantinople• An empty treasury- (no $)
• A decline in population after a plague• Renewed threats to its frontiers• Rise of Islam unified Arab groups and created
a powerful new force that swept through the
Eastern Roman Empire-
Byzantine Empire
• By the beginning of the 8th century, the Eastern
Roman Empire has shrunk, and is now called the
Byzantine Empire• Greek and Christian State• Greek replaced Latin as the official language• Built on Christian faith (Christian church of the
Byzantine Empire came to be known as the Eastern
Orthodox Church)• The Emperor controlled not only the state, but also
the church… he chose the patriarch (head of the
Eastern Orthodox Church)-
Trade
• Medieval Europe's greatest center for
commerce• Center for the exchange of products between
the east and west• Items brought from the East:
– silk, spices, jewelry, ivory, wheat, furs, flax, honey
Life in Constantinople
Riots in Constantinople:
• Caused widespread destruction• Justinian rebuilt the city• Population estimated in the 100’s of
thousands• Largest city in Europe during the Middle
Ages-
Building in Constantinople:
• Dominated by an immense palace complex
• Hundreds of churches• A huge arena known as the Hippodrome
(where there were gladiator fights and chariot
races)• Public works- (roads, bridges, walls, public
baths, law courts, schools, churches, reservoirs
underground to hold H2O supply)
Justinian's greatest achievement:
• The Hagia Sophia… The Church of the Holy
Wisdom– Completed in 537– Enormous dome seems to be floating in space-
Hagia Sophia
Despite five damaging earthquakes between 553 and 986 A.D., Hagia
Sophia remains to this day basically in its original form. After the
Turkish conquest of Constantinople, the building was converted into
a mosque, and then under Turkish President Kemal Atatürk it
became a museum.
New Heights…
• Empire begins to expand again
under the Macedonians (867-1081)– Expanded trade
– Increased economic prosperity…
The city of Constantinople flourished!
And New Problems:
• Struggles for power led to political
and social disorder in the late 11th century• Growing schism, or split between the church
(Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Church)• Faced threats from abroad (Seljuk Turks
from Asia Minor)-
The Crusades
• The crusades were a series of military
expeditions carried about by European
Christians to regain the Holy Land from the
Muslims. They took place from the 11th to
13th centuries-
The Crusades
Crusades…
• Alexius I (Byzantine Emperor) asked the
Europeans for
fighting against the Seljuk
Turks (Muslims)• Pope Urban II responded… “let’s save the
Holy Land from those Muslims, because they
don’t believe as we do!”• The Pope challenged all Christians to join in
the Holy War. “IT IS THE WILL OF GOD!”-
Attractions to joining the
crusading armies:
•
•
•
•
•
Many were motivated by religious fervorSome sought adventureSome just loved to fightSome wanted to gain land, riches, a titleSome sought new trading opportunities-
The Early Crusades
• 1st Crusade- began as 3 organized bands of
warriors• They took over the Holy City by killing a lot of
the people who lived there• Crusaders organized 4 Latin crusaders states
surrounded by Muslims so that they could
continue to try and control the Muslims• By 1140’s… the Muslims began to fight back!-
2nd Crusade:
• 1 of the 4 Latin Kingdoms fell• Saint Bernard of Clairvaux called for another
crusade!• Bernard got help from King Louis VII
(France) and Emperor Conrad III
(Germany)• This second crusade was a total failure!-
3rd Crusade:
• In 1187 Jerusalem (the Holy City) fell to Muslim
forces under Saladin!• 3 important rulers agreed to lead the 3rd Crusade:
– Emperor Frederick Barbarossa of Germany
– Richard I (Richard the Lionhearted) of England
– Philip II Augustus, King of France
• Not very successful… Frederick drowned… Richard
and Philip failed…
• Eventually Richard the Lionhearted made a deal to
allow Christian pilgrims free access to Jerusalem-
The Later Crusades:
• 4th Crusade was started by Pope Innocent III• On it’s way to the East (to fight) the crusading
army got in an argument over who would gain
succession to the Byzantine throne• The Venetians leading the 4th crusade thought they
could get rid of their biggest competitor… the
Byzantine Empire• Crusaders sacked Constantinople and the
surrounding area… greatly weakening the city!• Ottoman Turks took over The Byzantine Empire in
1453-
Children's Crusade:
• In Germany in 1212, Nicholas of Cologne said that
God had led him to start a “children’s crusade”• Thousands of young people joined him to go to
Italy… The Pope told them to go home• A big group of French children went to the Holy
Land, failed, and were sold into slavery-
Did the Crusades have an
Effect on Europe?
• Benefited Italian Port Cities
• Unfortunate Side Effects
– Widespread attacks on Jews began during the
Crusades
THE END