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The Byzantine Empire-The Eastern half of the
Roman Empire
As the Roman Empire continued to grow in size, it
became increasingly more difficult to control. In
284 AD Emperor Diocletian (284-305) came to the
throne after a century of disorganization, internal
dissent, economic collapse, and foreign invasions. It
wasn’t long after he took control that in 285 AD he
decided that the Empire was too large to be
administered by a single ruler, so he divided it into
two halves. The Empires would be ruled by CoEmperors and the western half would be centered in
Rome, while the eastern half would be ruled from
the city of Byzantium.
The dividing line was chosen because most territories to the west of the
line spoke Latin and followed traditional Roman culture, while the
territories to the east spoke Greek and maintained less traditional
Roman ways.
The location of Byzantium on the water between the
Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea made it a
powerful trading force in the east.
When the western area was
overrun by German tribes, the
Empire was officially divided in
395 AD and as a result, power
shifted to the east and the
Byzantine side remained strong
for a few hundred years more.
The empire benefited from the
region’s prosperous trade.
In the 4th c. Emperor
Constantine renamed the city of
Byzantium to Constantinople
•Constantinople –Capital of the Byzantine Empire
Constantinople –Capital of the Byzantine Empire
• Constantinople- “The Second Rome”
• Key trading route linking Europe, Africa and Asia
– Buffer between Western Europe and Asia
·Constantinople
The Age of Justinian 527-565
• In 527, the Byzantine
emperor Justinian
aimed at regaining
control of Italy and
restoring the old
Roman Empire once
again. Through war
and conquest by about
550 AD, Justinian
once again ruled over
almost all of the
territory of the old
Roman Empire.
The Empress Theodora
Theodora was the
wife of Justinian I
who was crowned
Emperor of the
Byzantine Empire in
527 AD. As his wife,
she ruled by his side,
as his partner, and
her intelligence
helped to advance
the Empire.
They ruled
unofficially as joint
monarchs with
Justinian allowing
Theodora to share
his throne and take
active part in
decision making.
The Empress Theodora
Perhaps the most significant event during Empress
Theodora's rule was the Nika revolt in which she proved
herself a worthy and able leader. During this event, two
rival political groups started a riot at the Hippodrome.
They set many public buildings on fire and proclaimed a
new emperor. Justinian and his officials, unable to
control the crowd prepared to flee, but Theodora spoke
up and gave a moving speech about the greater
significance of the life of someone who died as a ruler,
over that of someone who lived but was nothing. Her
determined speech convinced Justinian and his officials
and they attacked the Hippodrome, killing over 30,000
rebels and emerging victorious. Historians agree that it
was Theodora's courage and determination that saved
Justinian's empire
The Empress Theodora
Throughout the rest of her life, Theodora and
Justinian transformed the city of Constantinople,
building it into a city that for many centuries was
known as one of the most wonderful cities in the
world. They built aqueducts, bridges, and more than
25 churches, the most significant of these being the
Hagia Sophia - 'Church of Holy Wisdom'. To women,
Theodora may well be considered a noble pioneer of
the women's rights movement. She passed on laws
that gave rights to women in divorce cases, instituted
the death penalty for rape and established laws
allowing women to own and inherit property.
Justinian’s Achievements
•Hagia Sophia – Great
domed church
constructed during
the reign of Justinian
•The Hippodrome- stadium
used for horse and chariot
racing
•Justinian’s Code – Justinian’s code of Roman law; made
Roman law a the basis for political and economic life
Orthodox Christianity in the East
Although it was based on the Roman Empire, the
Byzantine Empire had developed a culture of its
own. There were many differences between the
west and the east.
The feeling of separateness from Rome grew
worse when one Byzantine emperor banned the use
of icons. Icons are religious images, statues and
symbols used in worship. The pope (in the west)
supported the use of icons and even ordered the
excommunication of the Byzantine emperor. That
means that the pope said the emperor could no
longer be a member of the Church.
Orthodox Christianity in the East
Slowly, the Eastern and Roman churches grew apart. In 1054,
the schism, or split became permanent. In the east religion
was called Orthodox Christianity or Byzantine Christianity.
Roman
Catholic
Churches
Orthodox
Churches
•The final break between the two churches occurred in
1054. Even the architecture of their churches are
different.
Importance of the Byzantine Empire
• Preserved classic works of
ancient Greece & Western
Rome (learning) including
Christianity
• Created Orthodox
Christian religion
• Justinian’s code of laws