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Byzantine Empire
Cameron Muscha
Rachell Beetler
Leanne Burns
James Bell
Post Roman Empire
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After the western Roman empire fell the
government in Constantinople abandoned hope of
re-conquering Italy.
Instead learned lessons from the fall of Rome
Brought about many social and economic
reforms
Reformed taxes in 425 A.D.
Couldn’t support a large army due to lack of
finances and resources from the west.
Map
The Byzantine Empire arose from
Roman territories after the
Roman Empire fell.
Byzantium
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Founded by Greek colonists from megara
in 667 b.c.
In 330 A.D. emperor Constantine I
refounded and rebuilt the city naming it
“Nova Roma” or “New Rome”.
After Constantine’s death the city was
named Constantinople or “city of
Constantine”.
Byzantium cont.
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The city was located in the Bosporus Strait.
Surrounded on the 3 sides by water, the 4th
side was heavily fortified
Provided it with natural defense from
invaders.
Could control trade routes between the
orient and Europe and all sea routes
between the Mediterranean sea and the
Black sea.
The Byzantium Empire
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The Empire of Byzantium was the eastern
portion of the Roman Empire.
 Fell in 395 A.D.
 Empire was split by Emperor Diocletian.
 Constantine sat on the throne of the eastern
empire and announced Byzantium to be its
capitol
 Both were Roman civilizations but the Eastern
empire began to evolve into a very different
culture
 Announced Greek as the official language and
Latin influences started to fall away
 Blended Greek, Indian, and Asian cultures and
th
Symbol of the City
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Symbol of the city was
the crescent and virgin
Mary’s star.
Crescent came from the
moon goddess Hectare
who was believed to
have saved the city
from Philip II of
Macedon in 340 B.C.
Constantine added the
Virgin Mary’s star
Justinian
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Emperor Justinian Conquered North Africa, and
temporarily retook Italy from the Goths and
ostrogoths.
Gothic war lead to the devastation of Italy
economically.
Little resources came from Italy and it plunged into
a period of darkness where Italy became a drain on
the empire.
Created the Corpus Iuris Civilis
Codified Roman law and “Christianized” it.
Became the basis for all European legal systems
except for England’s
Post Justinian
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3 years after Justinian’s death Italy fell into the
hands of the Lombards.
Empire once again centered in the east.
Emperor Heraclius was left with the task of
saving the empire from financial ruin
Persia threatened to overrun the area in Asia
minor while slaves and Mongolian people
threatened the west.
Heraclius defeated and was credited with
bringing about the end of the Persian empire.
The emergence of Islam
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The same year Heraclius assumed the throne, an
Arab outside in Mecca started preaching and
started the religion of Islam
By the end of Heraclius’ reign, Muslim armies
were raiding Byzantine territory in Syria and
Persia.
The Byzantine empire now began to focus their
attention and resources into defending the
southern half of the empire
The old European provinces began to fade away
and in the west the end of the Roman culture
finally died.
Islam
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Muslim armies swept through and conquered
Byzantine territories in Syria and Egypt.
Never could conquer the city of Constantinople.
Emperor Leo the Isaurian turned away a large
muslim invasion and centralized Muslim
leadership began to dissolve allowing for the
Byzantines to reassert control over the empire.
Became influential power again
Empire stretched from Greece to Arabia.
In 1071 Seljuk Turks conquered a Byzantine
army at Manzikert in Asia Minor and took all
Byzantine territory in the east.