Download The Byzantine Empire - History with Ms. Wright

The Byzantine
Empire: The New
Rome
The Byzantine Empire
 In
The Division of the
Roman Empire
284 CE Diocletian became
Roman emperor.
 Split the empire in half to
make it easier to rule.
The Division of the Roman Empire
From World History:
Connections to Today Prentice
Hall, 2003
Constantine
CE –
Constantine rebuilt
the port city of
Byzantium
 Renamed it
Constantinople
 330
– Made it the capital of
the Eastern Roman
Empire
Constantinople
From World History:
Connections to Today
Prentice Hall, 2003
The Fall of the Western
Roman Empire
395 CE
the Roman Empire officially
divided into East and West.
 With the invasion of Germanic forces
from the north, the Western Roman
Empire was conquered and further
divided.
 eastern part of the Roman empire to
carry on the Greco-Roman tradition.

The Fall of the Western
Roman Empire
From World History:
Connections to Today
Prentice Hall, 2003
Byzantine Empire
 Byzantines
are very
small at first
 Emperor Justinian
expanded the
empire to include
much of the former
Roman Empire
Empress Theodora
 Wife
of
Justinian
 Former actress
and prostitute
 Becomes the
most
important
woman in the
Empire
Justinian and Theodora




Justinian ruled as
an autocrat with the
help of Theodora.
Created a huge
Christian empire
Built Hagia Sophia
Created Justinian’s
Code – which
organized all the
laws of ancient
Rome.
Autocrat – ruler who has
complete authority
Justinian’s Code of Laws
Laws were more fair to women.
 Children allowed to choose their own
marriage partners.
 Slavery was legal and slaves must obey their
masters.
 Punishments fit the crime
 Inspired the modern concept and, the word
"justice".

The New Rome
The Byzantine
Empire was wealthy
and produced: gold,
silk, grain, olives and
wine.
 Trades with India and
China along the Silk
Road for ivory and
spices

The Silk Road
End of the Byzantine Empire
 In
1453, the Ottoman Turks
conquered Constantinople