Download Justinian and Theodora

Byzantine Empire
Main Idea
 After
the fall of the Roman Empire in
the West, the Byzantine Empire
emerged as the dominant eastern
power, with Constantinople as its
political, economic, and religious
center. The empire lasted over 1,000
years.
Background:
 1. Western
half of the Roman
Empire fell in 476 A.D.
 2. Byzantium had already been
rebuilt by Emperor Constantine,
who then renamed the city
Constantinople.
Geography and Cityscape of Constantinople
1. Built on seven hills and divided into 14 districts,
like Rome.
 2. Protected by 13 miles of walls, watchtowers, and
gates.
 3. Easily fortified site surrounded on three sides by
water, bordering a natural harbor. Its location
combined with its control of the Bosporus Strait
made the city a crossroads (hub/center) for trade
and shipping between Europe, Africa, and Asia.
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Walls of Constantinople
A satellite view of the
area.
Can you see the
remarkable location
of Constantinople at
the center of the ‘X’ of
land
Europe
Black Sea
& sea trade routes?
Asia
Aegean Sea
The Black Sea.
The Bosphorus
Strait.
The Sea of
Marmara.
The
Dardanelles
Strait.
Constantinople
today known
as Istanbul.
Geography and Cityscape of Constantinople
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4. Adequate distance from Germanic invasions of the
western empire.
5. Good location to protect Europe’s eastern frontier.
6. Seized by Turks in 1453 CE and renamed Istanbul; today it
is a major city in modern Turkey.
Table Work

Why was Constantinople established as the
capital of the Eastern Roman Empire?
-Protection
of the eastern frontier
-distance from Germanic invasions in the western
empire
-crossroads of trade
-easily fortified site on a peninsula bordered by
natural harbors
Role of Constantinople:
 1. True
center (or seat) of Byzantine
power until the Ottoman conquest
 2. Important
in preserving classical
Greco-Roman culture
Justinian
and
Theodora
How Justinian Was Described
While living, devout, determined, and energetic.
Why?
 After His Death, the historian Procopius referred
to Justinian as two-faced and cruel in a “Secret
History”

Byzantine Emperor Justinian—
Legal Codes:
 Justinian
Code – sorted through old Roman
laws and codified (established) a new code of
law for the Byzantine Empire.

- It lasted for 900 years!
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- complicated laws were simplified

- Significance – significant impact on
European legal code
Table Work

What was the influence of Justinian’s codification of
Roman law on the Byzantine Empire and later legal
codes?
It impacted European legal codes.
What was Justinian’s influence on the expansion of
the Byzantine Empire and its economy?
He recovered much of the former Western Roman
territories that had been lost to invaders and expanded
trade as Constantinople became a crossroads for trade.
Achievements of Byzantine Emperor
Justinian:
1. Re-conquered former Roman territories
-- not Rome
2. Significantly expanded trade
Achievements of Byzantine Emperor
Justinian:
3. Head of church & state
4. Placed a heavy emphasis on church
building.
- Hagia Sophia – Constantinople’s
masterpiece of architecture and faith
One of Justinian’s greatest accomplishments - the construction of
the beautiful Cathedral of the Holy Wisdom ~ The Hagia Sophia
And more achievements!
5. Ambitious ruler who came to the throne at
age 45!
6. Drove barbarians out of North Africa, Spain, &
Italy
7. Built bridges, churches, hospitals, libraries, &
parks.
THEODORA!?!?!?
Married Justinian while in her 20’s, sometimes
equaled or surpassed husband’s wisdom and
skills.
 Convinced her husband to crush Nika rebellion
 Established Social Welfare programs for the
poor
 Worked for the rights of women
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Theodora
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In the bubble heads on your guided notes, write a
statement about Theodora from the points of view of:
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The poor
Women
Nika rebels
Justinian
Her friends
Play Movie
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Play from 3:05’ to 4:45’
Make sure you answer questions
on worksheet.
https://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/justinians-code-of-law-and-roman-emperors-after-constantine.html
CLOSE

Name 4 Important things that Emperor
Justinian accomplished?
1) Codification of Roman law
1) - This Codification of Roman law had an impact
on European legal codes
2) Reconquest of former Roman territories
3) Expansion of trade
4) Building of churches, bridges, libraries, schools
OPEN

Why was Constantinople established as
the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire?
1) Could better protect the eastern frontier
2) Good distance from Germanic invasions in the western
empire
3) Crossroads of trade
4) Easily fortified site on a peninsula bordered by natural
harbors
Hagia
Sophia“Holy
Wisdom”
Movie embedded in pic.
Play from 5’20” to 14’00”
HAGIA SOPHIA
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1. Built during Justinian’s reign. Took 5-6 years to build
2. Known as the “Church of Holy Wisdom”
3. When Constantinople fell to the Turks, Hagia Sophia
became a mosque; now it is a museum
Plain exterior symbolizes earthly life
Ornate interior symbolizes spiritual universe
Cathedral’s size, thick pillars, and enclosed space show
Roman influence.
Intricate and ornate design shows Eastern influences
4. Byzantine
architects invented
the pendentives
which connected the
round base of a
dome to a square
building.
The combination of
Greco-Roman and
Middle Eastern
influence are evident
in the intricate
decoration on this
column.
Mosaics with gold-covered stones added
more light to the huge interior of Hagia
Sofia.
Byzantine Achievements in Art
and Architecture:
1. art and architecture inspired by two
things: Christian religion and imperial
power
2. Icons – definition – religious images
3. Elaborate mosaics in public and
religious structures
Icon/Mosaic in Hagia Sophia
Byzantine Achievements in Art
and Architecture:
4. Hagia Sophia – most beautiful
architectural achievement
5. Hippodrome – entertainment venue
for chariot races and circuses
Hippodrome
Table Work

What were the contributions of Byzantine art and
architecture?
Icons
Mosaics
Hagia Sophia
Byzantine Culture:
1. Greek and Roman knowledge
preserved in Byzantine libraries
2. Greek – primary language (as
opposed to Latin in the West)
3. Church – Greek Orthodox
Christianity
4. Continued flourishing of GrecoRoman traditions
The Division of the Christian
Church:
 Background: Distance
and lack of
contact slowly caused the doctrines
and rituals of Western and Eastern
th
Christianity to split in the 11
Century.
East vs. West : A Religious Dispute
•Patriarch- head
bishop of the east
(Constantinople)
• Pope - head
of the west
(Rome)
•Conflict about
power of
Pope (in west) and
Emperor (in east)
•Regional
differences
made more
conflicts arise
The Western ChurchRoman Catholic
1. Centered in Rome
2. Far from the seat of government
power once the capital moved to
Constantinople
3. Liturgy (services) conducted in
Latin
The Western ChurchRoman Catholic
4. The pope had authority over all
other bishops
5. The pope had authority over all kings
and emperors
6. Priests cannot marry and must
remain celibate
7. Divorce is not permitted
The Eastern Church –
Greek/Eastern Orthodox
1. Centered in Constantinople
2. Close to seat of government power
once capital moved to Constantinople
3. Liturgy (services) conducted in
Greek or local languages
The Eastern Church – Eastern
Orthodox
4. The patriarch and other bishops head the
church as a group
5. The emperor claimed authority over the
patriarch and other bishops of the
Byzantine Empire
6. Priests may be married
7. Divorce is allowed under certain
conditions
Table Work
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Which Church is the Roman Church? East or West?
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Which Church is the Orthodox Church? East or
West?
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Identify the differences between the Eastern Church
and the Western Church
The Great Schism
Icons
(religious images)– Pictures of
important Christians or sacred events.
Can be mosaics, murals, wooden panels.
Those who did not believe in them were
called Iconoclasts (Eastern Christians)
This was one of the breaking points for
the split.
The Great Schism
In 1054, the split between the Eastern and
Western Churches was made permanent
when the Pope (in the West) and the Patriarch
(in the East) excommunicated each other.
 Excommunication
– definition: cast out
from the church
 This permanent split was called the
schism
Table Work

Complete the Venn Diagram (handout)
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You are welcome to work with the students at your
table.
Service are
conducted in Latin
The pope has
authority over all
other bishops
The pope claims
authority over all
kings and emperors
Priests may not
marry
Divorce is not
permitted
Roman Catholic
They base their
faith on the
gospel of Jesus
and the Bible
They use
sacraments
such as baptism
Their religious
leaders are
priests and
bishops
They seek to
convert people
Service are conducted
in Greek or local
languages
The patriarch and
other bishops head the
Church as a group
The emperor claims
authority over the
patriarch and other
bishops of the empire
Priests may be
married
Divorce is
permitted under
certain conditions
Eastern Orthodox
Table Work
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What was the basic cause of the schism (split)
between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches in
1054?
The Byzantine Emperor and religious leaders
in the East refused to accept the authority of
the Pope in Rome.
England
Tin
Russia:
Fur, Honey,
Timber
France:
Wine
China:
Silk
Spain:
Cork
India:
Spices
Africa:
Ivory, gold
Constantinople:
The Crossroads of Byzantine Trade
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Plague of Justinian that crippled Empire
 In 542, 10,000 people were dying every day!
Attacks from East, West, and North
 Slavs, Persians, Turks, and Russian invasions
Attempt to maintain power
 Through political marriages, bribes and diplomacy
Walls kept the peninsula strong until 1453 when it fell
to the Ottoman Turks
Split of the Church
What goes up…

… Must come down
Decline of Empire
BYZANTINE
EMPIRE 550
AD
BYZANTINE
EMPIRE 1050
AD
BYZANTINE
EMPIRE 1350
AD
Ottoman Empire 1606 A.D.
Influence of Byzantine Culture on
Eastern Europe and Russia:
1. Trade routes between the Black Sea and
the Baltic Sea led to exchange of ideas
and culture
2. Eastern Orthodox Missionaries: spread
their faith to the Slavic people of Russia
and Eastern Europe
Influence of Byzantine Culture on
Eastern Europe and Russia:
3. Cyril invented an alphabet for the Slavic
languages so that the Slavs could read the
Bible in their own tongue. This was called
the Cyrillic alphabet
4. Church architecture and religious art
A Russian
Orthodox
Church in
the
Ukraine ~
very similar
to the
Hagia
Sophia.
CLOSE
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Why did the Byzantine Empire have so
much influence on religion, culture, and
trade in Russia and Eastern Europe?
1) Trade routes between Black Sea and Baltic Sea
2) Adoption of Orthodox Christianity by Russia and much of
Eastern Europe
3) Adoption of Greek alphabet for the Slavic languages by St.
Cyril
1) Called the Cyrillic alphabet
4) Church Architecture and religious art