Download Byzantine Empire

Byzantine Empire
• The ancient city of Byzantium was originally founded by
the Greeks. At its height the Byzantine Empire controlled
most of the territory around the Mediterranean Sea.
•Due to being strategically located on an Isthmus called the
Bosporus Straits, Constantinople became very prosperous by
controlling trade routes between Asia, Europe, Russia and the
Middle East.
•The Byzantine Empire, once part of the greater Roman
Empire continued flourishing for 1000 years after the fall of
Rome.
•The empire continued many Greco-Roman life style patterns
and spread its Orthodox Christian civilization through most
of eastern Europe ( Kievian Russia) by using its missionaries.
•Roman Emperor Constantine in
the 4th c. moved his capital to
Constantinople calling it the
”New Rome”.
•Moving was necessary due to
ROME constantly being invaded
by the barbarians.
•After seeing a vision of a cross
before a battle Constantine
adopts Christianity for his
empire
Greek became the official
language
•Constantinople –Capital of the Byzantine Empire; constructed
on the site of Byzantium, an old Greek city on the Bosporus
Germanic invaders
pounded the Roman
empire in the west
Huns – Group of nomadic
tribes that pushed
through central Europe in
the 4th and 5th c.
instigating the migration
of the Germanic tribes
into the Roman Empire
Remember……
Most emperors that were
conquered moved their
empire back in the east
Important New Center
Constantinople
– “New Second Rome”
Located on a strait that
linked
Aegean/Mediterranean
and Black Seas
Key trading route linking
Europe, Africa and Asia
– Buffer between
Western Europe and
Asia
Hellenistic culture – After Alexander’s death, Greek art,
education, and culture merged with those in the Middle East
Trade and important scientific centers were established, such as
Alexandria, Egypt
Byzantine Empire-(Eastern Roman Empire)
The Age of Justinian 527-565
Byzantine empire
reached greatest size
Wanted to recover what
had been lost during the
fall of Rome
Re-conquered N. Africa,
Italy and southern Spain
– Victories were temporary
•Justinian rebuilt
Constantinople in classical
style; among the architectural
achievements was the huge
church of Hagia Sophia
•Justinian – 6th c. Byzantine
emperor; failed to reconquer the
western portions of the empire;
rebuilt Constantinople; codified
Roman law
•Hagia Sophia – Great domed
church constructed during the
reign of Justinian
•Body of Civil Law – Justinian’s codification of Roman law;
reconciled Roman edicts and decisions; made Roman law a
coherent basis for political and economic life
•Justinian helped preserve and transmit the Greek and Roman
culture into his empire.
•Icons – Images of religious figures prohibited from being
worshipped by the Byzantine Christians. This leads to the Great
Schism between the Eastern/Western Catholic church.
•Justinian codification of
Roman law was his greatest
achievement
•The revived empire
withstood the 7th c. advance
of Arab Muslims although
important regions were lost
along the eastern
Mediterranean and the
northern Middle Eastern
heartland
Hagia Sophia
•Byzantine political patterns resembled the earlier Chinese
system
•Emperor, ordained by God and surrounded by elaborate court
ritual, headed both church and state
During Middle Ages
Dispute over worshipping icons (Holy Images)
contributed to split (Great SCHISM) between
Eastern and Western Churches
Byzantine Emperor Leo III outlawed prayer to
icons because it was idol worship.
1054 provoked a permanent split between
Byzantine, Eastern (Greek) Orthodox and
Roman Catholic Church
Eastern Orthodox Church no longer recognized
the supremacy of the Pope as their leader.
A Divided Christian Church
Western Roman
Catholic
Pope is head
Located in Rome
Latin Language
Priests cannot marry
Most important holy
day Christmas
Can use Icon Worship
Excommunicated
Byzantine Emperor
Eastern Orthodox
Emperor is head
Patriarch in
Constantinople
rejected Pope’s
authority
Clergy could marry
Greek Language
Most important holy
day Easter
No Icon worship
Compare churches…..
•The final break between the two churches occurred in 1054 over
arguments about the type of bread used in the mass and the
celibacy of priests
Byzantine Heritage
Built on the
Hellenistic culture
– Christian beliefs
– Greek science, art
and literature
– Roman engineering
Byzantine Contributions
Preserved classic
works of ancient
Greece
Mostly concerned with
writing about their own
times
Many went and taught
at universities in Italy,
Contributed to the birth
of the next cultural time
in European history,
Renaissance
•Religion will play a
major role in decline
of Byzantine Empire
•The long decline
began in 11th c.
•Muslim Turkish
invaders seized
almost all of the
empires Asian
provinces, removing
the most important
sources of taxes/food
•Crusaders, led by Venetian merchants, sacked Constantinople in
1204-------------WHY??????????????
•A smaller empire struggled to survive for another two centuries
•In 1453, the Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople
What happened to the Byzantines?
Crusades
– Byzantine emperor called for help to fight the
Muslims headed for Jerusalem
Western Christians drained $$$ from the
Byzantine Empire outfitting armies
Crusades
1453 A.D.
– With the use of cannons Ottoman Turk
Muslims (Mehmed II) eventually took
Constantinople and renamed it Istanbul
Benefits
Long term cultural diffusion took place
between the Middle East and Europeans
The same sharing of ideas and products
took place between members of all the
different armies during Crusades
With conquest of Constantinople, the
Ottoman empire will be able to expand its
borders because they now control the
strategic spot between Asia and Europe
Europe must now find new trade routes to
get the goods from the far East