Download CH 10 BE modified 12-13-12 - The Bronx High School of Science

Aim: How did the Byzantine empire
represent the continuity of Rome?
DO NOW: ANSWER IN YOUR
NOTEBOOKS
• “The Greeks were the thinkers, the
Romans were the builders, and the
Byzantines were the preservers.”
1. Explain the statement.
2. How might this explain the lack of
emphasis on the historical importance of
the Byzantine Empire?
BYZANTINE EMPIRE
• Develops as the Eastern half of the
Roman Empire.
• Wealthier half of empire.
• Did not suffer destruction of barbarian
invasions.
• Strong emperors who claim to be
successors of Roman Empire.
• Well defended capital – Constantinople
difficult to attack.
• Stronger economy than West – role of free
peasants.
CONSTANTINOPLE
I. The Growth of the Byzantine Empire
The emperor Justinian ruled the Byzantine
Empire from A.D. 527 to 565
Digital painting ©
Byzantium 1200
This picture is based on
a mosaic of Justinian at
San Vitale in Ravenna.
I. The Growth of the Byzantine Empire
One of his contributions was collecting and
preserving Roman law – the Justinian Code
Emperor Justinian Promulgates
his Law Code
I. The Growth of the Byzantine Empire
The Code was the basis of Byzantine law and
provided the framework for many European
legal systems
The Corpus Juris Civilis
(Body of Civil Law)
I. The Growth of the Byzantine Empire
His wife, Theodora, urged Justinian to change
Byzantine law to improve the status of women
Emperor Justinian (482-565)
and Empress Theodora (d. 548)
I. The Growth of the Byzantine Empire
Justinian chose Belisarius to lead his army,
and the Byzantine Empire expanded to its
greatest size
II. Strengths of the Empire
The emperor and strong central government
ruled the empire and the military protected the
borders
GOVERNMENT
• How was Byzantine government different
from the government of the Roman
Empire?
GOVERNMENT
• How did the theme system
help strengthen the Byzantine
Empire?
• Centralized state
• Caesaropapism – emperor appoints
patriarch, head of Church
• Emperors above the law – declared that
God had chosen them to rule (divine right
of kings?)
• Dress and court etiquette enhance rulers
status and power
• Theme system – provinces ruled by
governors
THEME SYSTEM
• Theme system - after invasions of 6th and
7th century – land available to peasants
who perform military service.
• Attempt to limit power of large estates –
this breaks down and imperial rule
weakened as large landowners shift taxes
to peasants and organize their own
armies.
II. Strengths of the Empire
Ships carried a chemical called “Greek fire”
that burst into flames when sprayed onto
enemy ships
II. Strengths of the Empire
Constantinople, located where Europe meets
Asia, controlled the Bosporus Strait and grew
wealthy from trade
ECONOMY
• Constantinople important trade center
• Bezant standard currency in
Mediterranean
• Manufacturing – craftsmen, high quality
silk
• Banking and partnerships
• Urbanization – palaces, housing
III. The Christian Church
The Christian church was important, but
differences between the West and East
divided the church
III. The Christian Church
The Byzantines did not recognize the pope’s
authority - the patriarch of Constantinople
headed the Eastern church
III. The Christian Church
A major disagreement concerned the role of
icons, which led to the Iconoclastic
Controversy
III. The Christian Church
The Byzantine Emperor ordered icons
destroyed, but the church in Rome decided
that abolishing icons was a heresy
“Augustine of Hippo Refuting Heretic”
Illuminated manuscript,13th century
III. The Christian Church
In 1054, the Christian church split into the
Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox
churches
IV. Byzantine Culture
While western Europe was entering the Dark
Ages, Byzantine civilization thrived
IV. Byzantine Culture
Christian missionaries, such as the brothers
Cyril and Methodius, carried Byzantine culture
to new lands
Icon of Cyril and
Methodius
IV. Byzantine Culture
The brothers taught the Bible to the Slavs and
created a Slavic alphabet, known as Cyrillic
IV. Byzantine Culture
Art included murals, mosaics, icons; religious
architecture included the Hagia Sophia in
Constantinople
V. The Decline of the Empire
After Justinian, the Byzantine Empire lost
land to the Persians, Lombards, Slavs, and
Muslims
The yellow areas were
lost in the 11th century,
the green areas in the
12th and 13th centuries,
and the purple areas in
the 14th century. The
remaining bits and
pieces (black) were
taken by the Ottoman
Turks, culminating with
the capture of
Constantinople in 1453.
RISE OF ISLAM
• Arab conquests of Sassanid empire and
part of Byzantine empire
• Sieges of Constantinople – use of “Greek
fire”
• BE acts as buffer protecting Europe from
Islamic conquests
• Islam will absorb Greek, Roman scientific
and intellectual achievements and later
pass them on to Western Europe as a
result of the Crusades
V. The Decline of the Empire
During the A.D. 1000s, the Seljuq Turks
captured Asia Minor, a source of food and
soldiers for the empire
V. The Decline of the Empire
When the emperor asked for help, in 1204
the West turned against the Byzantines and
seized Constantinople
The capture of
Constantinople in 1204
by the Crusaders during
the Fourth Crusade was
one of the darkest hours
in history. Eventually,
the Crusaders too,
would suffer from this
event...
V. The Decline of the Empire
The Byzantines regained Constantinople, but
were conquered in 1453 by the Ottoman
Turks