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Byzantine Empire
Top 10 Events
• By the year 400, the Roman Empire had
split into two parts. The Empires in the
west was attacked by warlike tribes and
collapsed in 476, but the Empire in the
east survived for another thousand years.
The eastern Empire was known as the
Byzantine Empire because its capital city,
Constantinople, was originally called
Byzantium.
Religious Split
• Christians in the Byzantine Empire
developed their own style of church
building and held services in Greek, instead
of Latin. The Byzantine Church was led by
the patriarch in Constantinople. After many
quarrels between the Patriarch and the
Pope (the head of the church in the west),
the Byzantine Church split away from the
Church in the west.
The Byzantine Empire
• 1. Developed branch of Christianity
called Orthodox Christianity - In the east
Orthodox Christianity was more localized
than Christianity produced by Roman
Catholics, which was centralized. Russian
Orthodox Church was aligned with
Byzantine, which made Russia culturally
different from the other great powers due
to the influence of Byzantine's Orthodox
Christianity.
• 4. In 1054 Pope excommunicated the
patriarch of Constantinople• From this point forward Orthodoxy
influenced the east and Roman
Catholicism the west.
Justinian’s Empire
• In the 6th century, the
Byzantine Emperor
Justinian won back
many of the lands that
had once been part of
the Roman Empire.
Under him, the
Byzantine Empire
was larger than it
would ever be again.
• 2. Justinian ruled from 527 to 565Former glory and unity of Roman Empire
somewhat restored in Constantinople.
Region flourished in trade and arts.
Running the Empire
• Justinian’s dream was to create a great
Christian empire. With the help of his wife,
Theodora, he set up a new system of
laws, and gave orders for many churches
to be built. Priests, artists and merchants
all visited his palace.
• 3. Justinian Code- A codification of
Roman law that kept ancient Roman
principles alive. Evolution of jurisprudence
led to modem legal systems.
Defending the Empire
• The Byzantines fought constant battles
against Muslim Arabs and Turks. They
were threatened by tribes from the north,
and even had to fight against Crusaders
from western Europe, who were supposed
to be on their side.
• 5. Alexios I Komnenous, ruler of the
Komnenian dynasty- He recovered the
failing empire, which took harsh measures
to save empire. Conscription introduced
(citizens to serve in armed services).
Byzantine Art
• Byzantine artists were famous for their
delicate embroidery and ivory carving.
They also created huge, glittering mosaics
and painted dramatic religious portraits,
called icons.
• 8. Golden Age- Reached its height under
Macedonean emperors in the late 9th,
10th and early 11 th centuries. Trade, arts,
culture were very productive in this period.
Growth in education, learning and art
flourished.
• 9. 12th century- Revival of the mosaic art
and regional schools of architecture began
producing many distinctive styles.
• By far the most significant building of the
Byzantine Empire is the great church of
Hagia Sophia (Church of the Holy Wisdom)
in Constantinople (532-37), which retained
a longitudinal axis but was dominated by its
enormous central dome. Perhaps it was
meant to show the church as an image of
the world with the dome of heaven
suspended above, from which the Holy
Spirit descended during the liturgical
ceremony.
• 6. Used coined money- A very desirable
way to do business. Coined money
remained remarkably stable. Alexios's
coinage using the new hyperpyron (highly
refined coin) was the standardized coin for
200 years.
Hagia Sofia
• 7. Hagia Sophia- An enormous cathedral
that still stands today (but now is a mosque).
• The Byzantine Empire began to look less
like the Roman Empire as the years
passed. The empire covered Greece, the
Balkans, Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt. The
Byzantine emperors still thought of
themselves as the successors of Caesar
Augustus, but over the years Roman
influence gradually disappeared.
The end of the Empire
• After Justinian’s death, the Empire
became smaller and smaller. Seljuk Turks
began moving into the Byzantine Empire
from Central Asia in the eleventh century.
The Turks had recently become Muslims,
and the Byzantine emperor feared they
would soon overpower his Christian
empire. He asked the leader of the
Christian church-the Pope-to assist in a
holy war against the Turks. .
• In 1095, Pope Urban II launched the first
of many Crusades, or "wars of the cross."
The Crusades were ultimately
unsuccessful because the Turks
conquered the Byzantine Empire. The city
first called Byzantium and later
Constantinople is now known as Istanbul,
Turkey. Turkish has replaced Greek as the
language of Asia Minor, and 99.8% of the
people in modern Turkey are Muslims.
• 10. Fourth Crusade- This was the single
most catastrophic event of the Byzantine
Empire. Crusaders attacked the Byzantine
capital. This horrible sacking of
Constantinople occurred on April 13, 1204.
Summary Paragraph
The Byzantine Empire was important to the development
of economics, society and politics in other regions for
several reasons. The Byzantine Empire was distinct from
the Roman Empire.
• It used the Greek language; its culture had
distinctive domes; its culture in general
had more in common with Eastern cultures
like those of Persia; and its brand of
Christianity became an entirely separate
branch known as Orthodox Christianity
• Byzantium was really the only stable state
in Europe during the Middle Ages. They
shielded Western Europe from the
Persians, Arabs, Turks and for a time the
Ottomans. The economy was the most
advanced in Europe for many centuries.
They had the preferred currency for 200
years. Their wealth was unmatched by any
other State.
. Byzantium was the most important western
terminal of the Silk Road. It was the most
important commercial center for much of
the Medieval era.
• Byzantium played an important role in the
transmission of classical knowledge to the
Islamic world and to Renaissance Italy.
The Renaissance could not have
flourished if it were not for the groundwork
laid in Byzantium. Flocks of Greek
scholars fled to the West after the fall of
the Empire
The evolution of jurisprudence led to modem
legal systems. Orthodox Christianity
spread to Slavic peoples. All of this had a
dramatic effect on the economics, society
and politics of other cultures .