Download Constantinople, Justinian, and the Preservation of Greek and

Constantinople, Justinian, and the Preservation of Greek and Roman Culture
Global History and Geography I
Name: ____________________________
E. Napp
Date: ____________________________
Adapted from regentsprep.org
When the Roman Empire was divided under
the Emperor Diocletian in the late 200s
A.D., the Eastern half of the empire became
known as the Byzantine Empire, as its new
capital was built on the site of the old Greek
city Byzantium.
Questions:
1: Which Roman Emperor divided
the Roman Empire into two
administrative units in the late 200s?
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________________________________
2: What was the name given to the
eastern half of the Roman Empire?
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________________________________
3: Where did the name “Byzantine”
come from?
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________________________________
4: What happened to the western half
of the Roman Empire in the late 5th
century?
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5: What was the capital of the
Byzantine Empire?
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_
When the western half of the Roman Empire
fell in the late 5th century, the Byzantine
Empire became very powerful. Its capital,
Constantinople, was an important city. It was
located on the crossroads of trade between
Europe and Asia. Trade allowed the empire
to prosper. The Byzantine Empire preserved
much of the Greco-Roman culture, and
helped spread it across a vast region.
Maintaining control over much of the old
Roman territories, the Byzantine Empire also
spread its power and influence into new areas,
such as Russia.
Byzantine missionaries spread the Orthodox
Christian religion to Russia, and also adapted
the Greek alphabet to provided the Slavic
speaking peoples a written language called
Cyrillic, after the monk Cyril who helped
create it. Russia and Eastern Europe also
adapted art and literature from the Byzantine
Empire
aswas
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6: Where
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became
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trading
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partners
for the Byzantines.
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7: What did the Byzantines preserve?
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8: Which nation was influenced by the
Byzantines?
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9: How was this nation influenced?
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Adapted from eduplace.com
In A.D. 528 the Emperor Justinian began a
review of the old Roman laws. There were
thousands of Roman laws that ordered life in the
empire. The emperor chose ten men to review
1,600 books full of Roman law and create a
simpler legal code. These men were able to create
the Justinian Code with just over 4,000 laws.
Primary Source: Code of Justinian
Book I, Of Persons
VIII. Slaves
1. Slaves are in the power of
masters, a power derived from the
law of nations: for among all
nations it may be remarked that
masters have the power of life and
death over their slaves, and that
everything acquired by the slave is
acquired for the master.
Question:
What rights do masters have over
their slaves?
______________________________
______________________________
Why do you think it was important
for the Roman and Byzantine
empires to have extensive legal
codes?
______________________________
______________________________
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Questions:
1: What did the Byzantine Emperor Justinian do
in 528 A.D.?
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2: How many men did the emperor choose to
review the books of Roman law?
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3: How many books of Roman law did the men
review?
__________________________________________
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4: How many laws were included in the newer
and simpler legal code?
__________________________________________
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5: What was the name given to this new
collection of Roman law?
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“We may not marry every woman without
distinction; for with some, marriage is forbidden.
Marriage cannot be contracted between persons
standing to each other in the relation of
ascendant and descendant, as between a father
and daughter, a grandfather and his
granddaughter, a mother and her son, a
grandmother and her grandson; and so on, ad
infinitum.” ~ Justinian’s Code
Question:
According to the Justinian’s Code, who is
forbidden to marry?
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1. The early Russian civilization adopted the
Eastern Orthodox religion, the Cyrillic
alphabet, and different styles of art and
architecture through contact with
(1) traders from China
(2) conquering Mongol invaders
(3) Vikings from northern Europe
(4) missionaries from the Byzantine Empire
5. What is considered one of the Byzantine
Empire’s greatest contributions to western
European society?
(1) spreading Hinduism throughout the
region
(2) supporting the Catholic Church
(3) defeating the Mongols at Kiev
(4) preserving Greek and Roman culture
2. A major contribution of the Byzantine
Empire was the
(1) invention of the wheel and gunpowder
(2) participation of citizens in government
(3) diffusion of Hindu beliefs
(4) preservation of Greek science and
Roman engineering
6. Which group introduced the Cyrillic
alphabet, Orthodox Christianity, and
domed architecture to Russian culture?
(1) Mongols
(3) Jews
(2) Vikings
(4) Byzantines
3. Constantinople was a thriving city in the
1200s mainly because of its location on a
major trade route between
(1) China and southern Africa
(2) the Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea
(3) the Inca Empire and the Aztec Empire
(4) Asia and eastern Europe
4. Which item best completes the graphic
organizer below?
(1) Development of the Wheel
(2) Preservation of Greek and Roman
culture
(3) Creation of the Compass
(4) Utilization of Cuneiform
7. One of the major achievements of
Byzantine
Emperor Justinian was that he
(1) established a direct trade route with
Ghana
(2) defended the empire against the spread
of Islam
(3) brought Roman Catholicism to his
empire
(4) preserved and transmitted Greek and
Roman culture
8. The Justinian Code is considered a
milestone because it
(1) preserved many ancient Chinese legal
decrees in writing
(2) served as a model for European legal
systems
(3) became the first democratic constitution
(4) united Muslim and Roman thought
9. Constantinople’s location on the Bosporus
Strait was one reason that the Byzantine
Empire was able to
(1) conquer the Russian city of Moscow
(2) spread Judaism throughout western
Europe
(3) control key trade routes between Europe
and Asia
(4) unite the Eastern Orthodox and Roman
Catholic Churches
Adapted from metmuseum.org
“The church of Hagia Sophia (literally
"Holy Wisdom") in Constantinople,
now Istanbul, was first dedicated in 360
by Emperor Constantius, son of the
city's founder, Emperor Constantine…
The first church structure was
destroyed during riots in 404; the
second church, built and dedicated in
415 by Emperor Theodosius II, burned
down during the Nika revolt of 532,
which caused vast destruction and
death throughout the city.
Questions:
1: What does “Hagia Sophia” literally mean?
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2: Who first dedicated the church in 360
A.D.?
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3: What happened to the church in the 400s
and 500s?
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4: Who were Emperor Justinian’s
architects?
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5: Describe the central basilica.
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6: What was the basilica prone to?
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6: What happened to the church after 1453?
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After Mehmed II's conquest of the city in
1453, Hagia Sophia was converted to a
mosque (Ayasofya Camii), which it remained
until the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the
early twentieth century.
Immediately after the riots, Emperor
Justinian I (r. 527–65) ordered the
church rebuilt. The new building was
inaugurated on December 27, 537.
Architects Anthemios of Tralles and
Isidoros of Miletos most likely were
influenced by the mathematical theories
of Archimedes…
The vast, airy naos, or central basilica,
with its technically complex system of
vaults and semi-domes, culminates in a
high central dome with a diameter of
over 101 feet (31 meters) and a height
of 160 feet (48.5 meters). This central
dome was often interpreted by
contemporary commentators as the
dome of heaven itself. Its weight is
carried by four great arches, which rest
on a series of tympana and semi-domes,
which in turn rest on smaller semidomes and arcades. This complicated
structural system was prone to
problems: the first dome collapsed in
558, to be rebuilt in 562 to a greater
height. Earthquakes and earth
subsidence have also taken their toll on
the building over the centuries,
although the surviving main structure
is essentially that which was first built
between 532 and 537.”
Adapted from thenagain.info
Theodora was the wife of Justinian I who was crowned Emperor of the Byzantine Empire
in 527 AD. Theodora was brought up as the daughter of a bear trainer who worked at
the Hippodrome (a huge stadium-like circus), in Constantinople. She worked there as a
mime, and later as a full time actress. At the time, acting was not a highly esteemed
occupation especially for women, so the term 'actress' was considered synonymous with
the term 'prostitute'. At the age of 16, she traveled to northern Africa as the companion
of an official. She stayed there for 4 years before returning to Constantinople. She
adopted Monophysitism. This was a form of Christianity that believed that Jesus Christ
was wholly divine and not both human and divine as was the orthodox Christian belief.
Monophysites were thus not liked by orthodox Christians since their teachings did not
conform to those of the Orthodox Church. On conversion to Monophysitism, she gave up
her former lifestyle, and upon reaching Constantinople in 522, settled down as a wool
spinner in a house near the palace of the Emperor. It was while in this humble lifestyle, at
the age of 20, that she drew the attention of Justinian, then a government official. In 527,
Justin, the emperor of Byzantium, and Justinian's father died. The couple assumed
control of the Empire and were crowned Emperor and Empress on 4th April of that same
year. They ruled unofficially as joint monarchs with Justinian allowing Theodora to share
his throne and take active part in decision making. Perhaps the most significant event
during Empress Theodora's rule was the Nika revolt in which she proved herself a
worthy and able leader. During this event, two rival political groups started a riot at the
Hippodrome. They set many public buildings on fire and proclaimed a new emperor.
Justinian and his officials, unable to control the crowd prepared to flee, but Theodora
spoke up and gave a moving speech. Her determined speech saved Justinian's empire.
Questions from reading on previous page:
1: Who was Theodora?
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2: Who was Theodora’s father?
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3: What was the Hippodrome?
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4: What “work” did Theodora perform in the Hippodrome?
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5: What was an actress considered in the Byzantine Empire?
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6: What “religion” did Theodora convert to?
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7: What did monophysites believe?
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8: What did Theodora do when she settled in Constantinople?
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9: Who did Theodora marry?
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10: How did the couple rule?
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11: What was the most significant event that occurred in Theodora’s rule?
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12: What happened during the Nika revolt?
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13: How did Theodora save Justinian’s empire?
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14: What do you consider most significant about Empress Theodora?
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15: What do you consider most remarkable about the life of Empress Theodora?
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