Q KWL Q
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What do you know about the Byzantine Empire?
Use a KWL strategy to answer EEI questions
(see next slide) to show what you know about
Byzantine. If you do not know specific facts,
then answer based on your knowledge about
empires.
W will be the questions posed before each
picture in power pt
L is your answers to these content questions
The last Q is your choice!
Essential questions
How does geography influence the growth of the
Byzantine civilization?
 What impact does trade/economics have on the
organization and daily life of people?
 What are the evolving principles and ideals that
have shaped government over time-specific to
Byzantine?
 How does the legacy of civilizations impact their
interaction throughout history?
Instructions for slide show note
taking:
Working with your partner:
1. View the pictures and discuss the spiral
questions (questions to consider).
 2. Read each slide and take your own notes
(summarize). Make sure you title and date your
notes.
 3. After you are done taking your notes, see me
for graphic organizers you need to complete
based on the information in the show.
 4. After we review the organizers in class, You
must chose to complete one of the assigned
topics on the last slide.
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Cityscape of Istanbul
(Constantinople)
Questions to consider:
 What do you notice about the location of
this city? Describe the buildings that
stand out in the picture. Do you think the
domed buildings are modern or historic?
What do you think they are used for?
Why might this city be considered a
strategic locale for a city? How could you
protect the city from invaders?
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Cityscape notes:
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The picture is a view of modern-day Istanbul, Turkey, which was
formerly Constantinople, the capital city of the Byzantine Empire
(A.D. 330-1453). This aerial view shows the city’s position at the
confluence of the Bosporus (center), the Golden Horn (left) and the
Sea of Marmara (right).
The Byzantine Empire grew out of the fading Roman Empire. In the
4th century A.D., the western half of the Roman Empire had been
weakened by barbarian invasions. At the same time, Christianity
was a growing force and Constantine the Great became The first
Christian emperor of Rome. Because the eastern portion of the
Empire had a longer tradition of absolutism and monotheism than
did the West, Constantine decided to consolidate his rule by moving
the capital eastward, in A.D. 330. He chose the Greek seaport of
Byzantium and renamed it New Rome. But it became known as his
city: Constantinople. This magnificent city of the Eastern Roman
Empire became the hub of the Byzantine Empire.
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Constantine chose the new capital for its fine harbor and strategic locale.
The city was surrounded on 3 sides by water, which was excellent for trade,
as well as for defense. Constantine needed only to build walls on one side
to ensure the city’s security. The city became a self-contained fortress,
protected by 13 miles of walls, watchtowers, and 50 fortified gates. The
inlet of the Golden horn, one of the bordering bodies of water, was
surrounded by hills. Consequently, ships in the Golden Horn were safe
even in bad weather, and there was always one harbor safe for docking.
Along this sea side of the city, walled harbors and a chain stretched across
the Golden Horn protected ships from attacks launched at sea.
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Located on the Bosporus Strait, the gateway from the Black Sea to the Sea
of Marmara, Constantinople was at a shipping and trading crossroads
between two continents: Europe and Asia. From the Sea of Marmara,
another strait (the Dardanelles) led to the Aegean Sea, which joined the
Mediterranean Sea. Thus, whoever ruled Constantinople was in a position
to control all shipping from Asia to Europe, as well as the trade between
Russia and the Mediterranean territories.
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Since Constantinople began as the eastern capital of the Roman Empire,
Byzantine culture was heavily influenced by the Roman Empire. The city
itself was modeled after Rome, like Rome, it was built on 7 hills and divided
into 14 districts. The buildings and structures in Constantinople also
strongly reflected Roman influence—the hippodrome, forum and aqueducts
were all derived from the old Empire.
The Byzantine Empire retained but relaxed many of the Roman Empire’s
rules and customs. Extravagant circuses and chariot races continued in
Constantinople, along with such traditions as the emperor’s distribution of
bread to the citizens. The army followed Roman military traditions. While
the Byzantines retained some of Rome's class-based standards of
punishment and dress for the rich and poor, some mobility later became
possible.
 Progressive Byzantine emperors began to select their officials on the basis
of talent and competence rather than simply hereditary social class. The
Byzantine senate existed mainly as a result of Roman tradition and was not
nearly as rigid and powerful body as it had been in Rome. The one major
difference between Constantinople and Rome was that from its inception
Constantinople was a Christian city.
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The Byzantine Empire was a bridge between ancient and modern Europe.
Its territory included the lands of Greece, Asia Minor, Palestine, Syria and
Egypt, though this changed as the Empire expanded and contracted.
Christianity, Roman customs and Greek classical culture all survived,
blended and flourished in the Empire. The Empire’s military staved off
barbarians in the West and Arabs and Turks in the East; its scholars
preserved Greek Literature and philosophy (Greek was the official language
of Constantinople—had to speak it to be a citizen)’ its legal experts, at the
direction of the emperor, preserved and codified Roman legal traditions.
The Empire-which saw no fewer than 88 rulers come and go and survived
centuries of public riots, religious differences, and foreign threats—ended
1453 when Constantinople fell to the Turks. Constantinople today is the
modern city of Istanbul, Turkey, the only major city that straddles two
continents.
Mosaic Portrait of Emperor Justinian I
Questions to consider:
 What materials were used to make this
picture? Which person stands out in this
picture? Describe him. Who do you think
he might be? How would you describe the
clothing of the other figures? Describe
some of the objects they are holding.
Who do you think they are?
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Justinian I notes:
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The mosaic picture is representing Emperor Justinian I and his
court. It is located in the Church of San Vitale, in Ravenna, Italy.
The Byzantine Empire's 16th and most ambitious ruler was the
Emperor Justinian I, who held power from A.D. 527 until his death
in A.D. 565. Justinian ascended the throne at age 45. he was very
devout, determined and even stubborn. Rather than allow problems
to develop, he took steps to prevent them (he preferred to invade
rather than be invaded). During his reign a historian named
Procopius praised the emperor as even-tempered and hard-working.
After Justinian’s death, Procopius wrote in a “Secret History” that
the emperor had been “devious, false, hypocritical, two-faced, cruel,
skilled in dissembling his thought, never moved to tears by either
joy or pain…a liar always.”
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Justinian was an ambitious military leader. He funded his military
ventures by taxing the people heavily. Eventually, Justinian's
armies managed to dominate the Vandals in North Africa, the
Ostrogoths in Italy, and the Visigoths in Southern Spain, and
expanded the Empire to the greatest size it was ever to attain. In a
church in Ravenna, Italy, he was celebrated in the mosaic (a picture
or pattern made up of small pieces of colored glass or stone inlaid in
plaster) shown here. In the long run, though, Justinian’s costly
military projects were not so successful. His attempt to recapture
Rome from the Barbarians led to 18 years of chaotic siege and
counter siege, leaving the once-proud city in ruins.
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Justinian, like all Byzantine emperors, played a dual role. He was
the absolute head of both the Christian church and the state. The
throne, in fact, was built wide enough to seat two—thus symbolizing
the emperor’s partnership with Jesus. In the mosaic, at Justinian’s
left hand, stands the archbishop of Ravenna. Justinian served
various roles as a Christian leader. Because he was the emperor
and emperors were believed to rule by divine right, his authority
over the church was above that of even the patriarch of
Constantinople. Justinian also had the authority to choose and
appoint the patriarch of Constantinople.
The Codification of 400 years’ worth of Roman law was one of Justinian’s
major accomplishments. Justinian believed that many of the old laws were
unnecessarily complicated, unorganized, and no longer relevant. Thus, he
appointed a group of 10 men, working under a legal scholar named
Tribonian, to collect and organize the laws made and used by all the
emperors before him.. As a result, the laws were revised and a new legal
code called the Corpus Juris Civilis (Body of Civil Law) was created. This
code law, also known as the Code of Justinian, became the basis for much
of Western legal codes in the subsequent centuries.
 Justinian's finest, most lasting achievements were his massive building
programs. The emperor undertook an ambitious program of public works,
ordering new bridges, churches, monasteries, forums, forts and roads to be
built. Hospitals, public baths, recreation centers, a law library, a seaside
park filled with bronze and marble statues—all of these were the work of
Justinian’s stonemasons, architects, and planners. When the city of Antioch
was destroyed in an earthquake, Justinian had the entire city rebuilt!
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Mosaic of Empress Theodora
Questions to consider:
 Identify and describe the person who is
the subject of this mosaic. How is the
subject different from the rest of the
mosaic. How is this mosaic different from
the previous one of Justinian?
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Theodora notes:
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The subject of the mosaic is Empress Theodora and her court. It is
located in Ravenna, Italy in the Church of San Vitale.
Justinian’s wife, the Empress Theodora, was a remarkable and
influential woman who equaled and sometimes surpassed her
husband in political skill and wisdom. Born into the lower classes
(her father was the bear-keeper for Constantinople’s circus),
Theodora carved out a teenage career as a dancer and actress. She
loved adventure, new friendships and travel. In her twenties, when
she returned from a long trip to Africa, she settled down and
married Justinian. Once he took power, Theodora was active in
politics—advancing her friends, destroying her enemies, and
sometimes giving orders that canceled her husband’s. She also was
responsible for several social welfare programs, including one for
the city’s poor and homeless girls, and for convincing the emperor
to expand women’ s rights.
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On one occasion, Theodora saved the empire. In A. D. 532, in reaction to
the huge amounts of money being poured into overseas wars and to
Justinian’s sometimes tyrannical rule, there was a riot in Constantinople,
later called the Nika Rebellion. It began as a simple shouting-match (in the
stadium where chariot races took place), but soon a mob formed and the
city was in flames. The royal family took refuge in the palace. Some of
Justinian’s counselors argued for escape by sea, but then Theodora spoke.
According to the court historian, Procopius, Theodora's advice to her
husband was the following: “In my opinion this is no time to admit the
maxim that a woman must not act as a man among men; nor, if she fires
the courage of the halting, are we to consider whether she does right or no.
When matters come to a crisis, we must agree as to the best course to
take. My opinion is that , although we may save ourselves by flight, it is
not to our interest. Every man that sees the light must die, but the man
who has once been raised to the height of empire cannot suffer himself to
go into exile and survive his dignity. God forbid that I should ever be
stripped of the purple, or live a single day on which I am not to be saluted
as Mistress. If thou desires to go, Emperor, nothing prevents thee. There
is the sea; there are the steps to the boat. But have a care that when thou
leaves here, thou dose not exchange this set light for an ignoble death. For
my part I like the old saying: the empire is a fine winding sheet.”
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Rallied by her speech, Justinian sent troops to crush the rebellion. The
emperor and his troops surrounded the hippodrome, killed 30,000 of the
rebels and order was restored.
Interior of the Hagia Sophia
Questions to consider:
 Describe the interior of this building. What kinds
of shapes do you see? How long do you think it
took to build it? How is this building
illuminated? Which part of the building do you
think took the longest to build? What type of
building might this be? What aspects of the
architecture strike you as interesting? How high
do you think the dome is? How does the size of
the building make you feel? Why would light be
important in this building?
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Hagia Sophia notes:
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In the wake of the riot in 532, Justinian undertook to rebuild and
restore Constantinople. True to form, he did it on the grand scale.
In addition to the many civic buildings Justinian had built, the crown
jewel of Constantinople—the largest of its 25 new Christian
cathedrals—was a domed church named the Hagia Sophia.
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Built in only 5 years (532-537), Hagia Sophia, or the Church of “Holy
Wisdom”, stood for centuries as the most magnificent structure in
the Western world. Its dome, a marvel of engineering, reaches 180
feet (or some 12 stories) above the floor. The dome’s diameter is
107 feet and at its circumference it has 40 stained-glass windows.
In Justinian's time, Hagia Sophia’s beauty became renowned: as the
sun crossed the sky, spokes of light spun slowly across the
cathedral’s walls, columns, arches, and glittering mosaics.
Everywhere there was polished marble in 6 colors: green, black,
red, purple, blue, and white. After the sun set, a huge
candelabrum, hanging on long chains blazed to life.
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Hagia Sophia, while ornate on the inside, is like other Byzantine churches
on the outside: utterly plain. The contrast is deliberate and symbolic. The
plain brick and mortar exterior represents the daily world and earthly life.
The rich interior represents the ideal or spiritual universe that, the
Byzantines believed, accompanied the coming of Christianity. Interestingly,
Hagia Sophia has a second dual nature, as well—expressed in its two styles
of architecture. Here east meets west. The cathedral’s size and strength
thick pillars, a huge enclosed space, are reminders of the architecture of
Rome. But the design and decoration—intricate and ornate, down to the
very last piece of mosaic—reflect Eastern influences.
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Two distinguished architects worked on the church: Antemuis of Tralles and
Isidorus of Miletus. With Hagia Sophia they solved a major design problem,
and the solution was played out in smaller churches across the Byzantine
Empire. The hardest part to build is what is called “the pendentive”. This
is the strangely curved wall space that extends above the four central
arches, reaching to the base of the dome. The pendentive joins two
circular shapes. The architectural style of Hagia Sophia spread far through
the Empire-Armenia, S. Italy, Russia, Serbia, and Sicily. In each region,
local builders adjusted the style to suit their particular climate, technology
and materials. When Constantinople fell to the Islamic Turks, Hagia Sophia
became a mosque. Today it is a museum.
Icon of Mary and Jesus
Questions to consider:
 What kind of work of art is this? Who is
depicted here? Where might this painting
be placed? Why do you think some
people paint pictures of religious figures or
events? Why might some people object to
such pictures?
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Notes Icons:
Throughout the Byzantine Empire, the Christian church carried forward a
long tradition of icons. An icon is a representation of sacred persons or
events, such as the lives of Jesus and the saints. Icons appear in several
forms: mural painting, mosaic and most typically, painted on small wooden
panes. These flat, two dimensional religious images can be venerated in
special ways (prayed to and carried aloft in religious processions) and
specific technical rules guide their artistic form.
 Some Byzantine Christians opposed icons because they felt it was wrong to
show devotions to a mere man- made image. They feared that the icons
were being worshiped as though they represented gods. Those opposed to
icons argued that worship should be offered only to God. For a long time,
though, these Christians were in the minority, and icons were widely
accepted. Those who supported the use of icons argued that the images
helped the faithful honor the religious figures represented. Portraits of
Jesus, his mother Mary and others saints become increasingly popular.
Indeed some of the newest Christian converts – barbarians into the West—
accepted icons with a vengeance, investing them with magical powers and
making sacrifices before them.
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Over the centuries, a rift developed between pro and
anti icon Christians. Words flew, fists were raised, and
riots broke out. The anti-icon Christians became known
as “iconoclasts” (meaning “icon smashers”) and the
Byzantine Emperor Leo III passionately joined their
ranks. In A.D. 730, partly in response to a volcanic
eruption that he saw as a sign of God’s wrath, Leo
banned icons. Moreover, the ordered that all religious
images—icons, mosaics, paintings—be burned,
whitewashed or destroyed. Leo’s decree deepened the
growing rift between Easter (Byzantine and Western
Christians. In the West, where few people could read,
religious leaders often used images to explain Christian
teachings. The Roman pope, Gregory III, who held
sway in the West, claimed to lead the whole church, and
favored icons, responded by declaring that Leo III was
no longer a Christian and he excommunicated him.
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For decades, controversy raged. Artwork was destroyed. Iconoclast emperors
alternated with their pro-icon opponents. Though the Byzantines finally accepted
icons for good, the damage was done. The rift between Eastern and Western
Christians became a gaping chasm. In 1054, the Christian church split into two
churches forever. In the West, the church became the Roman Catholic church
(catholic is from a Latin worked meaning universal) in the East, the church became
the eastern Orthodox church (orthodox from Greek, means correct belief).
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The split between Eastern and Western Christianity, call the Great Schism, was the
result of cleavages in tradition, custom and theology. According to the Catholic
church of the West, masses were always in Latin, the pope was the supreme religious
authority above any political ruler, all clergy were celibate, and religious icons of
martyrs and saints were to be respected.
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In the East, however, Christianity took on different traditions. Masses were in Greek,
the language of the eastern people, so as to be understandable. Monks and other
Christians who did missionary work often translated the bible into the language of the
people they were trying to convert, in order to make Christianity more accessible.
Another difference was that the Byzantine emperor appointed and was considered
superior to the patriarch, they bishop of Constantinople, who dominated the
Byzantine Church and whom the Byzantine Christians looked up to as a greater
religious authority than the pope. In the East, bishops were not allowed to marry,
but priests and other clergy were not required to be celibate. Icons were generally a
subject of much controversy. For centuries, they were still used in the East, although
many Orthodox Christian disapproved of them because they felt that Christian should
be praying directly to and only to God.
According to the Catholic
Church:
• Masses were always
conducted in Latin.
• The pope was the
supreme religious
authority.
• All clergy were celibate
(They did not marry).
• Religious icons of
martyrs and saints were
to be respected.
Christianity in the east
took on a different
tradition:
Masses were in Greek.
Monks and missionaries
translated the Bible into
the language of the people
they were trying to
convert.
The patriarch, the bishop
of Constantinople,
dominated the Byzantine
Church. The emperor
appointed patriarch and
was superior to him.
Bishops could not marry,
but priests and clergy
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Less tangible differences also contributed to the split between the
Eastern and Western Christians. The Western Church believed that
the papacy and bishops of Rome held supreme authority over
interpreting the Scripture. This belief was derived from Jesus’
statement to Peter in Matthew 16:18 “Thou art Peter, and upon this
rock I will build my church.” In contrast, the Eastern Church put
the authority of the Scriptures and the local church councils above
the authority of the Pope in Rome.
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The East was also more cosmopolitan in character—Christian
Orthodoxy tended to be influenced by such diverse ideas as Eastern
mysticism, Greek and Roman secular and pagan culture, and
Monophysitism (the doctrine that holds that Christ’s nature remains
altogether divine and not human). Greeks, Turks, Bulgur, Jews,
Italians, Russian, Slavs, Khazars, Persian, and Armenians all lived in
Constantinople. Many of them became Christians and such a
diverse convergence of cultures and beliefs contributed to the
unique form of Christianity that developed in the EAST.
Lands and Trading Routes of the
Byzantine Empire
Questions to consider:
 Where is Constantinople? What do all the lines
on the map represent? If you boarded a ship in
Constantinople, where could you go? If you got
on a camel or horse, where could you go? Why
do you thinks Constantinople is called a
“crossroads”? Why is Constantinople in a good
location to be the capital of a military and
trading Empire?
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The map shows the lands and trading routes of the
Byzantine Empire. The Byzantine Empire was a vast
array of cultural and commercial threads, tied
together by the great knot of Constantinople. The
inhabitants of the Empire were descended from many
ancient people, including the Armenians, Slavs,
Bulgarians, Greeks, Normans, and Turks. Most of
them were farmers who lived in one-room huts made
of wood or mud bricks. They raised grapes, olives,
and wheat or herded sheep, and lived on chasse,
bread, and vegetable cooked in olive oil.
Constantinople however—which became known a s
simply “The City” due to its magnificent edifices, large
population, and commercial success—was home to
the wealthy and powerful, who lived in stone
mansions, feasted on meat cooked in garlic sauces,
and enjoyed fine wines.
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Byzantium’s trade routes connected three
continents with its system of caravan tracks,
rivers, seaways, and roads. The Byzantines
controlled only part of these trade routes, but
merchants came from far away places to trade
in Constantinople. As goods poured into the city
from the distant corners of the Empire,
merchants set up along the city’s main street,
displaying everything from rugs and shoes to
fruits and vegetable to icons.
India:
Export: Spices, pepper and jewels
Import: ivory
Africa:
Export:ivory and gold
Import: silk (after stealing the process from
China)
Russia:
Export:honey, wood and furs
Import: art and architecture
Spain:
Export: Cork and grain
Import: bronze church doors
France:
Export: Fine wines and wool
Import: Silk
England:
Export: Iron and tin
Import: Works of the ancient Greeks
Northern Europe:
Export: grain, wool, timber
Import: Eastern goods—bronze doors
China:
Export: Silk
Import: Christianity
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From China, on camels that plodded overland for some 230 days,
came prized silks—until Justinian imported the silk making process
itself. Justinian, by persuading two missionaries to smuggle from
China not only silkworms but seeds for the mulberry trees they
thrive on, plucked from the Chinese their closely-kept, centuries
secret. Thus, silk became one of Constantinople’s exports along
with carved ivory, enamel, glassware, and bronze church doors.
Constantinople prospered by importing, refining and exporting the
goods that reached its markets.
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Constantinople was not only a source of manufactured goods, of
course. Christian missionaries went out into the Empire, making
new converts as far away as the Russian and Slavic regions. Art
and architectural styles, too, spread to distant lands. Preserved by
the scholars of Constantinople, the works of the ancient Greeks—
Homer, Plato, Archimedes, Euclid—went forth to influence Europe
and the western world. The Byzantine legal code—with its laws on
divorce, marriage, justice, and property—became reflected in the
legal systems of Europe, and of many present-day nations.
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As a crossroad of trade and culture, Constantinople’s ability to
protect itself from foreign invaders and unwanted traders was
crucial. The side of Constantinople not protected by water was
protected by three parallel walls in increasing heights, the highest
wall stretching 40 to 70 feet high and 12 to 40 feet thick.
Watchtowers built onto the middle wall helped warn the army of
coming invaders. A chain stretched across the Golden Horn inlet
deterred enemy ships from docking at Constantinople’s harbor.
Constantinople’s army also possessed Greek fire, the first secret
weapon in history. This petroleum-based mixture could be thrown
in pots or fired through tubes. When wet, it took fire and couldn’t
be extinguished with water. The city’s military also employed spies,
a Bureau of Barbarians, which was analogous to the CIA, and other
merchant and foreigner informants.
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Built to endure the invasions of barbarian hordes and later Muslim
armies, Constantinople remained the strongest hub of Christianity in
the East. It was finally sacked by the Turks in 1453.
Constantinople’s strategic location is now enjoyed by the modern
city of Istanbul, Turkey. This city remains an important center of
transportation and trade.
Critical Thinking assessments:
Choose one to create a product of your choice organizing
your information.
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1. Trace the development of Constantinople and
explain how cultural diffusion played a part in
the empire. Give at least 3 examples.
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2. How did religion shape the political and
economical life of Constantinople?
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3.Explain 3 legacies from Constantinople to the
modern world.
Product suggestions:
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Podcast
Movie on movie maker
Power point, with movie clips from united
streaming inserted
Wiki space, google doc
essay
Your original idea—check with me first!
You may work in a group of up to 4
Peer edits must be completed and submitted
with final product on due date.
Movie
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Watch this: S:\Team
Folders\Humanities\Nangle\united
streaming videos for 7th\Byzantine.asf