Byzantium; new empire or a continuation of Rome? And the influence of the
Byzantine Empire on Russia and East Africa.
Decline of the Western Half of the Roman Empire:
In 476, the Western half of Rome was conquered by Germanic tribes. The small Germanic
kingdoms and tribes had been fighting for and against Rome for a long time before that
date but slowly, the empire became smaller and smaller and weaker and weaker. The
actual final sacking of Rome was simply part of a larger process- not an earth shattering
event for most of the lands that had once been part of the Western half of the Roman
Empire. These areas in the West had long begun to think of themselves not as part of a
larger empire but simply as smaller states and regions (i.e. Burgundy or Lombardy).
The old Roman road system had begun to break down, security in many areas was
poor, the cities were in decline and people began to migrate to the countryside where they
could work the land and receive some protection from local elites-either Roman or
Germanic. This process of ruralization (people moving back from the cities to the rural
countryside) will play an important role in the beginning of the European Medieval period
where the descendants of both free and enslaved Romans and Germanic peoples will
gradually become serfs (people who work the land they are born on and can’t leave
without the permission of the local landlord- they aren’t exactly slaves but they also don’t
have much control over their own lives) who farm the land surrounding the manor houses.
*List two processes that helped transform Southern Europe from being more urban during
the Roman Empire to being more rural during the Early Middle Ages? (you can use
information from the paragraphs above, from your notes on Rome, and your outside
knowledge)
1.
2.
The Byzantine Empire: Constantinople
In the Eastern half of the empire that will become the Byzantine Empire, however, where
the Germanic invasions were not as intrusive, urban (city) culture will remain strong for
many centuries. The wealth of the region, from its fertile farmland, its relative political
stability, and its connections with the Silk Road and other trading routes both to the East
and South, along with the strong defensive walls of its capital city, Constantinople, helped
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to insure that the Byzantine Empire would remain intact and, in many ways, linked to the
older Roman and Greek civilizations.
You remember from your reading on Rome that the Roman Emperor Constantine had
rebuilt the city of Constantinople (on the site of the old port of Byzantium) to be his capitol.
Read about its defenses on page 270 in your textbook and especially examine the map. Use
your critical thinking skills to answer the following question effectively:
*What were the most important elements of the city’s defenses?
Constantinople would be the centerpiece of one of the longest lasting empires in history
(the Byzantine Empire) – it was 1,123 years old when it fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453.
In art and literature there have been many who were inspired by it. In the 11th century
French traveler Fulcher of Chartres was obviously impressed when he wrote
“ O what a splendid city. How stately, how fair, how many monasteries therein, how
many palaces raised by sheer labor in its broadways and streets, how many works
of art, marvelous to behold: it would be wearisome to ell of the abundance of all
good things; of gold and silver, garments of manifold fashion and such sacred relics.
Ships are at all times putting in at this port, so that there is nothing that men want
that is not brought hither.”
Constantinople was also a cosmopolitan city: Bulgars (from Bulgaria), Persians (Iran), Jews,
Armenians, Syrians and Goths (Germanic). And it had an elite guard- the Varangian Guard
created in the 900s- made up of Vikings from Scandinavia and Germanic tribes from
Britain. (I just think the Viking connection is cool).
Justinian and Theodora:
The greatest of the Byzantine Emperors was Justinian who came to the throne in 527CE.
Justinian is known for a variety of achievements- we’ll look at three:
1. For a brief time, his army reconquered much of the former Roman Empire – that is why if
you go to Ravenna, Italy, you will see a Byzantine Church there with some big mosaics of
Justinian and Theodora).
2. He hired scholars to work through centuries of old Roman law, throw out the laws that
no longer apply to the newer, Eastern, Greek speaking, Christian, Rome-i.e. Byzantium.
This law code will be influential for centuries in the Byzantine Empire but it will also help
to influence European laws later on as Europe’s early universities get a copy of it in the
1200s and begin to study it. Sections of it will be adapted to become European Roman or
Civil Law. It also influenced Islamic law. In some roundabout ways, it will have an impact
on our own legal system as British legal experts studied it as well.
3. He built one of the most amazing churches ever constructed- the Hagia Sophia. Read
about it on page 270 in your textbook and find it on the map. Later the early Slavic Russians
of the city of Kiev will be so impressed with church that they will chose to convert the
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Eastern Orthodox Christianity. (The Slavic leader was also quite attracted to the trade that
a special relationship with Byzantium could open up for him- not to mention that when he
checked with Jews he found he didn’t want to give up pork, when he checked with the
Muslims, he definitely didn’t want to give up pork and alcohol, and they weren’t so
impressed with the Roman Catholic Churches in the early Medieval period- before the big
Gothic cathedrals were built in Europe)
Here is a quote from the Primary Chronicle on pg 275 in your textbook: “…The
Greeks led us to the buildings where they worship their God, and we knew not whether we
were in heaven or on earth. For on earth there is no such splendor or such beauty…and we
are a loss about how to describe it. We only know that God dwells there among men
and…we cannot forget their beauty.”
4. The relationship between Justinian and Theodora was also interesting. Much of what we
know about them comes from Procopius- their court historian who wrote nice things about
them when they were alive and then published “ The Secret History” and said really terrible
things about them when they died. So we have to take his claims with a grain of salt- that
said, it seems clear that Theodora was born in extreme poverty and was an actress (not a
high class profession by any means at the time- barely a step away from prostitution in the
eyes of the “well born”) “who caught Justinian’s eye” as your textbook says. When she died,
Justinian fell into a depression and made no other major policy changes during the rest of
his reign (his time in power). (pg. 271)
Theodora must have been a fascinating character- there is a great famous quote from her –
according to Procopius. Read the section on the Nika riots and her quote in the “”Voice from
the Past” section – it is a great quote. (pg. 271) She also apparently said that “the Royal
Purple (remember that whole thing about the rotting shells and the Phoenicians and their
expensive royal purple dye? Only the Emperor and his family in the Byzantine Empire were
allowed to wear purple) is the noblest [burial ]shroud” which is also a great line. Did she
actually say these things? Who knows… Procopius was a good writer but she was an actress
famous for her quick wit…. So perhaps it is more likely than normal that she actually said
the powerful words attributed to her. Regardless, historians do think that Justinian
believed that she saved his reign and that he never forgot it. She is also said to have hidden
heretical priests in her closets to keep them from being executed.
Summarize the major accomplishments of Justinian and Theodora in your own words:
1.
2.
3.
In your opinion - which of these is the most are the most important accomplishment and
why?
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By the way….
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Do the sporting fans of Constantinople who almost overthrew the emperor remind you of
anything happening in Egypt this recently? Read the following BBC article and make two
analytical connections between the two situations. - Think about why certain
governments might see sports fans as a threat? http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middleeast-31252429
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Read the section on Byzantium Preserves Learning on pg. 271:
Why was the Byzantine Education system so important to Western Europeans during the
Renaissance period?(when Byzantine scholars- some fleeing the Ottoman Turks began to
find shelter in European Universities and courts in the 1300s and 1400s?)?
Read the section on the Church Divides on page 272:
At first there were five sees of the Christian Church (five places where five different
patriarchs were located- these were the most important cities to the Christian Church.)
Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. By the year 900 the last three
were under Islamic control and Constantinople and Rome were divided over theological
disputes. Rome’s patriarch claimed to be in the seat of St. Peter – the man whom Jesus had
said would lead the church- and that it should dominate but the Emperor and the Patriarch
of Constantinople did not agree. (Today- even though Constantinople has been the
Ottoman and now Turkish city of Istanbul for centuries (since 1453) and there are few
Orthodox Christians left there (though many stuck around until the fall of the Ottoman
Empire in 1922 but then left for Greece – or were kicked out…depending on the situation) ,
the Constantinople Patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church still has his palace there- up
on a hill—and there is a lot of security…. The long arm of history…..)
What were the reasons for the divide in 1054? What split the Church? (there were
several reasons- think of 3)
Next:
Write down the three most significant differences – using your best judgment- between the
Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church.
1. _______________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________
Of these three differences determine which might be the most important and explain why
you think so: (there is no one right answer here but do think your answer through)
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The 4th Crusade of 1204 – the worst ransacking of Constantinople before 1453
The walls of Constantinople protected the city for many invasion attempts over the years.
The walls almost always held strong but were a few exceptions. By far the most destructive
invasion came from the Western Crusading Christians in the 4th Crusade of 1204. The 4th
Crusade was a total mess…the French, British, and German crusaders ran short on cash to
pay the Venetians for the ships they had ordered to get to Jerusalem and kick out the
Muslims- then a Byzantine noble said that he was the real Byzantine Emperor and the
Crusaders would only help him get back on the throne of Constantinople he would pay
them the money they needed to pay the Venetians. The man’s claim to the throne turned
out to be bogus but by then the Western Crusaders had already started attacking
Constantinople so they just finished the job. (I’m simplifying this- it was gets far more
complicated and ridiculous)
The crusaders ransacked the city- stealing all the gold and silver they could, raping, killing,
and, famously, putting a prostitute on the seat of the Patriarch in the Hagia Sophia while
singing nasty songs. (many of the most beautiful items in Venice i.e. the Four Horses on the
cathedral of St. Marks were stolen from Constantinople at this time) The crusaders greatly
weakened Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire (they stuck around for 50 years- the
Byzantine Emperor and his court had to camp out in the little town of Nicaea (from the
Nicene Creed some of you might know from Church) until they were gone). When the
Ottoman Turks took the city in 1453, they were more respectful of the Hagia Sophia and
they Byzantines in general. The horrors of the 4th Crusade highlighted the anger and
mistrust of the two Christian churches and was a source of tension between them for years.
The Roman Catholic Pope officially apologized to the Greek Orthodox Church for the 4th
Crusade in 2004- only 800 years later.
Decline of the Byzantine Empire:
For the last few centuries of the Byzantine Empire, it was really only a shadow of itself. For
starters, it was no longer much of an empire – really only controlling the region around
Constantinople. The Ottoman Turks conquered much of the land around the city and for
150 years or so the two regions continued a sort of dysfunctional relationship. Sometimes
they fought each other, sometimes they joined together to fight the Italian city-states.
Sometimes Ottoman princes would live in exile in Byzantium to avoid fratricide (when a
sultan was chosen, it was customary to kill his siblings so the brothers wouldn’t mount a
civil war to take the throne for themselves). The Byzantines would welcome in these
ousted princes, and let them live in style in the city. If the Ottoman Empire started to look
strong enough to attack the little, weak, Byzantine Empire, the Emperor would send one of
the princes out with an army to try to take power for himself. The rogue prince would
cause havoc and civil war for the Ottomans (reminding them why the whole fratricide
(literally killing your brother) policy was a good idea after all) and, for a while, the
Ottomans would forget all about taking over Constantinople and just worry about getting
their own affairs in order. (this whole process took place at several times) For political
reasons, the Byzantines and Ottomans often intermarried as well. Therefore, many of the
Ottoman Sultans were also married to or children of Byzantine princesses so there was
quite a bit of intermixing of cultures over their centuries of living close together.
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In 1453 the Turkish Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II (the Conqueror) used some of the biggest
cannons ever built- brand new technology (thanks to the Chinese and the Mongols) - to
blast holes in the walls of Constantinople. (Tolkien fans- think the battle of Helms Deep
from Lord of the Rings.) The man who constructed those cannons was a Catholic Hungarian
who fought for the Ottomans (he got a nice house in the city when the battle was over). The
Turkish Ottomans had soldiers and citizens who were Muslim, Greek Orthodox Christians,
Jews and Armenian Christians- Constantinople became known as Istanbul but it remained a
multicultural place. For example, they officially welcomed in the Jews when the Spanish
kicked all the Jews and Muslims out of their Empire in 1492. The Ottoman Empire lasted
officially until 1922 (though at the end it was known as the “sick man of Europe”, in its
heyday, it was one of the most powerful and multicultural empires in the world.) But we
are supposed to be talking about the Byzantine Empire here….
The Byzantine Empire Influences the region that will become Russia:
Byzantium’s Relationship with the emerging region that will become Russia: The
Byzantine Empire also had a large cultural impact on Russia- one of the greatest influences
was religious (as we saw before, the Russians were impressed with the Hagia Sophia and
became Orthodox Christians), some were economic (the Russian elites enjoyed the money
they made trading with the wealthy Empire) and some were intellectual. (the Russian
alphabet of Cyrillic was created by Byzantine missionaries). But first here is the story of
how Russia came into being:
Check out the map on page 275 of your textbook: Answer the two Geography Skillbuilder
questions under the map here:
1. Human-Environment Interactions:
2. Human- Environment Interaction:
The Slavs
To the north of the Byzantine Empire lived an ethnic group called the Slavs. Scandinavian
Vikings moved through the rivers of the region, conquered and sold the Slavs (where we
get the word for slave) to Constantinople as slaves. Eventually high-ranking Slavs
intermarried with the Vikings and while the social hierarchy between the nobles and the
peasants remained, the line between Viking and Slav diminished. In the 900s, the
important Slavic leader (Vladimir of Kiev) heard the report on the Hagia Sophia you read
about above and forced all of his people to be baptized in the Dnieper River in 989.
(frequently, if your leader switched religions, so did you….like it or not). Byzantine
missionaries went north to teach the Slavs about their new faith and brought with them an
alphabet they created for the Slavic language- Cyrillic. (named after St. Cyril -a missionary)
The Russian culture emerged from this mix of Slav, Viking, and Byzantine influences.
Here is an example of Cyrillic next to modern GreekCyrillic: В то время Иисус пришёл из Галилеи к реке Иордан. Он пришёл к Иоанну,
потому
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Greek: τοτε παραγινεται ο ιησους απο της γαλιλαιας επι τον ιορδανην προς τον ιωαννην
του βαπτισθηναι υπ αυτου
(these are both Matthew 3:13- a verse I chose totally at random- “13 Then Jesus came from
Galilee to John to be baptized by him in the Jordan River.” People who read Cyrillic can
often sound out the names on old Greek icons but I don’t see much similarity in these
official modern versions of the alphabets…maybe you are better at seeing this than I am.)
Russians under Mongol Control
We already know that the Mongols conquered the Russians in the 1200s and stuck around
for about 200 years. The Mongols didn’t mind the Orthodox Church and it flourished (it
was about the only thing that flourished during that time- except maybe the political
corruption by the Russian elites who routinely sold out their own people to curry favor
with the Mongols) during the Mongol rule. By the end of Mongol rule, Moscow had become
an important city. When the city of Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453, the
Russian leader managed to marry the niece of the last Byzantine emperor, started calling
himself Czar (Russian for Caesar), and declaring Russia the “Third Rome.” I’d bet that the
original Romans back in the original city of Rome chiseling their 12 Tables in their local
town square had no idea what they were starting.
Recently the current leader of Russia- Vladimir (I’m-not-actually-a Czar-but-I-have-similar
-tendencies) Putin has started to talk about the shared history of the Russian and Greek
churches for his own political reasons (he wants Greece to be a more sympathetic voice for
him within the European Union). But these old religious and political connections continue
to have an impact on our modern world.
Byzantine Empire: What is similar and what is different?
Impact of Byzantium on Africa and on Russia
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/0/18884075 -Who is the Coptic Pope?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/subdivisions/easternorthodox_1.sht
ml section on Icons for class.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/subdivisions/coptic_1.shtml
Coptic church
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