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After the fall of the Roman Empire in the West, the Byzantine Empire emerged as the dominant eastern power, with Constantinople as its political, economic, and religious center. The empire lasted over 1,000 years.

Background:
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1. Western half of the Roman
Empire fell in 476 A.D.
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2. Byzantium had already been rebuilt by Emperor Constantine, who then renamed the city
Constantinople.

Geography and Cityscape of Constantinople
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1. Built on seven hills and divided into 14 districts, like
Rome.
2. Protected by 13 miles of walls, watchtowers, and gates.
3. Easily fortified site surrounded on three sides by water, bordering a natural harbor. Its location combined with its control of the Bosporus Strait made the city a hub for trade and shipping between Europe, Africa, and Asia.

A satellite view of the area.
Can you see the remarkable location of Constantinople at the center of the ‘X’ of land
& sea trade routes?
Europe
Black Sea
Asia
Aegean Sea

The Black Sea.
The Bosphorus
Strait .
The Sea of
Marmara.
The
Dardanelles
Strait .
Constantinople today known as Istanbul.

A great view of the
Bosphorus from space.
Can you see the point that is
Byzantium ?
And can you see the narrow bay to the north of
Byzantium that is called the
Golden Horn ?

A satellite view of Istanbul today.
There used to be a chain stretched across the Golden Horn for protection.

Geography and Cityscape of Constantinople
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4. Adequate distance from Germanic invasions of the western empire.
5. Good location to protect Europe’s eastern frontier.
6. Seized by Turks in 1453 CE and renamed Istanbul; today it is a major city in modern Turkey.

Role of Constantinople:
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1. True center or seat of Byzantine power until the Ottoman conquest
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2. Important in preserving classical
Greco-Roman culture

Justinian and Theodora

How Justinian Was Described
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While alive Justinian was described as devout, determined, and energetic. Why?
After His Death, the historian Procopius referred to
Justinian as two-faced and cruel in a “Secret History”

Achievements of Byzantine Emperor
Justinian:
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1. Justinian Code (Corpus Juris Civilis) – sorted through old Roman laws and established a new code of law for the
Byzantine Empire. It lasted for 900 years!
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- included laws concerning marriage, slavery, property, inheritance, and women’s rights
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- Significance – had a significant impact on European legal code

Achievements of Byzantine Emperor
Justinian:
2. Re-conquered former Roman territories but not Rome
3. Significantly expanded trade

Achievements of Byzantine Emperor
Justinian:
4. Acted as head of church and state (2seated Chair)
5. Placed a heavy emphasis on church building, which displayed his leadership of both the government and the church.
- Hagia Sophia – Constantinople’s masterpiece of architecture and faith

One of Justinian’s greatest accomplishments - the construction of the beautiful Cathedral of the Holy Wisdom ~ The Hagia Sophia

And more achievements!
6. Came to throne at age 45! Considered
Byzantium's most ambitious ruler.
7. Drove barbarians out of North Africa, Spain, and Italy
8. Built bridges, churches, hospitals, libraries, and last but not least parks.

THEODORA!?!?!?
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Born into lower class, worked as an actress and dancer as a teenager.
Loved adventure, new friendships and travel
Married Justinian while in her 20’s, sometimes equaled or surpassed husbands wisdom and skills.
Convinced her husband to crush Nika rebellion
Established Social Welfare programs for the poor
Worked for the rights of women

Theodora
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GBnJe_x8sA&list=U
UAiABuhVSMZJMqyv4Ur5XqA&index=8&feature=plcp&s afety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active
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In the bubble heads, write 5 statements about Theodora from the points of view of:
The poor
Women
Nika rebels
Justinian
Her friends

HAGIA SOPHIA
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Built during Justinian’s reign. Took 5-6 years to build
Known as the “Church of Holy Wisdom”
When Constantinople fell to the Turks, Hagia Sophia became a mosque; now it is a museum
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Plain exterior symbolizes earthly life
Ornate interior symbolizes spiritual universe
Cathedral’s size, thick pillars, and enclosed space show
Roman influence.
Intricate and ornate design shows Eastern influences

Byzantine architects invented the pendentives which connected the round base of a dome to a square building.

The combination of
Greco-Roman and
Middle Eastern influence are evident in the intricate decoration on this column
.

Mosaics with gold-covered stones added more light to the huge interior of Hagia
Sofia.

Byzantine Achievements in Art and Architecture:
1. art and architecture inspired by two things: Christian religion and imperial power
2. Icons – definition – religious images
3. Elaborate mosaics in public and religious structures

Icon/Mosaic in Hagia Sophia

Byzantine Achievements in Art and Architecture:
4. Hagia Sophia – most beautiful architectural achievement
5. Hippodrome – entertainment venue for chariot races and circuses

Hippodrome

Byzantine Culture:
1. Greek and Roman knowledge preserved in Byzantine libraries
2. Greek – primary language (as opposed to Latin in the West)
3. Church – Greek Orthodox
Christianity

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The Division of the Christian
Church:
Background: Distance and lack of contact slowly caused the doctrines and rituals of Western and Eastern
Christianity to split in the 11 th
Century.

East vs. West : A Religious Dispute
• Patriarch- head bishop of the east
(Constantinople) • Regional differences made more conflicts arise • Conflict about power of
Pope (in west) and
Emperor (in east)

The Western Church-
Roman Catholic
1. Centered in Rome
2. Far from the seat of government power once the capital moved to
Constantinople
3. Services conducted in Latin

The Western Church-
Roman Catholic
4. The pope had authority over all other bishops
5. The pope had authority over all kings and emperors
6. Priests cannot marry and must remain celibate
7. Divorce is not permitted

The Eastern Church –
Greek/Eastern Orthodox
1. Centered in Constantinople
2. Close to seat of government power once capital moved to Constantinople
3. Services conducted in Greek or local languages

The Eastern Church – Eastern
Orthodox
4. The patriarch and other bishops head the church as a group
5. The emperor claimed authority over the patriarch and other bishops of the
Byzantine Empire
6. Priests may be married
7. Divorce is allowed under certain conditions

The Great Schism
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Icons – Pictures of important Christians or sacred events. Can be mosaics, murals, wooden panels.
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Those who did not believe in them were called Iconoclasts (Eastern Christians)
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This was one of the breaking points for the split.

The Great Schism
In 1054, the split between the Eastern and
Western Churches was made permanent when the Pope (in the West) and the Patriarch
(in the East) excommunicated each other.
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Excommunication – definition: cast out from the church
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This permanent split was called the schism

England
Tin
Spain:
Cork
France:
Wine
Russia:
Fur, Honey,
Timber
Africa:
Ivory, gold
Constantinople: The Hub of
Byzantine Trade
China:
Silk
India:
Spices

Decline of Empire
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Plague of Justinian that crippled Empire
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In 542, 10,000 people were dying every day!
Attacks from East, West, and North
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Slavs, Persians, Turks, and Russian invasions
Attempt to maintain power
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Through political marriages, bribes and diplomacy
Walls kept the peninsula strong until 1453 when it fell to the Ottoman Turks
Split of the Church

BYZANTINE
EMPIRE 550
AD

BYZANTINE
EMPIRE 1050
AD

BYZANTINE
EMPIRE 1350
AD

Ottoman Empire 1606 A.D.

Influence of Byzantine Culture on
Eastern Europe and Russia:
1. Trade routes between the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea let to exchange of ideas and culture
2. Eastern Orthodox missionaries spread their faith to the Slavic people of Russia and Eastern Europe

Influence of Byzantine Culture on
Eastern Europe and Russia:
3. Cyril invented an alphabet for the Slavic languages so that the Slavs could read the
Bible in their own tongue. This was called the Cyrillic alphabet
4. Church architecture and religious art

A Russian
Orthodox
Church in the
Ukraine ~ very similar to the
Hagia
Sophia .