The Byzantine Empire
“The New Rome”
AP World History
Unit 2
Byzantium and Rome’s Legacy
1. What does Rome mean?
2. Is the ideal of Rome greater than the reality of
Rome?
3. In what way was Byzantium a different place than
Rome politically, intellectually, culturally, and
religiously?
Influences on European History
• What influences did the following people
have on European History?
• Justinian?
• Charlemagne?
Constantinople
• What is the role of this city in the
Byzantine Empire?
• What is the role of this city in European
and World History?
Caesaropapism
• Power centralized in figure of emperor.
• Christian leader cannot claim divinity, rather
divine authority.
• Political rule.
• Involved in Religious rule as well.
• Authority absolute.
Caesaropapism
• Is the concept of the mixture of religious and
political authority a strange concept for the
ancient world?
• What are the future implication of the
caesaropapist view?
• What are the pros and cons of political-religious
separation?
Imperial Organization
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Themes (provinces) under control of generals.
Military administration.
Control from central imperial government.
Soldiers from peasant class, rewarded with
land grants.
Tensions with Western Europe
• How was Byzantium's authority challenged by
the Romans in 800 CE?
Economy and Society
• Constantinople largest city in Europe.
– From the 5th to 13th century.
• Dependent on small landholders.
– Free peasants.
• Earlier large landholdings destroyed
by invasions in 6th and 7th centuries.
• Theme system rewards soldiers with
land grants.
Decline of Free Peasantry
• Large landholdings on the increase.
• Reduces tax revenues.
– Recruits to military.
• Last three centuries indicate steady decline of
economy.
Manufacturing and Trade
• Trade routes bring key technologies.
– Especially the silk industry.
• Who would this impact China?
• Advantage of location causes crafts and
industry to expand after 6th century.
• Tax revenues from silk route.
• Banking services develop.
Urban Life
• Aristocrats
– palaces.
• Artisans
– apartments.
• Working poor
– communal living spaces.
• Hippodrome.
– Chariot races.
– Politically inspired rioting.
Christianity and
the Byzantine Church
• How did Christianity spread to Europe?
• How would you describe the Byzantine
Church’s formation and views of Christianity?
Greek Philosophy
and Byzantine Theology
• Attempted to reconcile Greek philosophy with
Judeo-Christianity.
• Constantine established schools to apply
philosophical methods to religious questions.
Schism of 1054
• What is the Schism of 1054?
• Arguments over hierarchy and jurisdiction.
• Autonomy of Patriarchs or Primacy of Rome.
– What does this mean?
• Patriarch of Constantinople and Pope of Rome
excommunicate each other.
– East: Orthodox Church
– West: Roman Catholic
Challenges to the Empire
• What are the challenges from the West?
• What are the challenges from the East?
Influence on Slavic Culture
• Relations from 6th century CE.
• Bulgaria influenced culturally and politically.
• Saints Cyril and Methodius.
– Create Cyrillic alphabet.
• Slavic lands develop orientation to Byzantium.
Kievan Rus
• Conversion of Prince Vladimir in 989 CE.
• Byzantine culture influences development of
Slavic cultures.
• Distinctively Slavic Orthodox church
develops.
• Eventual heir to Byzantium.
Legacy of the Byzantine Empire
• How is the Byzantine Empire seen as a
“bridge” in global history?