Daily Life in Constantinople
Objectives:
 Investigate one aspect of daily life in Constantinople and
Create a monument to commemorate it.
 Describe at least one example from each of the nine different
aspects of daily life in Constantinople.
Aspects of Daily Life in Constantinople
 Trade and Commerce
 Housing
 Religious Life
 Public Works and Charity
 Education
 Government
 Military Protection
 Recreation
 Treatment of foreigners, slaves, and heretics
Time to Form Groups!
What are we going to do?
How are we going to be graded?
Steps to Follow:
 Decide on a role for each member of your group.
 Reader
 Sculptor
 Spokesperson
 Read about your aspect of daily life and answer your
questions as a group.
 Brainstorm ways to commemorate your aspect of daily life
 Write your plaque.
 Share your monument.
Exit Slip
 Write two sentences about something you learned today
about daily life in Constantinople.
Presentation Time!!
 Reminders:
 While groups are presenting you will be taking notes on your
chart. We will go over this after each presentation.
 Be Respectful! All the groups presenting have information that
you need to hear - Pay attention.
 Each group will have a 2 minutes to prepare and then its show
time! Make sure you have all your props, group members, and
plaque gathered.
Housing
 Neighborhoods were segregated by religion (Christians,
Jews, Muslims)
 The wealthy people of the city lived in much nicer homes.
 Most lived inside the city walls for protection.
Trade and Commerce
 Constantinople’s location made it perfect for trade
 Guilds (unions) regulated most commerce
 Items from around the world could be found in the markets
of Constantinople.
Treatment of Foreigners, Slaves, and
Heretics
 Foreigners could be noticed by their different style of dress.
 The government made foreigners prove they had reason to be
in the city.
 Slavery was permitted and accepted. Most slaves were
trained in a craft or skill.
 Heretics (non-Christians) were forced into neighborhoods or
out of the city.
Recreation
 Baths, theaters, and the Hippodrome existed for
entertainment.
 People went to these places to socialize.
 Each year started with a week of exciting events at the
Hippodrome.
Education
 Monks worked as scribes preserving ancient texts
 Academic study was only for the sons of wealthy people
 Wealthy girls could study at home with a tutor
 Skilled workers taught their sons their trade (job)
 Girls learned to run a household
Public Works and Charity
 Separate laws for the rich and poor
 Church and government felt they needed to help the poor
 The Church received money to help the poor from the
wealthy
Government
 The Byzantine Empire was ruled by the emperor. It was
believed he ruled by “Divine Right” (God’s Wishes).
 Groups called demes had political power (some).
 Demes had militias that would help the army.
Military Protection
 Surrounded by water on three sides and had 13 miles of
walls, watchtowers, and gates.
 People were heavily taxed to pay for the military
 Used swords, bows/arrows, shields, but most dangerous
weapon was Greek fire
Religion
 The Hagia Sophia was the religious center of the city.
 Services often lasted for hours.
 Monks, different from priests, lived alone and prayed alone
for most of the day. They did not talk.
Hmm…
 Create a Venn Diagram comparing daily life in
Constantinople to daily life today. Do similarities exist?
Differences?
Constantinople
Westminster
Constantinople v. Westminster
Constantinople
Both
Westminster