The Byzantine Empire
From Rome to Byzantium,
Foundations of Europe
Thursday, 17 April
• Welcome!
• DO NOW
– Turn in your Europe maps if not
finished yesterday
– Hand in last night’s homework
– Get started on Do Now
Pages
• 4-3 Rome’s Golden Age & Rome’s Decline
• 4-4 The Byzantine Empire notes
• 4-5 Justinian Code assignment (tonight’s
HW)
Objectives
• Be able to…
– Predict consequences of Rome’s decline as a
major power
– Describe features of the Byzantine empire
– Make an argument for how geographic,
political, cultural, and economic factors helped
the Byzantine Empire become powerful
Agenda
• Do Now/Share
• Decline of Rome: Gallery Walk of Theories
• From Rome’s Decline to Byzantium’s Rise
• Four Parts of Byzantine Empire: Lecture,
Discussion, and Notes
What pressures contributed to the
decline of the Roman Empire?
• Expansion and cost of
maintaining large empire
• Defense of borders
• Attacks from outside
forces (Germanic tribes)
• Tax burdens, rich vs.
poor
• Loss of shared identity?
– New religious groups
grow: CHRISTIANS
Think-Pair-Share:
When a powerful, large empire like Rome
stops being so powerful…
What will happen in Europe?
*Economic
*Political
*Religious
Constantine & The New Rome
• 330 CE, Constantine
wants power
• Moves capital to
Byzantium, in Greekspeaking East
• Constantinople as the
“new Rome”
• Legalizes and promotes
Christianity
Where on this map would you build
a capital for a great empire? WHY?
Mediterranean Region
The City of Constantinople
(Istanbul)
• Capital of Eastern
Roman Empire—
deeply influenced by
Roman model
• City organized into
districts and hills like
Rome
• Survived repeated
riots, wars, and 88
leaders!
• 1453 renamed
Istanbul after
conquest by Turks…
still a major capital
city and center of
culture
• Surrounded on three
sides by water—
easy to defend (13
miles of walls,
watchtowers)
• Control of Bosporus
Strait makes it a hub
for land and sea
trade
• Center of culture,
food, religion, and
economic activity
• Bridges East, West,
ancient, modern—
Greek, Arabic,
Christian, Islamic
Istanbul today
Byzantine Crossroads:
Economic and Cultural
• Ethnic and cultural
diversity of Byzantine
Empire
• Trade routes connect three
continents
• Merchants come from far
& wide to trade
• Missionaries spread new
ideas
• Art and architecture styles
from East and West
Exchanges…
China: SILK/Christian missionaries
India: spices, pepper, jewels/Ivory
Africa: ivory, gold/Silk
Spain: cork, grain/bronze
France: wool, wines/silk
England: iron, tin/ancient Greek
literature
Architecture, Religion & Power
• Byzantine rulers build a city to
make others marvel—meant to
impress!
• Architecture reflects values:
grandeur, ability, power,
religious devotion
• Hagia Sophia as perfect
Byzantine model
– Plain outside represents daily
life, world around
– Beautiful inside represents ideal
spiritual/religious life—
promotes Christianity
• Style spread across empire and
beyond
• Became a Mosque, then a
museum
Hagia Sophia (interior)
Politics of the Byzantines:
The Emperor Justinian
• 16th ruler (rules 527-565)
• Devout, determined, stubborn
• Ambitious military leader— taxes
heavily to pay for expansion
• Rules church and state—religious
and political authority
• Revises and establishes
new legal code: The
Corpus Juris Civilis (civil
law)—comes to be known
as Justinian Code
• Massive building program
to show his power and
authority
– Builds hospitals, public
baths, libraries, statues,
parks, monasteries,
cathedrals, and more!
And… Empress Theodora
• Justinian: another
emperor who married
well!
• Theodora: a commoner,
former circus performer,
actress, force of nature!
• Loved adventure and
travel
• Active in politics
– Social welfare programs
– Care for the poor
– Expand rights of
women
Advised Justinian
Put down rebellions harshly
__>Sent troops and killed
30,000 people…”peace” was
restored
__>Protect the city against riots
and invasions
Religious Change: East and
West Divide
• Increasing separation between
Eastern and Western Christianity
• Disagreement over use of icons
– Used to teach in West— high illiteracy
means images are very important
– Some in East dislike icons, others use
them for devotion
– 1054 the churches split
• Differences in…
–
–
–
–
Language (Latin/Greek)
Politics (Holy Roman Empire/Byzantine)
Authority (Pope/patriarchs)
Clergy
Icons are pictures that show
important individuals or
sacred events. They can be
paintings, mosaics, or
wooden panels. Here is a
Greek icon of Mary and
Jesus
Byzantines as Great Power…
• By the 7th century,
Byzantine Empire is a
major power in trade,
religion, culture,
military
• By in the 8th century,
Islamic Empire begins
to emerge
• What conflicts do you
predict?
Close
• On a notecard or piece of scrap paper,
please answer…
– What helped make the Byzantine Empire
successful? List at least one economic, one
geographic, and one political factor