Chapter 10 Section 1
The Byzantine Empire
I. Constantinople at a Crossroads
I. Constantinople at a Crossroads
A. Constantine and His Capital
1. Who was Constantine?
a. Constantine was the emperor of the Roman Empire.
2. *What 2 important changes occurred during the reign of
Constantine?
a. Stopped the persecution of Christians
b. Decided to build a new imperial capital
3. *What was renamed after him?
Byzantium was renamed Constantinople
(named after Constantine)
I. Constantinople at a Crossroads
4.
What improvements did Constantine make to the city of
Constantinople?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
5.
Large markets
Forums or public squares
Paved roads
A cathedral
A palace
Public baths
Hippodrome or circus
*Over time, what happened to the Roman Empire?
Over time, the Roman Empire split in two.
6.
*Why was the eastern half of the empire far stronger than the
western half?
a.
b.
One reason for its strength was military. The Byzantines had the
strongest army in the world.
Another reason for the Byzantines strength was trade.
I. Constantinople at a Crossroads
Bosporus:
•
*What is a Bosporus?
strait, or narrow passage that links two bodies of water
•
*What does the straight connect (both land and water)?
The Black Sea and Sea of Marmara; Two continents- Europe and Asia
I. Constantinople at a Crossroads
CONSTANTINOPLE:
• *Where was Constantinople built?
At a major crossroads of land and sea trade routes
• Where did goods come from in Constantinople?
Kiev, Egypt, Central Asia, and China
• *What did the Byzantines do to goods that went through the
city?
They charged taxes on all goods that went through the city.
• *What did Constantinople become as a result of trading?
Constantinople became a major center of international trade.
II. The Age of Justinian
*While Rome was falling to invaders, the
Byzantine Empire was strong and powerful
because of its excellent rulers. They encouraged
education and made reforms to laws and
government.
II. The Age of Justinian
A. The Emperor Justinian
• Who was Justinian?
One of the greatest emperors of the Byzantine Empire
• *Why was he different than other emperors?
He was born into a poor family, and he listened to the ideas
of all his subjects.
• What type of person was he?
• Energetic
• Never gave up
II. The Age of Justinian
B. Justinian’s Code
•
•
•
*What was one of his lasting contributions?
A system of laws – Justinian’s Code
What was this called? What was it (definition)?
Justinian’s Code- an organized collection and
explanation of Roman laws for use by the Byzantine
Empire
*What did this become the basis for?
It became the basis for the legal systems of most
modern European countries.
C. Byzantine Culture
•
*What were three influences on the Byzantine culture?
It blended Greek, Roman, and Christian influences
III. The Empire’s Later Years
A. Religious Dispute
•
*What was different about the way Western
Europeans practice Christianity?
a. Byzantine Christians rejected the authority of the
pope, the leader of the church in Rome.
b. The Byzantine emperor had to approve the choice of
the patriarch, the highest church official in
Constantinople.
c. Greek was the language of the Byzantine ChurchLatin was the language of the Roman Church.
The branches of Christianity began to split.
III. The Empire’s Later Years
d. What did the Byzantine emperor outlaw?
Who disagreed with this ruling?
He outlawed the use of icons in painting–
the pope disagreed and banished the
emperor from the church.
e. What happened as a result of this dispute?
This led to a schism, or split, in the church in
1504
•
•
Roman Catholic Church– west
Eastern Greek Orthodox Church– east
III. The Empire’s Later Years
B. A Second Golden Age
•
•
•
What happened between 900 to the mid-1000s?
Trade increased and merchants came to
Constantinople from as far away as Venice and
Russia.
*Who was the emperor during this time?
Basil II
*What did the emperor during this time do for the
empire?
He regained some of the land it lost
and a new interest in the arts
III. The Empire’s Later Years
C. The Fall of Constantinople
•
*Why did Constantinople finally fall?
The city was weakened by attacks from Muslim
peoples from the east and Christian crusaders
from the west.
*It finally fell to the Turks (Muslim) and the new
rulers would rebuild the capital and rename it
Istanbul – becomes capital of the Ottoman
Empire