THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE (330-1453)
THE BIG QUESTION:

What were the main characteristics of the
Byzantine Empire?
INTRODUCTION
After the fall of Rome, the Eastern Roman
Empire continued as the Byzantine Empire with
Constantinople as its center.
 It lasted for almost 1,000 years.
 Constantinople was located along land routes
that connected Europe and Asia and on the
Bosporus, a waterway connecting the Black
and Mediterranean Seas
 It was surrounded on three sides by water and
had thick city walls, making it almost
invulnerable to attack

BYZANTINE GOVERNMENT
The Byzantines saw themselves as simply
continuing the Roman Empire
 Byzantine emperors were all-powerful and
continued an imperial system over a diverse
population
 The official language of government was Latin,
but most people spoke Greek (eventually Latin
was replaced by Greek in the government)

Kingdom of
The Franks
Rome
Kingdom of
The Visigoths
Carthage
AFRICA
Constantinople
Persian
Empire
Arabia
BYZANTINE CULTURE

Religion – The Eastern Orthodox Church
 Separate
from the Catholic Church
 Did not recognize the Pope as the head of their
church
 Had their own Patriarch (leader)
 Some other issues were the use of relics vs. icons,
view on the trinity and the shape of the cross
displayed in churches
CULTURE CONTINUED…

Developed a vibrant culture
 Built
magnificent churches
like the Hagia Sophia with its
giant dome and tall spires
 Taught ancient Greek texts
 Artists used precious
materials (gold, silver, ivory)
to display classical images
 Especially known for their
colorful icons and mosaics
JUSTINIAN (527-565)
Reconquered much of the old
Roman Empire
 Greatest achievement was the Code
of Justinian

Collected all of the existing Roman laws
and organized them into a single code
 Listed all the laws and opinions on
each subject
 Had special laws relating to religion and
required all persons in the empire to
belong to the Eastern Orthodox Faith
 Added new laws that pertained to
women’s rights

ACTIVITY
Complete the chart about the reasons for the
survival of the Byzantine Empire.
Homework: Read the document from the Code of
Justinian, then anwer the questions that follow.
DECLINE OF BYZANTIUM
Continuously battled the Slavs and Avars to the
north, Persians to the east and spread of Islam in
the south.
 In the 600s, Muslims took most of the Middle East
 In the 1100s, The Seljuk Turks took most of Asia
Minor
 European crusaders attacked Constantinople in
1204 and Italian cities competed for Byzantine
trade
 By the 1440s, the empire was reduced to a small
area around Constantinople which was finally
conquered by the Ottomans in 1453

BYZANTINE INFLUENCE IN RUSSIA
Emerged in the 9th century when Vikings
organized Slavs into a kingdom centered in
Kiev (other Russian cities developed in the
north – Moscow & Novgorod)
 Early Russian cities traded with the Byzantines
 Byzantine influence on Russian culture

 Orthodox
Christianity (converted Slavs and Bulgars)
 Cyrillic alphabet
 Byzantine crafts and other products
THE CODE OF JUSTINIAN: ON BRINGING AN ACTION TO COURT
• You must [determine] the proof necessary to establish the fact that you
are entitled to the money which you [claim] you have deposited. Emperor
Antonius, 156 A.D.
• He before whom proceedings are brought shall order public documents,
both civil and criminal, to be produced, for the purpose of being
examined, in order to [judge] the truth. Emperor Severus, 193 A.D.
• Persons who wish to bring an accusation must have evidence, for the
law does not permit a party to inspect the documents of the other side.
Therefore, if thee plaintiff does not prove his allegations, the defendant
shall be discharged, even if he furnishes no evidence. Emperor
Antoninus, 223 A.D.
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What legal principle do all three sections share? ___________________________________
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Why was the Code of Justinian such an important legal advance? _____________________
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