Byzantine And
Islamic Empires
Chapter 6
Big Picture Question
• What were the main events of the
Byzantine Empire?
• Describe the culture and influence of
the Byzantine Empire?
Roman Empire
• By 476 A.D. the Roman Empire
collapsed in the West.
• The Eastern Roman empire became
known as the Byzantine Empire.
• They influenced the people of Russian
and Southeastern Europe.
New Rome
• In 330 A.D. Emperor Constantine
dedicated a new capital for the Roman
Empire. He called in New Rome but it
later became known as Constantinople
(“Constantine’s city”)
• As the East continued to prosper the
West was declining.
Byzantine
• Byzantine will be influenced by Roman
culture.
• They will retain political and legal
structures of the ancient Rome.
• But they will be even more influenced
by the Hellenistic culture.
Reign of Justinian
• Justinian was the emperor (most
famous) of the first great period of
Byzantine history.
• Created the Justinian Code a
systematic arrangement of laws that
clarified Roman legal principles.
• Example of Architecture Hagia Sophia
(Holy Wisdom)
Eastern and Western
Church
• When Constantine founded New Rome
he also established a new religious
center. (“New Jerusalem”)
• The bishop of Rome (later the Pope)
became the most important leader in
the West. The patriarch of
Constentinople helpd that positon in the
East.
• A rivalry developed between the eastern
and western churches.
• The Pope in 1054* sent people to
Constantinople saying that he would
assume authority of all the churches.
• Eastern patriarch refused and the Pope
excommunicated him from the church.
• The Byzantine church had long looked
with suspicion on the bishop of Rome.
Differences of the
churches
• They differed in their belief as to when
to celebrate Easter.
• Whether parish priests should marry.
• If churches should use icons.
Church Influences
• Western organized the church by
incorporating Christian faith with some
pagan practices, ancient Roman and
Germanic cultures.
• Eastern organized the church by
incorporating Greek and oriental ideas.
Empire Under Siege
• Byzantine saw both success and failure
between the 6th and 15th Century.
• After Justinian’s reign in the 6th century
the empire was attacked on almost
every side for several 100 of years.
Arab Muslims
• In the 7th century the empire had to face
with a new and energetic force.
• The Arab’s attacked and took down
most of the empire. They went for
Constantinople but were defeated.
(“City protected by God”)
Basil II
• Between 850-1050 the empire gradually
recovered her strength and pushed
back the Muslim invaders.
• This period of time was lead by Basil II.
• Grew the land by taking Bulgars and the
Balkans.
New Obstacles
• Growth of rivals (especially Venice,
Italy).
• Seljuk Turks (powerful force in the
East).
• Asia minor will fall to the Seljuk Turks at
the Battle of Manzikert.
Crusades
• Fearful that Constantinople would fall to
Islam emperor appealed to the
Christians in the West for aid.
• The West responded by sending
several military expeditions, to free the
East—especially the Holy Land—from
Muslim Invaders.
Decline
• Islamic forces will capture
Constantinople.
• Later Byzantine forces will recapture the
city but the Empire would never fully
recover.
• For 2 centuries the empire will continue
to exist but in a state of steady decline.
• It will come to an end in 1453 when the
Ottoman Turks (New Muslim invaders)
kill the last Byzantine Emperor.
Contributions
• Independent reading page 132-133
• Section Quiz page 134 (1-5)
Big Picture Question
• Explain the significant men of Russian
History?
• How does the important events
influence not just Russia but also the
world?
Side Note…
• Ms. Gareis LOVES Russian History.
Early Russia
• Inside the boarders of Russia there are
many different racial and linguistic
backgrounds.
• Slavs are the largest group.
• No one really knows where the first
slaves really lived.
Varangians
• 8th and 9th century bands of Swedish
Norsemen sailed couth from the Baltic
Sea.
• They plundered Slavic villages.
• As time went by they decided to settle
along the river.
• Some slovic settlements hired them to
protect their villages from other raiding
Start of Russian History
• In Novgorod (NAWV guh RAWT) the
people welcomed a Varangian ruler
named Rurik.
• About 862 is the year traditionally
considered the beginning of Russian
History.
• Discussion:
What do you think happened to the
Varangians?
• Shortly after Rurik’s death, Kiev became
the center of the early Russian State.
• Most believe that Russia perhaps
comes form the Slavic word for the
Norsemen, “Rus” meaning rowers or
seafarers.
Byzantine’s Influences
• Vladimir I, adopted Byzantine
Christianity in the year of 988.
• What kind of effect can we see with that
decision?
• Cyril and Methodius, Byzantine
missionaries who adapted the Slavic
alphabet from the Greek alphabet.
• Russians copied many of their art from
Byzantine influences.
• Uniquely Russian is their Onion-shaped
dome
Height of Kievan Russia
• Yaroslav ruled when Kiev reached it’s
height.
• Under his rule Kiev saw the greatest
territorial expansion of the early Russian
state.
• Issued the earliest Russian code of
laws.
• Yaroslav also gained international
recognition by negotiating marriage
alliances between his house and royal
families in France, Sweden, Norway,
Poland, Hungary and the Byzantine
Empire.
• Kiev boasted schools, libraries,
monasteries, cathedrals, and
fortifications.
After Yaroslav’s death
• After Yaroslav’s death Kiev lost its
strength. Civil war broke out among his
heirs.
• In the 13th century, Tartars (Mongolian
warriors) came into Russia and
distroyed Kiev in 1240. They will rule
Russia for more than two centuries (till
the late 1400s)
Big Picture Question
• Can we see the growth of Islam still
today? Explain.
• What kinds of contributions, if any, can
we see from the Islamic culture?
Independent Reading
Page 136-137
Founding of Islam
• After the Byzantine emperor Justinian
died Muhammad was born in Arabia.
• Muhammad clamed to be the last and
greatest of the prophets of god Allah.
• His teachings became the basis for a
new religion known as Islam
(“submission”…to Allah)
Messenger of Allah
• At first Muhammad struggled to gain
converts.
• His followers were family members and
close friends.
• For the most part the people of Mecca
ridiculed him.
Mecca
• Was a center of trade and religious
worship.
• It housed the Kaaba a sacred shrine
that housed hundreds of pagan idols.
• People from all over Arabia made
pilgrimages.
Discussion
• Why would the merchants of Mecca be
okay with the city being a location of a
shrine?
Kaaba
• The main attraction was the famous
Black Stone, a meteorite built into the
wall of the Kaaba.