What caused the
Fall of Rome?
The Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire
 Eastern Roman Empire
Roman emperor, Constantine, move the empire to Byzantium.
Byzantium was renamed Constantinople
Later renamed Istanbul by the Turks…
Lasted about 1000 years longer than the Western Roman Empire
Ruler was an absolute ruler: most famous was Justinian
 Justinian Code
Laws about Marriage, slavery, property, women’s rights, and
criminal justice
Differences Divide Christianity
 The Church Splits
In 1054 the church split
West is known as the Roman Catholic Church and
the church in the east is the Eastern Orthodox
Church
Problems in the Churches
 As the Byzantine Empire split, it affected Christianity
East and West couldn’t agree on the authority of the
emperor
East had an emperor and the west didn’t
Pope claimed more authority
Byzantine emperors considered themselves the largest
authority
Delegates of the pope attempted to remove the Eastern
head of the church
The Eastern church refused
In 1054, the churches officially split
The Byzantine Empire Collapses
 After Justinian’s death in 565, the empire suffered riots,
battles, and disease
Also faced attacks from Slavic people, Persians, and
Arabs
This caused civil wars and attacks by the Turks and
Serbs
The Empire was severely weakened
Finally in 1453 the Turks overtook the capital
and the Byzantine Empire fell
The Legacy of Rome
 Culture
Roman culture was based on strength, loyalty, and
practicality
Art
Mosaics
Pictures were made by placing small, colored pieces
of stone, tile, or glass on a surface
Often found in churches
Sculpture
Realistic, not perfect bodies like the Greeks
The Legacy of Rome
 Literature
Wrote poems about hero’s adventures
Wrote about their philosophies and other ideas such
as virtue and duties
 Language
Latin
“Romantic” languages are languages spoken in
countries once ruled by Rome
The Legacy of Rome
 Architecture
Columns, pediments, and proportionality
Arches and domes
Coliseums
Other buildings are influenced by their architecture
Concrete
Lightweight and strong
Aqueducts
Roads
Paving stones
The Legacy of Rome
 Religion and laws
Spreading Christianity
Missionaries converted people in the empire
When Western Roman Empire fell, Christianity
continued to prosper
Germanic Queens and Kings became Christians as
Christianity spread to the East
Laws stressed fairness, equality, and innocence until
proven guilty
Many countries use these same ideas in their laws
Representative government
Created a Senate