Kingdoms and Christianity
Section 1
Kingdoms and Christianity
The Byzantine Empire
Preview
• Starting Points Map: Spread of Christianity
• Main Idea / Reading Focus
• Emperors Rule in Constantinople
• Faces of History: Justinian and Theodora
• Byzantine Culture
• The Empire Declines
Section 1
Kingdoms and Christianity
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Section 1
Kingdoms and Christianity
Section 1
The Byzantine Empire
Main Idea
The Byzantine Empire, once the eastern half of the Roman
Empire, was held together for centuries by strong leaders,
profitable trade, and the influence of Christianity.
Reading Focus
• How did Byzantine emperors rule their empire from
Constantinople?
• What were some important features of Byzantine culture?
• What led to the decline of the Byzantine Empire?
Kingdoms and Christianity
Section 1
Emperors Rule in Constantinople
Constantinople—Greek for “The City of Constantine”—became the
capital of the roman Empire under Emperor Constantine I.
A New Rome
• Constantinople seat of Eastern
Roman Empire
• Became known as Byzantine
Empire
• Remained capital of Eastern
Empire long after Rome fell
• Even before fall of Rome,
Constantinople larger, richer
city than Rome
Location
• Location on Bosporus Strait
helped control trade between
Asia, Europe
• Also helped guard city from
attack
– Sea protected city on two
sides
– Heavily fortified walls
protected landward side
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Reclaiming Western Empire
Claim to Empire
Military Action
• Western part of empire still
claimed by eastern emperors
• Military action needed to
accomplish Justinian’s goal
• Byzantine emperor Justinian I
wanted to restore original
Roman Empire
• First had to reconquer North
African territories taken by
Germanic tribe, Vandals
Belisarius
• 533, Justinian sent ships,
troops to northern Africa
• Troops led by top general,
Belisarius
Successes
• By 534, fleet had recaptured
African region, absorbed back
into Roman Empire
• 535, Belisarius led troops to
Italy to retake that region
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Kingdoms and Christianity
Rebellion at Home
Facing Problems
• Justinian, wife Theodora
served as co-rulers of empire
• At home, faced threat from
rebels
• Many resented Justinian’s
efforts to reform empire’s
administration
• 532, opposition led to rebellion
called Nika Revolt
Rebellion Quelled
• Two factions led revolt: Greens
representing lower classes,
Blues upper classes
• Constantinople in flames,
Justinian prepared to flee
• Theodora stood firm, refused to
flee, back down, convinced
Justinian to do same
• Belisarius attacked rioters,
slaughtered them by thousands
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Kingdoms and Christianity
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Achievements
• Nika Revolt destroyed parts of Constantinople
• Gave Justinian, Theodora chance to rebuilt city with new monuments
• Most important new building, church, Hagia Sophia, “Holy Wisdom”
• Spectacular blend of domes, arches; building still stands
Justinian’s Code
• Justinian set up commission that codified, systematically arranged,
empire’s existing laws, legal opinions into clear system
• Corpus Juris Civilis had four parts; first part included all existing
constitutions from time of Emperor Hadrian
• Code later updated, expanded to include Justinian’s laws as well
Kingdoms and Christianity
Section 1
Changes after Justinian
• Justinian’s achievements many, but did not last
–
Died 565, left government nearly bankrupt from expenses of
taking back empire’s territory
–
Had expanded empire beyond what government could
effectively administer
–
Western provinces fell to migrating tribes after his death
• Reign of Heraclius began 610
–
Heraclius defeated Persians on eastern border
–
Settled Croats, Serbs within Balkan frontiers to west to act as
buffers against new invaders
–
Croats, Serbs converted to Christianity, extending Byzantine
influence into region
Kingdoms and Christianity
Section 1
Summarize
What did Justinian accomplish during his
reign?
Answer(s): put down the Nika Revolt, built the
Hagia Sophia, reformed Roman law
Kingdoms and Christianity
Section 1
Byzantine Culture
The Role of the Emperor
• Two institutions central to Byzantine culture—emperor, Christianity
• Emperor, priest-king, considered deputy of Jesus Christ on earth, his co-ruler
• Emperor responsible for both civil, religious law
Changing Culture
• Example of emperor’s influence reflected in empire’s changing culture
• People of Constantinople referred to selves as Roman, but Greek cultural
influences grew stronger
End to Roman Traditions
• Emperor Heraclius brought official end to Roman traditions
• Made Greek official language, replacing Latin
• Replaced old Roman imperial titles with Greek ones
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Kingdoms and Christianity
Religion and the Arts
• Christianity greatly influenced artistic life of Byzantines
• Art, architecture, literature based on religious themes
• Byzantine art often featured saints, figures from Bible
• Most art in form of mosaics
• Mosaics decorated floors, walls, ceilings
Stylized Art
• Nature of Byzantine mosaics,
painting changed over time
• Became more detailed, stylized
• Symbols used for common themes
• Examples: hand above cross, hand
of God; 12 lambs, Christian flock,
community, on earth
Architecture
• Religion force behind Byzantine
architecture; churches built by
placing round dome over square
foundation
• Rested dome on corner supports,
not walls, as in Hagia Sophia
• Influenced styles in Europe, Asia
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Kingdoms and Christianity
Religious Conflicts
In the 700s the use of art in churches deeply divided society. This
religious controversy threatened the strength of both church and state.
The controversy involved the use of icons—paintings or sculptures of
sacred figures.
Icons and Controversy
Iconoclast Movement
• Churches contained beautiful icons
• 726, Emperor Leo III forbade use of
icons, ordered destruction
• Some Christians objected to their
presence, believed use too close to
non-Christian worship of idols
• People called iconoclasts, “icon
breaker”
• Iconoclast movement unpopular
with many in church hierarchy
• Since few could read, clergy found
sacred images useful for teaching
Reaction against iconoclasm raged on and off until 843 when a council settled
the issue by accepting icons. The dispute played a crucial role in the growing
divide between the emperor in Constantinople and the pope in Rome.
Kingdoms and Christianity
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The Church Splits
Growing Divisions
• Over time, number of issues that divided eastern, western churches grew
• Use of Greek one difference; theological differences also emerged
• Eastern church allowed clergy to marry, western church did not
Church Governance
• Pope in Rome, patriarchs in Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem
were church leaders; emperor oversaw church law, did not govern church
• Byzantines did not accept pope as supreme authority over religious issues
Schism
• 1054, differences became so large, schism, split, occurred between churches
• Church in east became Orthodox Church, west remained Roman Catholic
• Later hurt Byzantine Empire, could not rely on western help against invaders
Kingdoms and Christianity
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Summarize
What led to the split between the eastern
and western churches?
Answer(s): theological differences, including use
of icons; use of Greek; allowing members of the
clergy to marry
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Kingdoms and Christianity
The Empire Declines
As far back as the reign of Heraclius, Muslims had threatened the
empire. Over time, Islam, pressure from migrating tribes, and internal
conflict and corruption brought about the Byzantine Empire’s fall.
Invaders in Empire
Century of Crises
• Byzantines constantly
attacked on northern
borders
• Constantine V won
victories against
Bulgars; successors
failed to maintain his
gains
• 600s, provinces of
Egypt, Syria fell to
Muslim conquerors
• Leo III stopped
advancing Muslim
forces 718, 740
• By 800s, Byzantines
had endured century
of crises
Period of Calm
• Macedonian dynasty
ruled 867 to 1056
• Emperors improved
peasantry, created
law school
• Extended Byzantine
rule, Balkans, Bulgars
• Established Orthodox
Christianity in
southeastern Europe
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Kingdoms and Christianity
Internal Weaknesses
Civilian Viewpoint
Military Viewpoint
• Macedonian dynasty began to
decline after about 150 years
• Focus on culture came at a cost
• Conflicts symptoms of divide
within Byzantine society
• Members of military aristocracy
saw things differently
• Constantinople government
composed of well-educated,
cultured aristocrats
• Based in provinces, more
aware of encroaching danger
than government in capital
• Supported emperors who
restrained military, used
energies to make
Constantinople center of
culture, learning
• Supported emperors who had
been soldiers themselves
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Kingdoms and Christianity
Final Decline
Continuing strife between the military and the Constantinople government
weakened the empire, making it vulnerable to challengers from the outside.
New Enemies
Byzantine Legacy
• Seljuk Turks conquering areas on
empire’s borders
• 1453, Constantinople fell to
Ottoman Turks
• 1071, Turks defeated Byzantine
army at Manzikert; permanently
weakened Byzantines in eastern
Asia Minor
• Turks renamed city Istanbul;
Hagia Sophia became mosque
• Same year, also lost last outposts
in Italy, ending presence in west
• By 1391, empire reduced to
Constantinople, outlying districts
• Ottomans had gained important
seat of power, spread influence
into Greece, Balkans
• Byzantine legacy: preservation of
ancient Greco-Roman heritage;
buffer between Christian West,
Muslim East
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Identifying Cause and Effect
What was the connection between the rise
of Islam and the fall of the Byzantine
Empire?
Answer(s): possible answer—As Islam spread
and gained followers, Muslim invaders threatened
the Byzantines.