Byzantine Empire

Byzantine EmpireByzantine EmpireAfter the Western Roman Empire fell to

German barbarian invasions in the 5th century, the Eastern Roman Empire, with its capital at

Constantinople, repelled the invasions and went on to survive for 1000 more years

Known by historians as the Byzantine Empire

Played important role in –

preserving and spreading the culture of ancient Greeks and Romans

Ventre’s adventuresVentre’s adventures

Constantinople: A Strategic CityWhere Europe & Asia Meet

Located on a peninsula that overlooked the Bosporus Strait

Controlled movement between Mediterranean & Black Seas

Key trade center between East & West

FortificationsGreek fire…

Natural protection from invaders: water on 3 sides

Triple Walls fortified open side

The Golden Horn – inlet could be blocked off with iron chains

Eastern Roman EmpirePolitically: Highly centralized; emperor;

superb military, defenses; Roman Law (theoretically innocent until proven guilty; evidence to convict)

Economically: trade crossroads= prospered; but also had excellent agricultural production & manufacturing

Culturally: uniform church (enforced – heretics persecuted); church subject to Emperor in practice; art/architecture

Justinian & TheodoraJustinian & Theodora – – ruled Byz. Empire 527-565 CE

Why did the Byzantine Empire develop this way?

Why did it eventually collapse?

Muslim Ottoman TurksMuslim Ottoman TurksConq. Constantinople 1453 CE

Justinian and Justinian and TheodoraTheodora

Justinian & wife, Theodora 6th century Emperor & EmpressGave women more rights – own land,

business, protection from spousal abuse Justinian’s army : Put down Nika

Rebellion & crushed rebels & hereticsExpanded the empire

TheodoraTheodora & Her Attendants

JustinianJustinian and His Attendants

Byzantine ArchitectureByzantine Architecture

Greatest form of Byzantine artHagia Sophia, meaning “holy

wisdom” Greatest masterpieceHuge building in form of a crosshuge dome that rests on massive

columns

Inside

Hagia

Sophia

Justinian’s Code

Justinian had Roman laws codified and classified

Preserved Rome’s legal heritagePrinciples like innocent until

proven guiltylater became the basis for most

European legal systems

Eventual weakening Eventual weakening of the Empireof the Empire

Muslim Seljuk Turks -Crusades -Ottoman Turks – conquered

Constantinople 1453; Istanbul

Legacy of the Byzantine EmpireLegacy of the Byzantine EmpirePreserved writings of ancient Greeks

and Romans and the importance of scholarship

Codified and preserved Roman Law (Code of Justinian)

Spread Christianity (Eastern Orthodox Church) to the Russians and other eastern Europeans

… cultural diffusion

ConflictConflict in the Christian Church in the Christian ChurchArguments over use of icons & Nature of

Christ (monophysite vs dual) – dual nature prevailedpersecuted monophysites as hereticsAD 726 Byz Emperor condemned icons;

supporters: iconoclasts (image breakers)All church leaders resisted order and were

supported by the Roman Pope - so both sides used “images”

But causes rift

First split (schism) in Christendomeast and west argued over religious authorityPope in Rome & Patriarch of

Constantinople each declared their “seat” the supreme church authority +

Other differences in custom & ritual…Eventually led to a schism in 1054 AD

Roman Catholic Church in West and Eastern Orthodox Church in East

Next:

How did How did early Russiaearly Russia develop & how was that develop & how was that development influenced by development influenced by the the Byzantine EmpireByzantine Empire??

Look at maps…Look at maps…

Pink: Kievan Rus

The Kievan RusThe Kievan RusKievKiev developed along the Dnieper

River- important trade route connecting Baltic Sea and Black Sea

Byzantine goods & culture traveled along the river systems

Other geographic features steppe – taiga -

Steppe in southern Russia

influenced by both Byzantines [south] and

Scandinavians (Vikings/Swedes/ “Varangians”) [north]

Kievan RusKievan Rus

•language/nationality: Slavic

•Gov’t from Varangians?

•Principalities - area ruled by a prince

•Boyars - nobles (large landowners)

•farming & hunting main livelihood

Important Developments during the Kievan RusKievan Rusall influenced by the Byzantinesall influenced by the Byzantines

AlphabetAlphabetreligionreligionlaw codelaw codeArt/architectureArt/architecture

9th century: Cyrillic AlphabetCyrillic Alphabetalphabet for the Slavic languages Named for St. Cyril, a Greek monk who,

with Methodius, created a writing system to western slavic Christian converts in the mid-ninth century (c.860)

The Cyrillic alphabet is closely based on the Greek alphabet - with about a dozen additional letters invented to represent Slavic sounds not found in Greek.

Hello, I am called Ivan Selvia. Today I will study/learn the Russian language. Will you also study/learn?

12th century Cyrillic script

Vladimir IVladimir I11th century

Investigated various religionsadopted Eastern Orthodox Christianity

(because of Hagia Sophia’s magnificencemass baptism for his subjectsmarried Byzantine princessbrought Byzantine culture to KievMetropolitan (chief bishop) appointed

Cathedral of Saint Sophia in Novgorod

Yaroslav the wiseYaroslav the wise (I)(I): Vladimir’s sonEstablished first

•school

• library

• law code (Russkaia Pravda)

•but Kiev declined after his death - became part of Mongol Empire

Russian IconRussian Icon

Byzantine influenceByzantine influencealphabet adapted from alphabet adapted from

Greek (Greek (CyrillicCyrillic))Religion (Religion (Eastern Eastern

OrthodoxOrthodox))Law code - ishLaw code - ishart (art (iconsicons) and architecture) and architecture

After Yaroslav

Disorder & disunityca. 1250 - Conquered by the

Mongols… for 240 years!Little contact with central and

western Europe