AIM: Analyze the Byzantine Empire. What was the legacy of Byzantine civilization?

Do Now: – Analyze Byzantine art, below

Images:

Above, Emperor Justinian, who ruled from 527-565 C.E.

Theodora, Adviser and co-ruler, wife to Justinian

Mosaic of Christ from the Byzantine Era

Above: Hagia Sophia, Constantinople. (Current day Istanbul, Turkey)

Outline: I. Byzantine Empire

A) Age of Justinian (527-565)• 1) Recovered provinces that had been previously overrun by invaders.

The Byzantine empire reached its greatest size under Justinian.• 2) Launched a program to beautify Constantinople.

The church of Hagia Sophia improved on earlier Roman buildings.• 3) Reformed the law. Justinian’s Code was a model for medieval monarchs, the

Roman Catholic Church, and later legal thinkers. • 4) Used the law to unite the empire under his control.

Justinian ruled as an autocrat, or sole ruler with complete authority. He also had power over the Church

B) Schism1) Byzantine Christianity

a) Byzantine emperor controlled Church affairsb) People rejected pope’s claim to authority over all Christiansc) Clergy kept right to marryd) Greek was language of the Church

e) Easter was main holy dayf) Emperor outlawed the use of icons, or holy images

2) Western European Christianitya) Pope controlled Church affairsb) People accepted pope’s claim to authority over all Christiansc) Clergy prohibited from marryingd) Latin was language of the Churche) Christmas was main holy dayf) Use of holy images permitted.

C) Decline of the Byzantine Empire

D) Byzantine Heritage (For 1,000 years, the Byzantines built on the culture of the Hellenistic world. Byzantine civilization blended Christian beliefs with Greek science, philosophy,

arts, and literature) 1) The Byzantines extended Roman achievements in engineering and the law.2) Byzantine artists made unique contributions that influenced western styles from the

Middle Ages to the present.

3) Byzantine scholars preserved the classic works of ancient Greece. They also produced their own great books, especially in the field of history.

MAP

Pivotal Questions:

How did Justinian extend Byzantine power? What were the key elements of Byzantine Christianity? Why did the Byzantine empire collapse? What was the heritage of the Byzantine empire?

Video: Justinian and Theodora, History Channel

Objectives: To learn about what the Byzantine civilization was, to learn about the legacy of the Byzantine Empire and civilization.