Byzantine Empire

Shows dominance of the Byzantine Emperors over both East and West. In the Holy Roman Empire's heraldry, it represented the Church and the State. Several Eastern European nations adopted it from the Byzantines and continue to use it as their national symbol to this day, the most prominent being Serbia and Russia.

origin

ORIGINSIn 330 A.D., the first Christian ruler of the Roman empire, Constantine the Great,

transferred the ancient imperial capital from Rome to the city of Byzantion located on the easternmost territory of the European continent, at a major intersection of east-west trade.

The emperor renamed this ancient port city Constantinople ("the city of Constantine") in his own honor (1673–1712). Now called Istanbul.

new rome or byzantium

It was also called the "New Rome," owing to the city's status as political capital of the Roman empire.

This Christian, ultimately Greek-speaking state ruled from that city would come to be called Byzantium by modern historians, although

The Empire's medieval citizens described themselves as "Rhomaioi," and considered themselves the inheritors of the ancient Roman empire.

roman empireBy the 4th century CE, the Roman Empire was divided into two parts: the West governed from Rome and the East governed from Constantinople.

Although the Western Roman Empire fell to the Germanic invaders by 476 CE, the eastern part survived independently until 1453 CE , an additional thousand years.

Was the 1000 year successor to the Roman Empire in the Eastern Mediterranean.

It became known as the Byzantine Empire, a name derived from Byzantium, the ancient Greek colony founded on the site that became Constantinople.

The Byzantine Empire displayed predominantly Middle Eastern and Greek cultural characteristics.

Greatest Extent

Under the Emperor Justinian (ruled 527-565), the Byzantine Empire expanded westward and reached its greatest extent.

Justinian,ambitious to restore the former Roman Empire, conquered northern Africa, southern Spain, and Italy.

Justinian’s compilation of Roman law into the

Corpus Juris Civilis, or “Body of Civil Law,” was one of his most lasting

legacies.

Known as Justinian’sCode, it became a

handbook on Roman law for legal scholars.

By 1100 European rulers were modeling

theirlaws on his code

Centuries later, modern legal scholars used Justinian’s Code as a basis for creating international law.

Justinian was one of the first Roman Emperors to be depicted wielding the cross on the obverse of a coin.

Detail of a portrait in the Basilica of San Vitale,Ravenna

Justinian was an autocrat who ruled with absolute power.

The emperor was seen as Christ’s co-ruler on earth.

Unlike medieval European monarchs, he combined both spiritual and political power.

Strong navy with chemical weapon “Greek fire”.

He was aided by his wife, Empress Theodora, an intelligent, ruthless politician and advisor who often ruled in his absence.

Theodora influenced Justinian's legal and spiritual reforms. She had laws passed that prohibited forced prostitution and that granted women more rights in divorce cases.

As a ruler, Justinian showed great energy. He was known as "the Emperor who never sleeps" on account of his work habits. Nevertheless, he seems to have been amenable and easy to approach.

justinian and theodora

Hagia Sophia was built by the emperor Justinian I in the year 537 AD was built in only six years -crowning achievement !

christianity

There were several doctrinal differences between the Eastern and Western churches leading to a Schism in 1054 CE

Leads to Separation into Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church.

separation into eastern and western Christianity

western Church-catholic

eastern church -orthodox

Centered in RomeCentered in Rome Centered in ConstantinopleCentered in Constantinople

Latin languageLatin language Greek languageGreek language

Priests cannot marryPriests cannot marry Priests can marryPriests can marry

Pope is head of churchPope is head of churchDid NOT recognize authority of Pope Did NOT recognize authority of Pope

(Patriarch)(Patriarch)

Church over StateChurch over StateState over ChurchState over ChurchEmperor claims authority over the Emperor claims authority over the Patriarch and other Bishops of the empirePatriarch and other Bishops of the empire

No icon worshipNo icon worship Worship of iconsWorship of icons

Divorce not allowedDivorce not allowed Divorce allowed under certain conditionsDivorce allowed under certain conditions

SCHISMSCHISM - 1054 CE Separation of Eastern and Western Churches

fall of the byzantine empire

From Justinian's rule to the 15th century, a 900-year period, the Empire battled continuously against various invaders.

Despite occasional successes, the Empire gradually yielded the following territories:

Italy to the Lombards;southern Spain to the Visigoths; Egypt, the rest of northern Africa, Syria, and Palestine to the Arabs; the Balkan provinces to the Bulgars, Serbs, and other Slavic-speaking peoples; and Asia Minor and some Balkan provinces to the Turks.

The Byzantine Empire ended in 1453 when Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks.

brief timeline

541-544: Bubonic Plague makes its first known appearance in the Mediterranean. Hundreds of thousands die across the Persian and Byzantine Empires. Justinian himself falls gravely ill with the disease. When he recovers he finds that his Empire’s financial and military strength has been gravely damaged by the plague.

livelihood

Like all medieval societies, Byzantium was overwhelmingly agrarian in nature;

A high proportion of Byzantine soldiers were also part-timers, reliant upon land holdings which they held in return for military service.

Rural people in Byzantium tended to live in small settlements of up to a few hundred people, rather than isolated farmhouses.

By the 12th century the state had largely lost its direct relationship with the main body of people who had to pay the bulk of its taxes, produced its food and other other agricultural goods, and serve in its armed forces.

Led to a loss of strength for the Byzantine state and compromised its survival.

byzantine silk

The Byzantine capital of Constantinople was the first significant silk-weaving center in Europe.

Raw silk was bought from China and made up into fine fabrics that commanded high prices throughout the world.

Later, silkworms were smuggled into the Empire and the overland silk trade gradually became less important.

Byzantine silks are significant for their brilliant colors, use of gold thread, and intricate designs that approach the pictorial complexity of embroidery in loom-woven fabric.

Mosaic: Ravenna, St. Vitale, Theodora's Procession

( note silk garments, especially at left by visible

sheen)

BYZANTINE SILK:

SMUGGLING AND

ESPIONAGE IN THE

6TH CENTURY CE

Posted by Patrick Hunt

Dr. Patrick Hunt, Stanford

University

trade and educationThe luxurious products of Byzantine craftspeople—jewelry, gemstones, silver and gold work, linen and woolen textiles, purple dyes—were in much demand.

Lots of trade - strategic location generated enormous wealth

State organized school system

Education was highly valued and widespread even among lower class

Citizens constantly engaged in intellectual disputes

byzantine art characteristics

Byzantine Art

Byzantine Art focus is on human figures

Most famous are the holy figures of the Christian faith: Christ, the Virgin Mary, the Saints, and the Apostles.

Angels often are represented in their company.

However, images of cherubs, mythological heroes, gods and goddesses show that they were still greatly influenced by the Greek and Roman civilizations of the past

Icons – small religious paintings in homes, churches & shrines (Jesus, the Madonna, Saints)

Mosaics - pictures made of many tiny pieces of colored glass or flat stone set in plaster

Illuminated manuscripts

Subjects of Byzantine art appeared stiff and artificial with calm, meditative faces to inspire reverence - artists tried to preserve what they believed to be the true appearances of the religious figures

Intellectual, idealistic, schematic, with restrained colors and reserved form.

Realism is rare and undesirable

The objective is the spiritual elevation of the believer

religion was glorified

THEME: THE FOUR Fs OF HIERATIC ARTTHEME: THE FOUR Fs OF HIERATIC ART

• (HIERATIC = ASSOCIATED WITH SACRED PERSONS AND SPACE)(HIERATIC = ASSOCIATED WITH SACRED PERSONS AND SPACE)

• FORMALFORMAL

• FLATFLAT

• FRONTALFRONTAL

• FLOATINGFLOATING

early, middle and late byzantine

empire

early byzantine (330 - 843 A.D)

early byzantine period (330 - 700 A.D)

Christianity replaced the gods of antiquity as the official religion of the culturally and religiously diverse state in the late 300s

Gold objects decorated with pierced-work patterns were one of the most popular forms of jewelry in the Late Roman/Byzantine empire, from the third though the seventh century.

The decoration of these objects, called diatrita in Greek and opus interrasile in Latin, ranged from simple patterns to elegantly complex motifs.

Pectoral Cross, 6th–7th century, Byzantine (Constantinople), Gold

middle Byzantium period (843–1204 A.D.)

middle byzantine period (843–1204 A.D.)

The resolution of the Iconoclastic controversy in favor of the use of icons ushered in a second flowering of the empire.

Art and architecture flourished during the Middle Byzantine period, owing to the

empire's growing wealth and broad base of affluent patrons.

Manuscript production reached an apogee, as

did works in cloisonné enamel and stone and ivory carving.

Medallion with Christ from an Icon Frame, ca. 1100Byzantine; From the Djumati Monastery, Georgia (now Republic of Georgia); Made in ConstantinopleCloisonné enamel, gold

USE OF ICONS

Icons (from the Greek eikones) are sacred images representing the saints, Christ, and the Virgin, as well as narrative scenes such as Christ's Crucifixion.

In Byzantium icons could be crafted in all media, including marble, ivory, ceramic, gemstone, precious metal, enamel, textile, fresco, and mosaic.

Icons ranged in size from the miniature to the monumental. Some were suspended around the neck as pendants

Medallion with Christ from an Icon Frame, ca.

1100 Byzantine; From the Djumati Monastery,

Georgia (now Republic of Georgia); Made in

Constantinople Cloisonné enamel, gold

USE OF ICONSThis medallion with its Greek inscriptions identifying the image as Jesus Christ, is from a group of twelve that once surrounded an icon of the Archangel Gabriel.

The medallions may have been sent as a gift from the Byzantine court to the neighboring Christian state of Georgia, and are among the finest surviving examples of cloisonné enamel.

In this Byzantine technique, compartments, or cells, were outlined by thin sheets of gold or silver, filled with colored glass paste, and then fired at a high temperature, with the melting glass forming a solid surface.

As in this medallion, the process often required several firings before the final polishing.

Medallion with Christ from an Icon Frame, ca.

1100 Byzantine; From the Djumati Monastery,

Georgia (now Republic of Georgia); Made in

Constantinople Cloisonné enamel, gold

MedallionFirst half of 12th century CE (Byzantine)Gold 900, enamel - Stamping, cloisonné From collection of B. and V. Khanenko

This medallion with the image of a saint (possibly the warrior saint Theodore) with Greek inscriptions is a beautiful example of the Byzantine cloisonne enamel.

A technique that became popular in the mid-10th century was used often with gold.

When heated, the colored glass paste melted, fused with the gold surface, and gave it a shiny laminate.

By the 12th century, there were several variations carried out and this included enameling incised scripts.

nms

virgin hodegetriaOne of the most famous Byzantine icons of all time, the Virgin Hodegetria (She who shows the Way) image was copied widely in Byzantium in all media

12th-century plaque found in Torcello Cathedral; a full-length figure like the original in Constantinople

Hodegetria by Berlinghiero of Lucca, (ca 1230) shows the Byzantine influence on Italian 13th-century art (Metropolitan Museum)

Casing for the icon “Hodegetria”1720s-1730s Silver 600, glassUkraineChasing, gilding

Hodegetria is a particular iconographic image in which the Virgin holds the Christ Child in her arms.

It originated in Constantinople in mid-9th century in the Monastery of the Hodegon (one who shows the way) where the monks tended to the blind.

Such a mode of representing the Virgin was widespread throughout Byzantium and Kievan Rus’ as well.

nms

Pendant icon with chain11th-12th century CE (Byzantine)Gold 900, 583, jet, garnet, quartz - Embossing, carving, filigree, inlay work Time and place of finding unknown, Collection of B. and V. Khanenko

Another example of Byzantine craftsmanship, this pendant icon was possibly worn by a high ranking bishop.

Its magnificence is due in part to its size and the use of carved gems set in a ground of gold filigree.

Such objects were part of the diplomatic goods sent to the Rus’ state.

NMS

Pendant Brooch with Cameo of Enthroned Virgin and Child, cameo 11th–12th century; Rus' mount 12th–14th centuryByzantine (Constantinople)Chalcedony cameo in gold mount with pearls, emeralds, garnets, sapphires, and sardonyx intaglio

This elegantly wrought pendant brooch displays a finely carved blue Byzantine cameo in a bejeweled gold frame.

Carved gems produced in the Byzantine empire were valued throughout the medieval world as diplomatic and religious gifts and as trade goods.

This example displays the Virgin and Child enthroned and flanked by busts of two archangels, a miniature version of the decoration of the apse in many Byzantine churches.

The frame, with pearls and gemstones on the face and a repoussé image of Christ holding his gospels and raising his right hand in a blessing gesture on the reverse, is similar to frames now in the Kremlin in Moscow that are dated to between the twelfth and the fourteenth century and attributed to Rus', the large region north of the imperial territories that in 988, under Vladimir the Great of Kiev, became a Christian state allied with Constantinople.

The cameo was probably sent to Rus', where the frame was made to appropriately house the rare object from the capital.

The size and decoration of the pendant suggest that it may have been made for a ranking prelate of the Orthodox Church.

The whole is an outstanding manifestation of the complex artistic relationships within the Byzantine sphere.

late byzantine period (1204-1453)

While the political boundaries of Late Byzantium were drastically reduced from the expansive lands of the Early and Middle Byzantine periods,

Byzantine religious influence still extended far beyond its borders.

The focus of Byzantine power was now centered in Constantinople.

The last Byzantine lands would be conquered by the Ottoman Turks in the mid-fifteenth century, with Constantinople taken in 1453.

Long after its fall, Byzantium set a standard for luxury, beauty, and learning that inspired the Latin West and the Islamic East.

Art and architecture flourished for significant periods in the Late Byzantine centuries.

end of the empire

portable / devotional arts

In the portable arts, devotional works of art, including icons for private devotion, continued to be made,

but in more economical materials, with the lesser metals replacing gold, silver, and fine cloisonné enamel once popular in Middle Byzantine art.

The medium of the miniature mosaic icon enjoyed particular popularity during the Late Byzantine centuries, with their brilliant surfaces and illusion of luxury formed from more modest materials such as colored stone, semiprecious gems, and glass embedded in wax or resin on a wooden support.

And that fits the last artifact:

Processional cross11th century CE (Byzantine)Bronze, iron - Forging, soldieringFrom Middle Dnieper, Collection of B. and V. Khanenko, beginning of 20th century

Elaborately decorated crosses were widely used in religious, military, and imperial processions during the Middle Byzantine era.

Often, as here, inscriptions in Greek identify the holy figures depicted in portrait busts.

On the front of this cross, the central medallion contains a bust of Christ.

The archangels Michael and Gabriel, the guardians of heaven, are pictured above and below him.

To left and right are the traditional intercessors on behalf of humankind: the Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ, and John the Forerunner (Saint John the Baptist) together making the Deisis (prayer or supplication).

Processional crosses such as this with gilted medallions were common in the first half of the 11th century. They were used in both religious and imperial processions. Typically there was the image of the blessing Christ in the centre medallion flanked by images of the Virgin Mary and the John the Baptist on those of the crossbars, together making up the Deisis.

nms

PROCESSIONAL CROSS

Processional Cross, ca. 1000–1050Byzantine Silver with gilding and gilded silver medallions

Processional Cross, ca. 1000–1050ByzantineSilver with gilding and gilded silver medallions

Church builders of the ninth to twelfth centuries in general favored smaller or mid-sized churches of domed, centrally planned design, with the "cross-in-square plan" emerging as one of the most popular.

The processional crosses take the form of such church designs

Hagia Sophia in Thessaloniki, an example of the "cross-domed" type often cited as a precursor to the cross-in-square.

Compact cross-in-square plan

shape of cross based on cross-in-square plan

A cross-bearing procession is about to start from the Assumption Cathedral of the Kievo-Pecherskago Lavra (Kievan Monastery of the

Caves). The cross will be carried to St Sophia Cathedral where the Ukrainians took the oath of allegiance to the Russian tsar 354 years ago.

A church service will be held, after which, representatives of Ukrainian Christian and patriotic groups will appeal to the government to

safeguard the unity of the three Christian republics of the Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus.

17 January 2008

Voice of Russia World Service