THE BYZANTINES AND THE SLAVS

The Post-Classical Period

The New

Rome

Byzantine Foundations

After the Roman Empire divided in 395, the eastern half became known as the Byzantine Empire

Constantinople was the capitol Mixture of Roman, Greek, and Persian

cultural traditions made Byzantium unique

Between 500 and 1200, this civilization was one of the most advanced in the world

Wealthiest part of the Roman Empire

Justinian and Theodora Justinian ruled the Byzantine Empire at its height Theodora, his wife, was very involved with politics and worked hard to improve the social standing of women Justinian protected his empire from the Persians and fought to re-conquer the

western Roman Empire Justinian appointed a commission to codify

Rome’s laws Justinian code preserved Rome’s legal heritage

and became the basis for most European legal systems

Byzantine Religion

During Justinian’s reign the Hagia Sophia was built Emperors were seen as God’s representatives on

earth and starting in the 400s they were crowned by the Patriarch of Constantinople

Emperors played a major role in church affairs The controversy over the use of icons became a

political issue by the 700s. Emperor Leo III ordered all icons to be removed from

churches Church leaders resisted the order A church council in Nicaea (787) approved the use of icons The Eastern Church further settled the issue in 843 by

allowing pictures but not statues

Conflict with the Church in Rome

Iconoclastic Controversy The pope in Rome v. the patriarch in

Constantinople The pope granted Charlemagne the title

of Emperor, which the patriarch was only legally able to do

In 1054 a schism, or separation, occurs The separated the church into the Roman

Catholic church in the west and the Eastern Orthodox Church in the east

Byzantine Life

Byzantine society had a hierarchy of social groups, but there was much mobility

Family was the center of life Marriage was a sacred institution- divorce was

difficult Women were to live in partial seclusion

The economy was based on farming, herding, or laborers- major industry was weaving silk Commerce thrived in cities

Art and Learning

Art was primarily of religious subjects Mosaics Illuminated Manuscripts Education and Learning was also important in

Byzantine Culture University of Constantinople est. 850 Wealthy people hired tutors for their kids Literature focused on Salvation of the soul and

obedience to God’s will Byzantine scholars spent much of their time

copying the writings of ancient Greeks and Romans

The spread of Christianity By the end of the 300s, monasteries and

converts were formed Missionaries were also sent out to carry

messages about Christianity to others Cyril and Methodius

Believed that the Slavic peoples would be more accepting of Christianity if it was presented in their own language

Created the Cyrillic alphabet Translated the Bible to this language and wom

many converts

Decline and Fall of the Byzantine

Frequent attacks from the Germanic Lombards, Slavs, Avars, Bulgars, Persians, and Arabs

626- the Slavs were at the walls of Constantinople, but their advance was stopped

By the 630s, the Arabs conquered Syria and Palestine and were moving into N. Africa

By 700 the Byzantine Empire was reduced to primarily Greek territory

1071 Normans seized southern Italy and the Seljuk Turks defeated the Byzantine town of Manzikert

The Ottoman Turks invaded the eastern provinces By 1300 the Byzantine Empire consisted of

Constantinople and Greece 1453 the Ottomans laid siege to Constantinople

Armenia and Georgia

Armenia- Kingdom came under the power of the Roman Empire in 55 B.C. In the 300s A.D. they came under the influence of Christianity. Gregory, a missionary converted the king to Christianity, and Armenia became the first officially Christian country in the world.

Georgia- the Silk road passed through the Caucasus Mountains, which allowed for much cultural diffusion. Christianity spread to Georgia in the 300s A.D. and the country eventually became a battle ground between the Persians and the Byzantines, and it eventually becomes part of Russia.

The Eastern Slavs

The Eastern Slavs

When Constantinople fell, the leadership of the Eastern Orthodox Church fell to the Slavs

Their civilization was built on Byzantine religion, law and culture

Early Slavs lived in villages and relied on agriculture and hunting

Most of their houses were sturdy log homes build without nails

Rivers were used for trade

Kievan Rus

Vikings protected Slavic trade routes and provided military aid Rurik was the Viking leader who named the

region Rus Oleg, Rurik’s successor conquered Kiev,

which allowed him to control the water trade route

They established a trade relationship with the Byzantine Empire

Government was organized into principalities with local self-government

Arrival of Christianity

Before AD 900, the Slavs worshipped nature spirits and gods such as Perun, the god of thunder

Contact with the Byzantine Empire introduced them to Christianity

Olga, a Kievan princess, was the firs to accept Christianity and her grandson Vladimir made it the official religion

As a result, monasteries were developed and Kiev cut ties with western Europe

Kiev’s Golden Age and Decline

Kiev’s civilization reaches its height under Yaroslav’s rule

First library was created Legal system drew from Justinian’s Code Culture was significantly ahead of any

city in western Europe Declined after Yaroslav’s Death

Began the practice of dividing the lands among his sons

No clear line of succession Mongol Invaders

Mongol Rule

Mongols conquered much of the Slav’s territory, but simply wanted to impose taxes, not their own culture on the conquered people

Many monks, farmers, and artisans moved to the remote northern regions to avoid Mongol rule, creating Novgorod

Novgorod becomes a strong independent principality after successfully defeated the invading Swedes

Moscow’s Beginnings

Small prosperous town located near vital land and water routes

Territory grew by war and diplomatic marriages 1325 leadership of the Eastern Orthodox church

was transferred there Moscow was heavily burdened by Mongol taxes Over the course of 100 years, the people of

Moscow slowly drove the Mongols out Under Ivan III, Moscow finally refused to pay

taxes Ivan brought the Russian principalities under his

rule, and became known as Ivan the Great

The Third Rome

Ivan III married Sophia, the niece of the last Byzantine emperor

He named himself ceasar and made the two-headed eagle of the Byzantine empire the symbol of his rule

By 1493, Ivan called himself sovereign of all Russia and the land was 100 times larger than Moscow

The people spoke one language and Moscow became home to the Eastern Orthodox Church