The “New Rome” byzantium

The Roman Empire Divided in 294

Constantine’s City--Constantinople

Constantinople: A Greek City (Istanbul Today)

Sunset on the “Golden Horn”

Why that location for a capital? Protection for the eastern frontier Farther from invading germanic tribes Closer to valuable trade routes to the east Easily fortified and defendable location, a peninsula surrounded by water on 3 sides

Result of moving the capital The western empire disappeared and the east became stronger

Justinian 527-564 CE Succeeds his uncle as emperor in 527 Sees himself as a true “Roman” emperor and wants to re-conquer the western mediterranean He almost succeeded

Justinian’s Empire at its Peak

Emperor Justinian [r. 527-564]

Empress Theodora

Justinian’s major accomplishments Corpus Juris Civilis: 1. Digest 2. Code 3. Institutes  A summary of Roman law since the founding of Rome, The law code had 3 parts, the laws, judicial decisions and a text on how to interpret those decisions.

Justinian’s Church-The Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom)

Interior of the Church of Hagia Sophia

Legacy of the Byzantines Art and architecture Preservation of ancient Greek and Roman cultures Expansion of Eastern Orthodoxy to Eastern Europe and Russia

Art and Architecture Byzantine Christian art is very stylized. It can be done in mosaic or painted but usually contains a lot of gold. The following examples come from the Haia Sophia which was the Church of the Holy Wisdom built by Justinian.It was made into a mosque in 1453 after the Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople.

Byzantine Emperor

An angel Christ

Mary and Jesus surrounded by an Emperor and Empress.

An Empress An emperor

Emperor Constantine

Emperor Justinian holding Hagia Sophia

Interior of Hagia Sophia

Entrance to Hagia Sophia

East v west Eastern church Western church Centered in Constantinople Use of Greek language in the liturgy Centered in Rome Use of latin language in the liturgy

division Eastern orthodox church Roman Catholic Church Authority of the Emperor, then the Patriarch Priests do not have to obey celibacy Authority of the Pope accepted in the west Celibacy required in the Catholic church

Great Schism 1054 the two churches officially split when the Pope excommunicated the Patriarch in the east and the patriarch excommunicated the Pope. The split still causes friction between the two types of Christianity

Legacy of the Byzantines Expanded trade routes from the Black Sea to the Baltic Sea Adoption of Orthodox Christianity in Eastern Europe and Russia Adoption of the Greek alphabet by the slavic cultures of Eastern Europe, Cyrillic Alphabet. Church architecture and religious art

Early Byzantine Influences: Orthodox Christianity Russian clergy and a Russian Cathedral

Inside of a Russian Cathedral

Early Byzantine Influences: Cyrillic Alphabet St. Cyrill Russian version of the Cyrillic alphabet

Novgorod, Russia

The Byzantine Orthodox influence can also been seen in the following branches of Eastern Orthodoxy Serbian Greek Romanian Albanian

And, believe it or don’t The Byzantine Catholic Branch of the Roman Catholic Church St Mary’s Byzantine Catholic Church St. Clair, Pa

Byzantine Catholics recognize the authority of the Pope but the liturgy used is from the Orthodox tradition, including using Icons an Icon of the Virgin Mary and infant Christ from inside St. Mary’s Byzantine Catholic Church in St.Clair , Pa