Aim: The Commonwealth of Byzantium
Vocabulary Ecclesiastic Sagacious Anachranism Laity Icon Ascetic Truncate Conduit
Early Byzantine Empire Byzantium - Capital of E. Rome Faced less external pressure and enjoyed greater economic success
Geography Strategic Location Bosporous Strait
Government Strong Central Government Complex Bureaucracy (Byzantine) Lavish Court Life
Caesaropapism Divine Favor and Sanction for Rule Rulers had major role in Secular and Ecclesiastical affairs
Emperor Justinian (527 CE – 565 CE) “The Sleepless Emperor” Empress Theodora Justinian Code Re-Conquest General Belisarius Rebuild and Glorify Constantinople
Challenges to Byzantium Persian Empire – Sasanids (East) Islamic Empire (S and E) Slavic Peoples (North) Western Europe Visogoths, Vandals, Normans Successful Defense Displays Core Strength Greek Fire
Byzantine Economy
AGRICULTURE THEME SYSTEM Large Class of Free Peasantry Large Estate Development Land is basic unit of wealth Agricultural Surplus (Anatolia)
Industry Famed Craftsmen and Artisans Banks – Loans for Capital Business Partnerships High Quality Silk Gov’t Intervened in Sericulture to stop monopolies
Trade in Byzantium Imports Constantinople is Center of Trade China – Silk/Porcelain India/SE Asia - Spices Persia - Carpets W. Europe – Wool Textiles Russia/Scandanavia – Timber, Fur, Honey, Slaves Constantinople is Center of Trade Bezant – Standard Med. Currency
Constantinople “The City” Class Appropriate Housing City Baths, Theaters, Taverns Hippodrome Chariot Races: Greens and Blues
Greek Influence Language Education Scholarship
What was the role of Christianity in the Byzantine Empire?
The Emperor Caesaropapism Religious and Secular Leader Head of Church and State Appointed bishops Passed religious and secular laws - ICONOCLASM
Conflicts with the West Pope rivaled King’s power Byzantine – Greek Rome – Latin Patriarch Michael and Pope Excommunicated each other Kicked out of the church
The Schism Western Rome – Roman Catholic Byzantine Empire Eastern Orthodox Russian Orthodox
The Hagia Sophia
Icons
The Byzantine Empire and its Neighbors
The West Crusades of 12th and 13th Centuries Constantinople sacked in 1204
The East Seljuk Turks Ottoman Turks conquer Constantinople Threaten Grain Supply Ottoman Turks conquer Constantinople 1453
Influence on Slavic Cultures Saints Cyril and Methodius Missionaries Created Cyrillic Alphabet Strong links between cultures
Kievan Rus 989 – The Conversion of Prince Vladimir Heavy Byzantine Influence Due to Trade and Religion Eastern Orthodox Christianity
The Fall Rise of New Slavic Kingdoms Foreign Pressure Turks Normans Internal Pressure Elite Class Too Powerful Peasant Decline Appealed to West for Help from Infidels Turkish Sultan Conquers in 1453
Impact Durable Empire Spread Classical Roman and Christian Ideas Protected Europe from Islamic Invasion 1000 years of political structure
Compare the fall of civilization in Eastern and Western Rome.