The Greatness of the Byzantine Empire!! “The Byzantine Empire survived and prospered, creating a civilization that blended Greek, Roman, and Christian ideas.”

The Byzantine Empire is a continuation of the Roman Empire!

How were the Byzantine citizens where different from Roman citizens? Few people spoke Latin; most spoke Greek

Who is Constantine? Roman Emperor-324 Converts to Christianity - 330 New capital for Roman Empire Christianity spread eastward Constantine is the Roman Emperor who converts to Christianity after having a vision which tells him to paint crosses on troop shields. They win a major battle, he takes it as a sign, and converts in 330 A.D. He went on to establish a new capital of the Roman Empire in a region known as Byzantium and calls the city Constantinople, which is the modern day city of Istanbul in Turkey. His rule helped ensure the eastward spread of Christianity. C. 288 A.D.–337 A.D.

Why Move to Constantinople? Trade Best trade routes are EAST of Rome Ancient city of Byzantium-prime location Black and Aegean Seas Safe Harbor East-west land route The Roman Empire depended on trade… the best trade routes are all to the EAST of Rome and the best city to control all of the trade routes is the ancient city of Byzantium. The city controls the major waterway between the Black and Aegean Seas. It is a Great Harbor for fishing, trade and military purposes. It sits at the crossroads of both land and sea trade between Europe and Asia. It sits at a location that controls sea trade between the Mediterranean Sea and the Kievan Rus. Easily defended… Surrounded by the sea on three sides and a great fortified wall on the other. Also it is not ROME… a fresh start for Christianity and its new emperor. Trade and industry in Constantinople were strictly controlled by the government. The main industry was textiles and in about 550, silkworms were smuggled out of China and used to The Roman Empire is dependent upon trade and the best trade routes were all to the EAST of Rome. In addition, Byzantium was on the waterway between the Black and Aegean Seas. The harbor offered safety for fishing boats, merchant ships, and warships. The city was at the crossroads between Europe and Asia. The location provided control of the sea trade between Kievan Rus and the Mediterranean area. One of the major east-west land trade routes also passed through the city.

Economic Systems Traded with people all over the world British Isles=wool China=silk Africa=cotton & grain India=spices Russia=furs Use the Silk Road Used gold coins

Who is Emperor Justinian? Emperor Justinian came to the throne in 527 A.D. His goal was to restore the Roman Empire and to govern it as a whole.

Achieving his goal To achieve this he… Paid Persian Kings not to attack Western Asia His armies conquered Italy and much of the land around the Mediterranean

Justinian’s Wife Justinian’s wife, Theodora became his most trusted advisor. He valued her intelligence and political wisdom.

Justinian’s Accomplishments Justinian’s passions were Law and Church. He rebuilt the Christian Church Hagia Sophia To show his strong ties to the Christian Church 2. Organized a new legal system called the Justinian Code. - This made laws clearer and fairer.

Justinian’s Code and its impact: Collection of over 400 years of Roman law and decisions made by Roman judges created a single uniform code of law; comprised of nearly 5000 laws, legal opinions, textbook for law students, and new legislation Impact- provided the basis of law for the Byzantine Empire for 900 years; many of those ideas used in the USA today

Byzantine and the Church During Justinian’s rule art and architecture flourished. Many cathedrals were constructed and the interiors were decorated with great detail. The greatest cathedral in the Empire was the Hagia Sophia. Byzantine Emperors and the church had strong ties. The official church of the Byzantine empire was the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Empire and Church What role did Christianity play in the Byzantine Empire? What contributions did monasteries make to Byzantine society and culture? Christianity was the official religion and it was believed the emperor represented Christ on Earth. Thus, the emperor was not only the head of government but also of the Church. The Patriarch was the leader of the Church in Constantinople and he was chose by the emperor. Under him were metropolitans (church officials in charge of the empire’s important areas). Under them were the bishops and priests. Above priests, the church officials all came from monasteries and were not married. Monasteries played an important role in the Byzantine Empire. They helped the poor, ran hospitals and schools for needy children. In order to help keep the peace, they sent missionaries to neighboring lands. Missionaries translated parts of the Bible and some religious services into several eastern European languages. They believed more people would convert to Christianity if the Bible and Church ceremonies were in their own languages. One missionary, Cyril, brought the Slavs an alphabet based on the Greek alphabet (Cyrillic).

IAN page 69 Title: Byzantine Contributions IAN page 69 Title: Byzantine Contributions. Draw a circle in the center of the page. Byzantine Contributions

Byzantine Contributions

The Empire Declines The Empire lasted 500 years. After the death of Justinian the Empire slowly declined. 2 major reasons the land gained was invaded and the empire continued to shrink. Ottoman Turks The Christian Church divided in 1054.

The Church Divides In 1054 the Christian church divides into 2 parts. The major disagreement was the use of Icons. Icons are religious pictures or images of Jesus or Saints. The Byzantine Empire did not like the use of icons.

Another disagreement concerned the role of the Emperor. In the east, the emperor also was the head of the church. He claimed to rule directly in the name of Jesus. He also appointed all church officials. The western church claimed that the Pope, or leader of the Roman church, had authority over all Christians, including the emperor. After the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church existed separately.

Gettin' Byzzy With It! Video Link (Flocabulary)