The Byzantine Empire Chapter 10, Section 1

Constantinople at a Crossroads As its height, the Ancient Roman Empire controlled the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. It also ruled parts of northern Europe and the region we call now Middle East. In the centuries after Rome’s power faded, these lands went through a tug war. Two groups developed powerful civilizations at this time: the Christian Byzantines the Muslim Arabs and Turks

Constantine and His Capital The reign of Constantine was marked by two important changes: He became a Christian and stopped the persecution of Christians. Moved the capital from Rome to Byzantium. He spared no expense building and fortifying his capital, which was renamed Constantinople.

An estimated half a million people lived there. Constantinople had: Large markets Forums Paved roads A cathedral A palace Public Baths A circus The following emperors continued to rule from Constantinople. When the Roman Empire split into two parts, the eastern part proved to be stronger. They had the strongest army in the region. Trade.

Trade The Bosporus is a strait or narrow channel that links two bodies of water. It connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara (which flows into the Mediterranean Sea). Goods came to Constantinople from: Kiev in the North Egypt in the South China in the East.

The Byzantines Stand Alone The Western Roman Empire fell. After it fell, the eastern stood alone. The period from the fall of the Roman Empire in A.D. 476 to about 1500 is known as the Middle Ages or medieval. In the early Middle Ages, the Byzantine Empire remained strong, allowing them to preserve many Roman achievements and traditions.

The Age of Justinian As Rome was falling to invaders, strong fortifications and an excellent army protected Constantinople. The Byzantine Empire had also many excellent rulers who were wise as popular, who encouraged education and made reforms to laws and government contributing to the strength of their empire.

The Emperor Justinian Justinian was one of the greatest Byzantine emperors, whose rule began in 527. He had been born into a poor family. He was an energetic ruler who rarely gave up on a task until it was completed. He listened to the ideas of all his subjects- whether they were wealthy or poor.

Justinian’s Code One of his most lasting contributions was a system of laws. Before, the empire was using a system of old Roman laws, who contradicted others and was difficult to make sense of them, or to enforce them. Justinian appointed a team to collect and summarize centuries of Roman laws. The result was Justinian’s Code, an organized collection and explanation of Roman laws for use by the Byzantine Empire.

Byzantine Culture Byzantine scholars also kept and copied the works of the ancient Greeks. Byzantine civilization blended Greek, Roman, and Christian influences. Later, when the empire was in decline, scholars took ancient manuscripts and their knowledge of the rich Byzantine culture to the newly powerful city-states of Italy.

The Empire Later Years After Justinian’s death in 565, the Byzantine Empire began to decline. Later emperors had to fight wars against many neighbors: Persians and Turks to the East Arabs to the South Germanic peoples to the North and West. The Byzantine Empire was shrinking in both: size and power.

A Religious Dispute Although most Byzantines were Christians, they did not practice Christianity the same way as the people in Western Europe did.   At that time, many Christians prayed to saints or holy people, represented by icons, or painting of these people. In the 700s, a Byzantine emperor outlawed the use of icons, saying that they violated God’s commandments. The pope disagreed, and banished the emperor from the church. Byzantine felt that the pope did not have the authority to banish the emperor from the church. These disputes led to a schism or split in Christian church in 1504.

Differences between Christians   Eastern Orthodox Roman Catholic Head of Church Patriarch Pope Had Most Power Over Church Emperor Main Location Eastern Europe Western Europe Language Greek Latin Practices Priest could marry Pope’s authority was not recognized. Priest could not marry Pope had supreme authority.

A Second Golden Age From about 900 until the 1000’s the Byzantine Empire experienced a final period of greatness, trade increased and merchants came to Constantinople. Once again the population of the city grew in size and diversity. The long reign of Basil II-from 976 until 1025- was the most exceptional period of Byzantine history since Justinian. The empire regained some of the land it had lost. There was a burst of creativity in the arts.

The Fall of Constantinople During the 1000’s Muslims were also gaining power. By the late 1000s Turks had taken the inland areas of Asia Minor away from the weakening Byzantine Empire. The Byzantines were also threatened by Europeans. In 1171, disagreements of trade led to a war with Venice. In the early 1200s, Constantinople was attacked by Christian crusaders. Western Christians ruled the city for 50 years. In 1261, the Byzantines regained their capital but little was left of their empire.

In 1453, a force of about 70,000 Turks surrounded Constantinople In 1453, a force of about 70,000 Turks surrounded Constantinople. They came by sea and by land and attacked the city’s wall. The defending force who were about 7,000, held out for two months. Then the Byzantine capital finally fell. The new rulers would rebuild the city and make it an imperial capital renamed Istanbul. The city became a great center of Muslim culture and the capital of Ottoman Empire.

Chapter 10, Section 1 Assessment (a) Locate. Where was Constantinople located? (b) Identify Effects. How did its location contribute to its growth and the strength of the Byzantine Empire? 2. (a) Recall. What qualities made Justinian a good and successful ruler? (b) Draw Conclusions. Why was Justinian’s code so important? 3. (a) Explain. What was the dispute that split the medieval Christian church? (b) Draw Conclusions. Why might that split have weakened the empire?