The Byzantine Empire By Bryan Burton, Jesse Wagner, and Makayla Morris

Who Were the Byzantines?  The Byzantines were a Greek speaking eastern Roman empire of the Middle Ages.  Lasted from about 306 AD to 1453 AD.  Centered around capitol of Constantinople.  Ruled by emperors in direct succession of the Roman rulers.  It remained an economic, military, and cultural powerhouse despite losing territory throughout the years.

Where did They Come From?  It is impossible to find an exact date for when they separated from the Romans.  It was a gradual process, and the concept of a separate Byzantine Empire is a phrase coined my modern historians.  However, Emperor Constantine I moved the capital from Nicomedia to Byzantium (Later renamed Constantinople) in 324, marking a turning point in their history.  The citizens of the time referred to themselves as a part of the Roman Empire or as Romania.

History  Christianity grew rapidly in the area especially after Constantine I.  After splitting with Rome, they went through many Dynasties.  The Byzantine Empire gradually grew smaller and smaller. By 650, it was less than half of its original size.  Poor leaders and an inability to enforce the laws led to their shrinking territory.  They were involved in several wars, including the Muslim Wars and Bulgarian Wars.  The Black Plague and Arab invasions also harmed their society.

Councils of Nicaea  Constantine I was somewhat involved, however it is speculated that he participated in hope of political gain, not because he was a believer.  Resulted in first uniform Christian doctrine: the Creed of Nicaea.  Purpose was to define beliefs of all of Christianity.  Solidified belief of role of Christ and defined what it is to believe in the Apostles and Christ.  Decided on the official date of Easter.  Dealt with technicalities of Christianity.  Controversy as to how much influence the various Councils had over the formation of the modern Bible. –They may have selected some of the books that are a part of the Bible.

The Crusades  Pope Urban II called a Council of Clermont and encouraged the people of Western Europe to partake in a armed pilgrimage to drive the Muslims out of Jerusalem. –Wanted to aid the persecuted Christians there and to expand his own power.  This was called the First Crusade, which was quickly followed by the Second Crusade.  Eventually a Third and Fourth Crusade occurred, temporarily expanding the Byzantine Empire’s influence.

Culture  Byzantine was an economic powerhouse. They had a uniform system of coinage to help regulate the economy. –Constantinople was a mecca for trade. The silk road also expanded their aspirations.  They had very few contributions to science until the Renaissance when they expanded knowledge of mathematics and astronomy.  Christianity became popular in Byzantine, but it was never uniform. The Eastern Orthodox church and the Nestorians (now called the Assyrian Church of the East) were two of the most popular denominations.  The Jews were a constant minority.

Culture (cont.)  Byzantine art dealt with religion and church theology. –Influenced Italian Renaissance art.  They also had unique and influential architecture.  The Byzantines wrote a lot of literature, primarily religious manuscripts and poetry.  Primary languages were Greek and Latin, but being a major trade area other languages became popular including Syriac, Aramaic, Coptic, Armenian, Georgian, Slavonic, Vlach, Arabic, and Chinese.

Government  Byzantine emperors were absolute and regarded as having divine origin.  They also had a bureaucracy of courts and the military. –This was ordered and flexible according to the empire’s situation. –Many individuals were a part of the government simply for their own good or the Emperor’s personal gain, not for the good of the empire.

Lasting Impact  Byzantine was the only stable long term European nation in the Middle Ages and server as a barrier between Asia and Western Europe. –It was constantly under attack, shielding the western world.  They had a big influence on the growing religion of Christianity.  Their culture and ideas ran opposite of that of Western Europe.  Byzantine also influenced art and literature.

Bibliography  /byzantium/time.html /byzantium/time.html /byzantium/time.html  e_Empire e_Empire e_Empire  uncil_of_Nicaea uncil_of_Nicaea uncil_of_Nicaea