The Byzantine Empire and the Crusades

 Explain the reign of Justinian  Anaulze the changes from Eastern Roman Empire to Byzantine Empire  Explain life in Constantinople  Explain the problems of the Byzantine Empire  Analyze the crusades

 Western Roman Empire- Germanic Tribes, Eastern Roman Empire- continued.  Justinian became Eastern Roman Emperor in 527 and wanted to reestablish the whole Empire.  By 522 his empire included Italy, part of Spain, North Africa, Asia Minor, Palestine, and Syria.  Most important contribution was his codification of Roman Law, called The Body of Civil Law.

 Justinians empire had many problems.  too much territory away from Constantinople,  empty treasury  population decline,  and frontier threats.  Most serious challenge- rise of Islam.  Smaller Eastern Roman Empire called the Byzantine Empire emerged and lasted until 1453.

 Both Greek and Christian State.  Greek replaced Latin as the official language.  Christian church of the Byzantine empire came to be known as the Eastern Orthodox Church.  Emperor was head of the church, known s the Patriarch.

 Up until the 12 th century, Constantinople was medieval Europe’s trading center.  East v. West crossover  Justinian spent a great deal of time on public works programs:  Roads, bridges, walls, public baths, law courts, schools, churches, and underground reservoirs.  Greatest Achievement: Hagia Sophia

 Byzantine empire recovered and even expanded through a new dynasty of emperors called the Macedonians ( )  Expanded from Bulgaria to the Balkans  Macedonian dynasty of the 10 th and 11 th century restored power, but bad rulers soon destroyed most of the advances.

 Problems with the Church: Eastern Orthodox faith refused to accept pope’s claim that he was the sole head of the Christian faith.  Pope Leo IX and Patriarch Michael Cerularius excommunicated one another, beginning a schism.  Challenge from the Seljuk Turks, which resulted in emperor Alexius I turning to Europe for military aid, resulting in the Crusades.

 Military expeditions to regain the Holy Land from the Muslims.  Pope Urban saw Alexius I call for help as a change to rally warriors for the liberation of Jerusalem and the Holy Land (Palestine) from the infidels or unbelievers- the Muslims living in the area.  Western Europeans, particularly the French, formed the first crusading armies.  Different motivating factors for Knights

 Reached Jerusalem in June  Holy City taken, massacre of the inhabitants.  Crusaders depended on Italian cities for supplies from Europe.  Genoa, Pisa and Venice prospered.

 Fall of a Latin Kingdom in 1140 led to a call for a Second Crusade, especially from Bernard of Clairvaux.  Second crusade was a failure.  In 1187 Jerusalem fell to the Muslim forces under Saladin.

 Fall under Saladin led to a Third Crusade led by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa of Germany; Richard I (Richard the Lionhearted) of England; and Philip II Augustus of France.  Frederick drowned, England and France could not move inland, Philip went home, Richard negotiated with Saladin.

 6 years after Saladin died (1193) Pope Innocent III started the 4 th Crusade.  Fight over the Byzantine throne, Byzantine army did not recapture Constantinople until  Germany Nicholas of Cologne started “children’s crusade”

 Historians disagree on the crusades effect on European civilization.  Benefited port cities in Italy.  First attack on Jews  Political impact- break down of feudalism  Emergence of Portugal, Spain, England and France as the strongest European states.