THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE Ms. Carmelitano

Background of Constantinople  Emperor Constantine re-named Byzantium, Constantinople in 330 CE  Constantinople is located between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea It was easily defensible It became the “cross roads for trade” between Asia and Europe  Justinian became emperor in 527 AD  “The Last of the Roman Emperors”

Justinian’s Building Program  Justinian launched a program to re-build the city  The most ambitious building program in the Roman world  Built a 14-mile stone wall along the city to fortify the area on its western border

Church Building  Justinian believed that churches were the most visible sign of the government's control over religion  Built the Hagia Sophia Name means “Holy Wisdom” Most splendid Church in the Christian world The original church had been destroyed in 532 BCE, and Justinian re-built it It would later be used as a Mosque, and today is used as a museum in Istanbul, Turkey

Building Programs  Justinian expanded his palace into a giant complex  Built baths, aqueducts, law courts, schools, and hospitals

Art of the Byzantines  The Byzantines preserved Greco-Roman art  Religious art:  Icons: religious images of figures  Mosaics in religious and secular buildings

Preserving the past  Preservation of Greco-Roman Culture  Families were educated on classical learning Greek, Latin, Philosophy, classic literature, Homer, Geometry from Euclid, Herodotus history, Medicine  The Byzantine’s preserved literature from Greece and Rome

Culture in Constantinople  The city was a fast paced trading city  The main street running through the city was called the “Mese”  It means: “Middle Way”  Products from Asia, Africa, Europe could be bought and sold  Free entertainment at the Hippodrome  This was an arena in the city (From the Greek words “horse” and “racecourse”)  Spectators could view chariot races and dramatic performances  It held 60,000 people

Influences on Russia  Tribes of Slavic farmers inhabited the forested regions along the Dnieper Don, and Volga Rivers  Surrounding the Black and Caspian Sea  These tribes spoke similar languages but had no political unity  In 862 CE a Ruk, a Viking Chief, was elected as king of the Slavs and founded the first major city: Kiev

How they were influenced  In 957 CE a Kievan Princess, Olga, visited Constantinople  She converted to Christianity  Missionaries would further spread the religion  Churches were influenced by Byzantine artwork  Greek Alphabet