1. Ch. 10: The Byzantine Empire & Russia
Sec. 1: The Byzantine Empire

2. The Growth of the Byzantine Empire
The emperor Justinian ruled the Byzantine Empire in the A.D. 500s, one of the greatest periods in Byzantine history

3. Perhaps his greatest contribution was collecting & preserving Roman law
This collection, known as the Justinian Code, contained useful laws, legal opinions, & a guide for law students

4. It formed the basis of Byzantine law & provided the framework for many European legal systems
The Code preserved the Roman idea that people should be ruled by laws rather than by the whims of leaders, which formed the basis of English civil law

5. At the urging of his wife, Theodora, Justinian changed Byzantine law to improve the status of women
He changed the divorce laws & allowed Christian women to own property equal to their dowry
A dowry was the $ or goods a wife brought to a husband in marriage

6. As his general, Justinian wisely chose an experienced commander; Belisarius, who expanded the Byzantine Empire to its greatest size

7. Strengths of the Empire
An all-powerful emperor & strong central gov’t ruled the empire
Gov’t officials were skilled, efficient, & well paid
Well-trained & well-armed military forces protected the borders

8. The Byzantine navy equipped its ships w/ a chemical called “Greek fire”; when sprayed onto enemy ships, it burst into flames
The grand city of Constantinople, located where Europe meets Asia, grew wealthy from trade
Taxes paid soldiers & gov’t officials plus built magnificent public buildings

9. The Christian Church
The Christian church was important to the empire, but differences between West & East divided the church
The Byzantines did not recognize the authority of the pope
The patriarch of Constantinople headed the Eastern church

10. Religious practices also divided West from East
An icon is a holy picture of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, or a saint & many Byzantines honored icons
Iconoclasts opposed icons as the worship of idols

11. This debate is called the Iconoclastic Controversy
Emperor Leo III ordered the destruction of icons
However, many people couldn’t read or write & icons helped them learn about Christianity

12. The pope & council of bishops in Rome decided that abolishing icons was a heresy – an opinion that conflicts w/ official church beliefs
The council threatened iconoclasts w/ excommunication, banning them from membership in the church

13. This decision helped split the church
The Roman Catholic Church kept the pope as its head
The Eastern Orthodox Church was led by the patriarch of Constantinople
Ironically, the Eastern church later accepted icons

14. Byzantine civilization thrived
Its scholars preserved the learning of Greece, Rome, & the East & produced new works of scholarship
Christian missionaries carried Byzantine culture to new lands

15. The brothers Cyril & Methodius taught the Bible to the Slavs
Bcuz they had no written language, Cyril & Methodius created a Slavic alphabet, known as Cyrillic
The Byzantines created beautiful murals & icons in their churches

16. Floors, walls, & arches glowed w/ mosaics – a picture or design made from small pieces of enamel, glass, or stone
The Byzantines also created great religious architecture, such as the church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople

17. Built by Justinian, the huge church was an architectural wonder
Although domes had been built before, the Byzantines were the 1st to successfully place a round dome over a rectangular building

18. The Decline of the Empire
After Justinian, the Byzantine Empire lost much land
During the A.D. 1000s the Seljuq Turks, a nomadic people from central Asia, captured Asia Minor
This region was an important source of food & soldiers for the empire

19. The Byzantine emperor asked the West to help defend Constantinople
Western forces seized Asia Minor, but later turned against the Byzantines & seized Constantinople

20. The empire never regained its former strength
In the A.D. 1400s a rising Asian power, the Ottoman Turks, captured Constantinople & established their own empire