1. Byzantium A New Rome
When the City of Rome fell, what happened to the heart of the Roman Empire?

2. Constantine
Moved his capital to Byzantium in 330 AD and changed the name to Constantinople and Founded the Byzantine Empire
Byzantium sits along the main land route from Europe to Asia
Able to be defended very well because of a deep water port with sea gates
Agriculturally rich area

3. Results of the move from Rome to Constantinople:
Constantinople let go of Roman traditions and developed its own personality.
Gradual split of Christian Church
Roman Catholic—uses Latin
Eastern Orthodox—uses Greek

4. Byzantium Flourished as a center for learning
Scholars came from Athens, Antioch, and Alexandria where Greek philosophy was studied
Great interest in the Classics. The “dark age” never happened for the East.
Widespread influence throughout the “world.”

5. Emperor Justinian ( )
Tried unsuccessfully to reunite the Western and Eastern Roman Empires.
Reconquered several areas
He and his wife Empress Theodora condensed Roman Law into a more efficient legal system that had a lasting influence.

6. Arts flourished Rich materials used – MOSAICS were an important medium
Style is called hieratic
A man should be 9 heads tall
Hairline 1 nose above the forehead.
Formal, frontal poses, long bodies
Classical themes and styles

7. What are Mosaics?
Mosaics are designs or pictures created by embedding small pieces of glass, stone, terracotta etc. into a bed of cement or other form of fixative.

9. History of Mosaics
The art of mosaic has been practiced for thousands of years, but mosaic as we know it was developed into an art by the Greeks, who then passed their skills on to the Romans.

13. Elaborate scenes from nature were common.

14. Modern Mosaics: Inspired by Alfred Hitchcock

15. Byzantine Mosaics: Clues about roles exist in the work
Royalty wear red shoes
Royalty have hanging ornaments
from their headwear
Royalty are taller
Court and church were heavily mingled
Emperor seen as Vicar of God—God’s appointed ruler on Earth

21. Islamic Mosaics
Different from the figurative representations in Byzantine art, Islamic motifs are mainly geometric and mathematical.

22. HAGIA SOPHIA Most important surviving work of Byzantine architecture
Built by Justinian and Theodora as they rebuilt Constantinople
The main dome, which had a diameter of over 108 feet was the biggest church dome until the fifteenth century.

24. Architects worked to build big and high
Arches support the domes
Supporting walls were enormous, so big that they had to be reinforced when they leaned.
The resulting building is strong and impressive.

27. Turks defeated the Byzantines in 1456
Hagia Sophia became a mosque
Concern about graven images resulted in the mosaics being plastered over.
The church/mosque is now a museum. The plaster has been removed.

30. Restoration of the dome
Restoration of the dome. Should the verses of the Koran be removed to show the mosaics underneath?

31. Crusaders invaded and cultures began to shift
Rift between Roman Catholic church and Eastern Orthodox church widened
The “loot” that crusaders brought back to the West stimulated interest that began the Renaissance