1. Unit 2 Activity 14 Presentation
The Byzantine Empire
Unit 2
Activity 14 Presentation

2. Setting the Stage Remember the Roman Empire?
Powerful empire that lasted 500 years + spanned across the Mediterranean world
When the WESTERN Roman Empire fell  European kingdoms under feudalism
What happened to the EASTERN empire?  Byzantine Empire!!

3. Timeline = Roman empire split into TWO: West and East
In this lesson, we’ll look at events roughly around this period!
500 B.C.E C.E C.E C.E C.E.
Roman Republic
509 B.C.E. to 27 B.C.E
~500 years
Roman Empire
27 B.C.E. to 284 C.E.
~300 years
Roman Empire (West)
284 C.E. to 476 C.E.
~100 years
Various Kingdoms 476 C.E. to 800 C.E.
Holy Roman Empire +
Various Kingdoms
800 C.E. to 1806 C.E.
~1000 years
Roman Empire (East) later known as the
Byzantine Empire
284 C.E. to 1453 C.E.
Emperor Constantine moved capital of the empire from Rome to Byzantium in 330 C.E.
= the fall of the Roman Empire
= the beginning of the MIDDLE AGES

4. Map – Split of Roman Empire
WEST EAST
Land and sea
TRADE ROUTES!!

5. Map – Height of Byzantine Empire Under Emperor Justinian I
Justinian tried to regain parts of Western Roman empire back!
GEOGRAPHY QUESTION!
What observations can you make about this map with the previous map?
Land and sea
TRADE ROUTES!!

6. Map – End of the Byzantine Empire circa 1450
Constantinople

7. How does the location of Constantinople make it easily defensible?
Map – Constantinople
GEOGRAPHY QUESTION!
How does the location of Constantinople make it easily defensible?
Constantinople
area magnified
area magnified

8. Which is easier to defend?
Why did the Eastern Roman Empire (as Byzantine Empire) last longer than the Western Roman Empire? ANSWER:
I know, AGAIN!
GEOGRAPHY!!!
Barbarians attacked this region!
Which is easier to defend?
CONSTANTINOPLE!
surrounded by water on 3 sides = more defensive walls!

9. STRONG LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNMENT
Why did the Eastern Roman Empire (as Byzantine Empire) last longer than the Western Roman Empire? ANSWER:
POLITICAL STABILITY!!!
MONEY!!!
west
east
poor leadership
corrupted government
STRONG LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNMENT
GREAT WEALTH IN EMPIRE
Note: Obviously Emperor Commodus from “Gladiator” and King Elessar of Gondor (a.k.a. Aragorn) from “Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” are not REAL examples of western Roman emperors + eastern Roman emperors…

10. West vs. East: Differences during the Middle Ages
Characteristics
Language
Culture
Religion
Religious Leader
West
Rural, agricultural, not as wealthy
Latin
Frankish + Germanic cultures
Roman Catholic Christianity
Pope
East
Many cities, vibrant trade, great wealth
Greek
Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Patriarch (not as powerful)

11. Notable Byzantine Achievements
When the cathedral was turned into a mosque, these towers called “minarets” were added for the appointed person (muezzin) to call Muslims to prayer 5 times a day.
LAW
Justinian Code
Ordered by emperor Justinian to organize and simplify the empire’s code of laws to help people better understand them = the basis for legal systems of most Western countries
Arts + Architecture
Most notable cathedral: the Hagia Sophia
(Holy Wisdom). The cathedral was converted to a mosque (Muslim place of worship) when the Byzantine Empire fell to the Muslim Ottoman Empire.
Education + Literature
Byzantine librarians copied and preserved handwritten documents from Greece and Rome, saving epic poetry by Homer and Greek/Roman philosophy texts.