1. THE
BYZANTINE
EMPIRE

2. The Roman Empire Divided in 294

3. Constantine’s City--Constantinopolis
Moves capital of Roman Empire to Constantinople
Greek becomes the official language
Prosperous from trade
Trained civilian bureaucracy under emperor’s rule

4. Constantinople: A Greek City (Istanbul Today)

5. Location - on the Bosporus, a strait that linked the Mediterranean and Black Seas
Excellent harbor, surrounded on three sides by water
Commanded key trade routes linking Europe and Asia

6. Western Europe vs. Constantinople
Home to ½ million
Harbor crowded with vessels
Markets filled with goods
Emperors were scholars
Language was Greek, but considered themselves as Romans
Decaying towns
Isolated Manors
Scattered monasteries
Squabbling Robber Barons
Leaders could not read or write
Barbarians

7. Emperor Justinian [r. 527-564]

8. Justinian’s Empire at its Peak

9. Empress Theodora

10. Justinian’s Code Spreads Roman legal concepts throughout Middle East
Body of Civil Law

11. Church of Hagia Sophia [Holy Wisdom]

12. Interior of the Church of Hagia Sophia

13. Byzantine Society & Politics
Ruler heads both Church and State
Complicated bureaucracy supports imperial authority
Military troops recruited and given land for service
Peasants supplied the food and provided most tax revenues
Large urban class kept satisfied by low food prices (Romans????????)
Cultural life centered on Hellenistic secular traditions and Orthodox Christianity
Artistic creativity only in art and architecture
Domes, Mosaics, & Icons

14. SPLIT
Why do the Roman Catholic Church in the west and the Orthodox Church in the east have differences?
Grew too large to communicate
Different versions of Bible
Services held in different languages
Byzantine Emperors resist Papal interference from Rome
Priests may be married in Eastern Orthodox
No divorce in Roman Catholic
Final split – 1054 over arguments about type of bread used in mass and celibacy of priests

15. Byzantine Warfare
1st choice – Diplomacy
Last choice – war

16. Looooooooong Road to Decline
Muslim invaders – constant attacks
Crusades (especially the 4th)
1453 – Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople

17. Spread of Civilization in Eastern Europe
Byzantium influences people in the Balkans and southern Russia
Missionaries, trade, invasions
Cyril & Methodius
Cyrillic script
Allow use of local languages in services
Czechs, Slovaks, Poles, Hungarians fall under Roman Catholic influence
Weak, regional monarchies develop, controlled by strong land-owning aristocracy (one reason for power nation-states not developing in Eastern Europe

18. EMERGENCE OF KIEVAN RUS
Scandinavians and Slavs mix and create monarchy - Kievan Rus (855ce)
Vladimir I converts to Christianity – prefers Eastern Orthodoxy – Why?
Yaroslav the Wise (similar to Justinian)

19. CULTURE IN KIEVAN RUS Borrow heavily from Byzantium
Orthodox Christianity & Russian culture blend
Peasants are free farmers
Boyars – aristocrats – have less power than aristocrats in Western Europe
Women – secluded, stay at home most of the time (elite)

20. Kievan Rus

21. Kievan Decline (12th century)
Struggle over succession (same old story)
Decline of Byzantium = trade diminishes
Mongols took over Kievan lands in 13th century – RUSSIAN STATE emerges in 15th century (Ivan the Terrible, et al)
Destroyed trade, literature, and education
Christianity (Eastern Orthodox) survived – united the people

22. End of an Era in Eastern Europe
Mongol invasions, decline of Kievan Rus, and collapse of Byzantium cause Eastern Europe to enter into difficult period
Poland – western influence
Balkans – Islamic world of Turks
Western and Eastern Europe evolve separately – Western Europe becomes more powerful and sophisticated