1. SSWH4 The student will analyze the importance of the Byzantine and Mongol empires between 450 CE and 1500 CE.

2. Background Information
Rome had fallen on hard times, and through internal problems, and invading armies, the Empire slowly fell apart and was divided into two empires, the Eastern or Byzantine, and the Western. The capital of the Eastern Empire was Constantinople (in modern day Turkey)

3. a. Analyze the importance of Justinian, include the influence of the Empress Theodora, Justinian’s Code, and Justinian’s efforts to recapture the west.
In 527, Justinian became the emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire
He set out to re-conquer areas of the Western Empire which had been overrun by invaders
He temporarily recaptured a vast majority of the old empire

5. Justinian
Set about rebuilding Constantinople including: schools, courts, hospitals and the Hagia Sophia (A Christian orthodox church)

6. Empress Theodora Wife to Justinian
Held a strong influence over her husband
Helped convince him to stay and put down a rebellion
Established more rights for women
Most influential woman of the empire

7. Justinian’s Code
A uniform code of laws for the Byzantine Empire
Lasted over 900 years
Edited old Roman laws and wrote down laws that were based on custom

8. b. Describe the relationship between the Roman and Byzantine Empires; include the impact Byzantium had on Moscow and the Russian Empire, the effect of Byzantine culture on Tsar Ivan III and Kiev, and the rise of Constantinople as a center for law, religion, and the arts.

9. The effect of Byzantine culture on Kiev
Kiev was the first major city in Russia
Located on a river with access to the Black Sea-made trade possible with Byzantine Empire
Kiev became the center of Russian Byzantine Christianity
The Mongols invade and sack Kiev in 1240

10. Impact Byzantium had on Moscow
A new settlement emerged to the north (Moscow)
The church moved it’s headquarters to Moscow, making it the center of Russian trade and religion
For years Moscow’s rulers paid homage to the Mongols who allowed them to keep their religious practices

11. Tsar Ivan III Came to power in the 1400s
Refused to pay taxes to the Mongols
The Mongols had slowly lost their power and refused to fight Ivan (1480)
Ivan expanded his territories and took the title of Tsar (Czar).
Married the nice of a Byzantine emperor

12. c. Explain the Great Schism of 1054 CE
c. Explain the Great Schism of 1054 CE. Divided the Christian Church into two: Eastern Orthodox and Western Roman Catholic
Eastern Orthodox:
-led from Constantinople
-Greek based
-Clergy can marry
-Rejects the Pope’s authority
Western Roman Catholic:
-Pope in Rome
-Latin based

13. d. Analyze the spread of the Mongol Empire; include the role of Chinggis (Genghis) Khan in developing the empire, the impact of the Mongols on Russia, China and the West, the development of trade, and European observations through the writings of Marco Polo.

14. Genghis Khan ( )
Genghis unites the nomadic Mongol clans into one force
Invaded northern China and western parts of Asia
Used violence, often destroying entire towns, to spread fear among his enemies

15. The Mongol Empire
After Genghis’s death his empire was divide among his sons and grandsons, who expanded Mongol territory
The Mongols tended to allow the people they conquered to keep their cultural and religious beliefs
The Mongols opened up trade throughout Asia and eastern Europe

16. Mongol rule in China
Kublai Khan invaded China and became the new emperor
He united China and opened it up to foreign trade
Mongols and Chinese tended not to intermingle except for the purpose of government and trade

17. Marco Polo
Traveled to China in 1275 and served as a representative of Kublai Khan for 17 years
Later wrote a book about his travels in China-described the use of coal for heat, which was unknown to most Europeans
Many Europeans thought that his stories were made up

18. e. Explain the Ottoman Empire’s role in the decline of Byzantium and the capture of Constantinople in 1453 CE.
Around 1300 the Ottomans began to build a empire on the edge of the Byzantine Empire (were one of the first groups to use muskets and cannons)
The Ottomans expanded into the Byzantine Empire: they treated their conquered subjects with respect allowing trade and religious freedom

19. Ottoman Empire
By the 1400s the Empire had grown strong and decided to attack the last strong hold of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople
In 1453 the Ottomans used cannons to subdue and capture the city: they rebuilt it and changed the name to Istanbul