1. The Byzantine Empire

2. Beginnings of a New Rome
The Roman Empire slowly decays.
In 284, the Emperor Diocletian split the empire into the Eastern and Western Roman Empires. He would rule the East, and Emperor Maximian would rule the West.
By 305 Emperor Constantine would move the capital of the Empire from Rome to the Greek city of Byzantium.*
By 370, the advancing Huns were pushing Germanic tribes into Rome.*
The Roman Empire-
Politically corrupt
constantly invaded by Germanic tribes
Size became an issue with weak government
The Huns-
Pushing people out
People went south to escape
Rome was “in the way.”
410 the Germans overtook Rome and plundered it for three days.

3. Attila the Hun did not want to try to conquer the city.
Constantinople
The location at Constantinople allowed for superior defense (fortified city) and trading purposes.
Attila the Hun did not want to try to conquer the city.
Instead, Attila had the Byzantines pay him tribute
Who can tell me why Constantinople would be so convenient for trade?

4. Justinian ( )
In 527 Justinian became Emperor and worked on restoring the western empire from the Germans.*
He ruled much like the Caesars with absolute power and was head of the church and state.
Change in language.
In order to control the complex society, a panel of legal experts looked through 400 years of Roman law and formed a single, uniformed code.*
Launched public works projects such as building a 14 mile wall to protect the city from sea invasions and repairing the giant western wall.
A general named Belisarius was sent to reclaim the land lost to tribes. In the next 16 years, Rome exchanged hands six times.
-Adopted Greek instead of Latin
-Does anyone know what this code is?

5. The code contained four parts:
Justinian Code
The code contained four parts:
1) The Code contained nearly 5,000 Roman laws that were considered useful.*
2) The Digest quoted and summarized the opinions of Rome’s greatest legal thinkers about the laws.*
3) The Institutes was a textbook that told law students how to use the laws.*
4) The Novellae presented legislation passed after 534.*
The Code decided legal questions ranging from marriage, slavery, property, inheritance, women’s rights, and criminal justice (just to name a few). Justinian Code would serve the Byzantine Empire for 900 years.
Don’t write down the four works, just know that it did contain four.

6. Byzantine Culture
Justinian valued church building more than any other public work.
The Hagia Sophia was the largest Christian church of its time.*
Justinian preserved Greco-Roman culture
Hagia Sophia-
Justinian found the best physicists and mathematicians to build the church
10,000 people
Incorporates archetecture from Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Muslim worlds.
Education focused around Greek and Latin grammar
Philosophy- would actually use the philosophers writings as textbooks for students in class
Mathematics
and medicine
The modern world owes much to the Byzantines for preserving this knowledge.

7. Culture Continued
Because of the location, trade became vital the Byzantine economy.* Products from all corners of Asia, Africa, and Europe passed through Constantinople.
The society contained various aspects of art and architecture from these different provinces.
The Hippodrome offered chariot races and other performances. It held 60,000 people.
532 Nika Rebellion (Nike means VICTORY) Two fan groups in the Hippodrome became angry with the government because they felt that officials had been too severe with putting down a previous riot. The demanded to overthrow Justinian and packed the Hippodrome. Belisarius marched into the stadium and slaughtered about 30,000 rioters.

8. Theodora Wife of Justinian and faithful adviser.* Grew up an actress.
As empress, she met with foreign envoys, acted as secretary of state, passed laws and built churches.*
Had no problem taking property of Belisarius.
After she died in 548 Justinian was so depressed he passed no major laws for the rest of his reign.

9. A Failing Empire
Justinian was emperor at the height of the empire. After his death, riots, religious quarrels, and plague began to overcome the region.*
Bubonic plague repeatedly ravished Constantinople.
Invasion attempts from almost every direction weighed on the organization of the empire.*
In 1453 the city of Constantinople finally collapsed after being invaded by Muslims from the Ottoman Empire.*
In 542, it is reported that 10,000 people were dying every day from plague.
In the 700’s Emperor Heraclius divided the empire into military districts that were ruled by generals. -What happens when empires are divided? What if I gave three of you parts of this room and one of you had the computer in the front and the rest of you had nothing?

10. - Saint Basil, The Letters
The Schism, or Split
As Christianity evolved differently in each half of the old Roman Empire, differences became arguments.*
The Eastern Empire based its belief of Christianity on the following excerpt from Saint Basil.
The Western Empire did not share the same beliefs; many of the religious figures were robed in fancy garments that many people felt were not representative of Christian values.
“The Christian should not be [showy] in clothing or sandals, for all this is idle boasting. He should wear cheap clothes according to the need of the body. He should consume nothing beyond what is necessary…he should not be disobedient.”
- Saint Basil, The Letters

11. Great Schism Continued*
The position of the patriarch, or leading bishop of the East, was created in response the position of Pope in the West.
Emperor Leo III banned Icons, or religious images such as statues, and the clergy and people rebelled.
The Pope became involved in this and supported the use of Icons. He excommunicated, or ousted from the church, the Byzantine Emperor.
In 1054, this dispute led to the Patriarch excommunicating the Pope and the Pope excommunicated the Patriarch. This is known as the Great Schism.

12. Roman Catholicism vs. Eastern Orthodoxy
-Services in Latin
-Pope has authority over all other bishops*
-Pope claims authority over kings and emperors*
-Priests may not marry*
-Divorce is not permitted
Eastern Orthodox*
Services in Greek or local language
Patriarch and other bishops head the Church as a group*
Emperor claims authority*
Priests may marry*
Divorce is allowed under certain circumstances
Still share belief of Jesus and Bible. Use sacraments such as baptism. Religious leaders are priests and bishops. Seek to convert.