1. The Byzantine Empire
The capital of the Eastern Roman empire was changed to Byzantium to provide political, economic and military advantages. It was then renamed Constantinople by Constantine.

2. What military advantages do you see with this location?
Constantinople

3. Location of Constantinople
Protection of the eastern frontier
Distance from Germanic invasions in the Western Empire
Crossroads of trade
Easily fortified site on a peninsula bordered by natural harbors

4. Its location was a crossroads for trade connecting Europe with Asia and the Black Sea with the Mediterranean Sea.

5. Role of Constantinople
Seat of the Byzantine Empire until Ottoman (Muslim) conquest
Preserved classical Greco-Roman culture
Center of trade
Istanbul Market

6. Greco-Roman Traditions
Byzantine families continued to educate their children in Roman and Greek grammar and literature through monasteries and private tutors, preserving Greco-Roman culture. Meanwhile, in the west, Rome had been conquered by Germanic tribes that had no written language. As civilization declined in the west, it continued to flourish as the New Rome in Constantinople.

7. Justinian came to power in 527 AD as an absolute ruler
As the first to codify Roman law, Justinian provided the basis for the law codes of Western Europe. Became known as Justinian’s Code.
Under Justinian, the Byzantine Empire reached its height in culture and prosperity.
Reconquest of former Roman territories in an effort to restore New Rome to earlier glory
Expansion of trade
Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School

8. Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School
Greek Orthodox Christianity and imperial patronage enabled the Byzantine Empire to develop a unique style of art and architecture. Greek and Roman traditions were preserved in the Byzantine Empire.
What is imperial patronage? It means that the emperor supported and paid for beautiful pieces of art and the construction of buildings.
Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School

9. Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School
The Byzantines used domes and columns in their architecture. Christianity was the theme of Byzantine art and mosaics were used to show religious ceremonies.
Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School

10. Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School

11. Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School
Mosaic of Constantine looking over his city
Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School

12. Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School
Byzantine Art and Architecture
Inspiration provided by Christian religion and imperial power
Icons (religious images)
Mosaics in public and religions structures
Hagia Sophia (a Byzantine domed
church)
Can you think of 5 adjectives to
describe this artwork?
Icon
Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School

13. Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School
Hagia Sophia
What elements of Roman Architecture do you see?
Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School

14. Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School

15. Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School
Byzantine Culture
Continued flourishing of Greco-Roman traditions
Greek language (as contrasted with Latin in the West)
Greek Orthodox Christianity
Greek and Roman knowledge preserved in Byzantine libraries
Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School

16. Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School
Basilica Cistern
Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School

17. Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School
Valens Aqueduct
Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School

18. Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School
The cultural and political differences between the eastern (Byzantine) and western Roman Empires weakened the unity of the Christian Church and led to its division in 1054.
Western Church
Centered in Rome
Farther from the seat of
power after Constantinople
Became the capital
Use of Latin Language in liturgy
Authority of the Pope accepted
Practices such as celibacy accepted
Eastern Church
Centered in Constantinople
Close to the seat of power after
Constantinople became capital
Use of Greek language in the liturgy
Authority of the Patriarch accepted
Icons prohibited – Iconoclasts destroyed
images
Eastern Orthodox
Roman Catholic
Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School

19. Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School
Byzantine civilization
influenced Russian
and Eastern European
civilizations through
its religion, culture
and trade.
Why?
Kievan Rus around 1050 CE
Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School

20. Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School
Traders from Kiev (present day Ukraine) traveled down the Dnieper River to trade in the city of Constantinople. These traders were Vikings and Slavs (people of the region north of the Black Sea). The word “Slave” comes from Slav as many were sold in Constantinople as slaves. Kiev would be one of Russia’s earliest civilizations
Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School

21. Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School
Dnieper
River
Constantinople
which is
Istanbul today
Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School

22. Influence of Byzantine Culture on Eastern Europe and Russia
Trade routes between the Black Sea and Baltic Sea
Adoption of Orthodox Christianity by Russia and much of Eastern Europe
Adoption of Greek alphabet for the Slavic languages by St. Cyril (Cyrillic Alphabet)
Church architecture and religious art
Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School

23. Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School
Baltic and Black Sea Trade Routes
Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School

24. Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School
Cyril and his brother Methodius
developed a new alphabet while trying to teach the Bible to the Slavs. The Slavs had no written language so Cyril and Methodius worked to give them an alphabet. The Cyrillic alphabet is still used today.
Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School

25. Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School
The Cyrillic Alphabet
Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School

26. Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School
The use of Domes
in church architecture
was adopted from
the Byzantines and
were modified –
Russian domes are
onion-shaped.
Created by Julia Marnell, Dominion High School