1. Byzantine Empire

2. Objective(s)
Students will be able to analyze and describe the political/social/religious developments of the Byzantine Empire after the collapse of the Roman Empire.
Students will be able to explain the relationship of the Byzantine Empire regarding the development of Eastern Europe.

3. I. Origins
Beginnings rooted in Rome’s eastern capital – Constantinople, founded in 4th century
Became cultural, commercial center of Roman empire in later years
Controlled Middle East, North Africa
After fall of western half, Byzantium became center of Mediterranean world
Empire based on Christianity, power of autocratic emperor

4. II. A New Power
527 – Justinian, a Byzantine nobleman, takes throne of eastern empire
Sends his armies to reconquer western territories
Successful in reconquering much of old Roman Empire
Ruled with absolute power
Head of both empire and church
Unpopular with many, but ultimately successful in continuing legacy of Rome

5. III. New Roman Culture
Latin no longer most popular language, most spoke Greek
Hellenistic culture takes hold in society
Restructuring of Roman Law
Justinian Code – made up of four works
Code: contained 5,000 Roman laws still useful
Digest: summarized opinions of Rome’s greatest legal thinkers
Institutes: textbook explaining how to use laws
Novellae: mean New Laws, anything passed after 534
Covered everything: marriage, slavery, women’s rights, and much more
Lasted 900 years

6. III. Continued…
Justinian ordered construction of many great public works
14-mile stone wall along city coast
Hagia Sophia – once considered greatest church in Christian world
Built public baths, aqueducts, courts, schools
Preservation of Greco-Roman culture
Education focused on Greek & Latin grammar, philosophy
Byzantine scholars helped preserve many older works from Ancient Greece and Rome

7. IV. Split in Christian Church
When Rome split, Christianity began to develop differently in east & west
In east: Patriarch was leading bishop, but Emperor head of church
In west: the pope was head of church – no authority in east
Differences in religious doctrines (teachings) led to permanent split (11th century)
Roman Catholic Church in west (Rome, western Europe)
Eastern Orthodox Church in east (Byzantine Empire)

8. V. Decline
After split in church, Byzantine Empire faced a steady decline
Outside invaders
Sassanid Persians in the east
Muslim armies from south
Lombards in the west
Avars, Slavs, Bulgars in north
Empire slowly shrank due to constant attacks
1350 – reduced to tip of Anatolia
City of Constantinople held until 1453, eventually fell to Muslim Turks

9. VI. Eastern Europe Byzantine Empire pushed Christianity north
Accelerated development of independent civilizations in Eastern Europe
Missionaries bring culture – development of Slavic written language (Cyrillic)
Kievan Rus’
Scandinavian traders moved through Slavic lands of eastern Europe
Settlements and governments established along trade routes
City of Kiev became focal point of commerce, culture
Became center of small kingdom, called Kievan Rus’, later Russia

10. VI. Continued… Based many traditions on Byzantine culture
Autocratic (supreme) ruler that controlled church – Russian Orthodoxy develops
Called czar, from Russian word for “Caesar”
Developed strong aristocratic class – “boyars”
Invaded/conquered by Mongols in 1200s

11. 5-Minute Response
Compare/contrast the Byzantine Empire with the Roman Empire.

12. Vocab – ch. 9 Hagia Sophia Bulgaria Kiev Rurik Russian Orthodox Boyars
Tartars