1. Christian Civilizations in Eastern Europe: Byzantium & Orthodox Europe
Chapter 9

2. Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire with territory in the Balkans, the Middle East, and the eastern Mediterranean, maintained very high levels of political, economic, and cultural life between 500 and 1450 C.E.
The Byzantine Empire, once part of the greater Roman Empire continued flourishing from an eastern Mediterranean base after Roman decline
The empire continued many Roman patterns and spread its Orthodox Christian civilization through most of eastern Europe.

3. Emperor Constantine in the 4th c. established capital at Constantinople
Greek became the official language after the 6th c.
The empire benefited from the high level of civilization in the former Hellenistic world (Alexander the Great) and from the region’s prosperous commerce

4. Important New Center Constantinople “Second Rome”
Located on a strait that linked Mediterranean and Black Seas
Key trading route linking Europe, Africa and Asia
Buffer between Western Europe and Asia
Hellenistic culture – After Alexander’s death, Greek art, education, and culture merged with those in the Middle East

5. Byzantine Heritage Built on the Hellenistic culture Christian beliefs
Greek science, art and literature
Roman engineering

6. Byzantine Empire-(Eastern Roman Empire)

7. The Age of Justinian 527-565 Byzantine empire reached greatest size
Wanted to recover what had been lost during the fall of Rome
Justinian rebuilt Constantinople in classical style; among the architectural achievements was the huge church of Hagia Sophia

8. Body of Civil Law – Justinian’s codification of Roman law; reconciled Roman edicts and decisions; made Roman law a coherent basis for political and economic life; Justinian’s greatest achievement
The revived empire withstood the 7th c. advance of Arab Muslims, although important regions were lost along the eastern Mediterranean and the northern Middle East

9. Hagia Sophia – Great domed church constructed during the reign of Justinian

10. During Middle Ages
Dispute over use of icons (Holy Images) contributed to split
Byzantine Emperor outlawed prayer to icons
Two branches of Christianity grew further apart
1054 provoked a permanent split between Byzantine, Eastern (Greek) Orthodox and Roman Catholic Church
Iconoclasm – refers to policies or people who oppose the religious use of images and advocate the destruction of such images

11. CHRISTIANS DIVIDED! Divisions in the Church
West - Rome
Pope in Rome
Latin Language
Most important holy day = Christmas
East - Constantinople
Patriarch in the Byzantine - rejected Pope’s authority
Clergy could marry
Greek Language
Most important holy day = Easter

12. West vs. East
The final break between the two churches occurred in 1054 over arguments about the type of bread used in the mass and the celibacy of priests

13. The long decline began in 11th c.
Muslim-Turkish (Seljuk Turks) invaders seized almost all of the empires of Asian provinces, removing the most important sources of taxes and food
Crusaders took Constantinople in 1204 (4th Crusade)
A smaller empire struggled to survive for another two centuries
In 1453, the Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople

14. What happened to the Byzantine?
Crusades
Byzantine emperor called for help to fight the Muslims headed for Jerusalem
Muslims took control of northern territories
Muslims eventually took Constantinople and renamed it Istanbul

15. Rise of Russia Ural Mountains provide a physical boundary
Wanted Moscow to be the “Third Rome”
3 regions helped shape early Russian life
North - Lumber and hunting
South - Fertile land for farming
Steppe - treeless grassland Open to nomads from Asia and Europe
Rise of Russia

16. “Steppe Areas” Great “Highway” Rivers linked Byzantine to Russia
Vladimir I – ruler of Kiev ( ) converted kingdom to orthodox Christianity
Russian Orthodox – Russian form of Christianity brought from the Byzantine Empire

17. First Civilization Kiev in Present day Ukraine
Home of vital trading networks
Would become the center of the first Russian state
Boyars – Russian landholding aristocrats; possessed less political power than their western European counterparts
Kiev – Commercial city in Ukraine established by Scandinavians in 9th c.; became the center for a kingdom that flourished until the 12th c.

18. Kiev and the Byzantine Empire
Trade helped Kiev enter the Byzantine empire
957 Princess Olga of Kiev converted to Byzantine Christianity
Grandson spread religion which gained strength
Later Prince Vladimir married the Byzantine emperor’s sister for political reasons, thus he accepted Eastern Orthodox Christianity for himself and his people
Russians started to adapt religious art, music, and architecture

19. Onion Domes
Ttype of architectural dome that frequently adorns Russian Orthodox Churches.
                              
The domes are often brightly painted; the colors symbolize different aspects of religion.
Green, blue, and gold domes represent the Holy Trinity, the Spirit of God, and Jesus, respectively.

21. Mongol “Influences”
Mongols - Nomadic people from central Asia; United by Chinnghis Khan
Looted and burned city of Kiev
Russian princes had to pay money to rule without Mongol interference
Mongol rule cut off Russian contacts with Western Europe which were making advances in art and science
Russian Orthodox grows stronger due to religious toleration
Tatars – Mongols who conquered Russian cities during the 13th c.; left Russian church and aristocracy intact

22. Moscow Takes Lead
With their location near trading rivers, Moscow steadily increased their power
Head of Russian Orthodox church made Moscow capital
Moscow became political and spiritual center of Russia

23. “Ivan the Great” - Ivan III
Recovered Russian territories that were lost to invaders
Tried to limit the power of boyars (landowning nobles)
Took on the title of Czar (Russian for Caesar)

24. “Ivan the Terrible” - Ivan IV
Grandson of Ivan III
Nobles granted land for military service
Tied serfs to land
Introduced Russia to extreme absolute power in Eastern Europe

25. Recap Western Europe: Latin language in churches
Byzantine:
Greek language
Claimed right to appoint the head of the church
Did not accept Pope as leader of the church
Taxes provided money to run a government & army
Western Europe:
Latin language in churches
Pope had power and the people accepted
Trade, town life and learning declined after the fall of Rome

26. Shaping Eastern Europe
Geography makes the area a “cultural crossroad”
Crusades will bring in Muslims to area

27. The Least You Need to Know
Byzantine Empire a crossroads of trade and a center of cultural diffusion between the East and the West
Byzantine missionaries spread Orthodox Christianity to the Slavic and Germanic tribes

28. Continued
The East Slavs migrated to Kiev to form an independent city-state which was later conquered by the Mongols
The principality of Moscow overthrew the Mongols and maintained a strong tie with Byzantine culture, identifying itself by extension with the tradition of imperial Rome