Intro to the Byzantine Empire

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Intro to the Byzantine Empire

• Global I Spiconardi

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Preservation of Culture

• When Rome falls, the still flourishing eastern
  part of the empire becomes known as the Byzantine
  Empire
• Preserved Greco-Roman Culture
• Saved Greek and Roman texts from barbarian
  invasions
• Exposed Muslim world to Greco-Roman culture

Byzantine Empire at its height in 550 A.D.
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Emperor Justinian His Code

• Justinians Code (a.k.a Corpus Juris Civilis and
  Codex Justinainus)
• Emperor Justinian consolidated the Twelve Tables
  into a single code of 5,000 laws
• Digest ? collection of legal thinkers opinions
• Concept of precedents
• Institutes textbook for law students
• Sets up modern law school system

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Emperor Justinian His Code

• Justinian I
• The Byzantine Empire reaches its cultural and
  territorial heights under Justinian
• A plague in 540 AD brings a quick end to the
  Byzantine golden age.
• Known as the Emperor who never sleeps for his
  work habit
• Marries Theodora
• Burlesque/lowbrow comedy actress (some historians
  believe she was a prostitute)
• Very influential in running the
  government/politics
• Advocated for womens social rights

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Justinian Theodora
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Emperor Justinian His Code

• Nika Riots
• The Byzantine government was organized into demes
• Demes ? political parties which each controlled a
  militia
• The two main demes were the Blues and the Greens
• Competed against each other in chariot races and
  other sporting events
• Attempted to overthrow Justinian for
• High taxes
• Not completely pardoning members of the Blue and
  Green Demes for murder

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Emperor Justinian His Code

• Nika Riots (Cont)
• Crowd attacks imperial palace and destroy parts
  of the city
• Justinian contemplates fleeing, but Theodora
  convinces him to squash the rebellion
• Justinian bribes some rioters and kills the
  remaining 30,000.
• Justinian rebuilds Constantinople

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Arts and Architecture

• Mosaics
• Continue the practice of the Roman art form
• Iconography
• Mosaics of religious images

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Arts and Architecture

• Hippodrome
• Modeled after Circus Maximus
• Housed chariot races the demes

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Arts and Architecture

• Hagia Sophia
• Church built after Nika Riots
• Becomes mosque after Byzantine Empire falls to
  Islamic Turks
• Today it is now a museum

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Hagia Sophia
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Hagia Sophia
13
New Form of Christianity

• Justinian was very involved in making decisions
  regarding Christianity
• Orthodox Christianity develops as there is little
  contact between Western Europe and the Byzantine
  Empire
• Kept many traditions of the early Church
• 300 million followers today