Byzantine Empire

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Byzantine Empire

• After the Western Roman Empire fell to German
  barbarian invasions in the 5th century, the
  Eastern Roman Empire, with its capital at
  Constantinople, repelled the invasions and went
  on to survive for 1000 more years, preserving and
  spreading the culture of ancient
• Greeks and Romans

Welcome to the Byzantine Empire
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Constantinople A Strategic CityWhere Europe
Asia Meet
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• Located on a peninsula that overlooked the
  Bosporus Strait
• Controlled movement between Med. Black Seas
• Key trade center between East West

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The Golden Horn

• Natural protection from invaders water on 3
  sides
• Triple Walls fortified open side

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Justinian and Theodora

• Justinian was a 6th century Byzantine Emperor
  considered one if its greatest rulers his wife
  Theodora was very influential in his reign
• Theodora was concerned with improving the social
  standing of women urged Justinian to give women
  more rights
• Theodora urged Justinian not to flee when
  taxpayers revolted (Nika Rebellion)
• Justinian stayed and his army crushed the rebels

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Theodora Her Attendants
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Justinian and His Attendants
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Belasarius Expands Empire

• Belasarius was a peasant with little military
  experience
• He was a friend of Theodoras.
• Led the troops that crushed Nika Rebellion
• Appointed general of Byzantine armies which
  fought a series of wars against the Vandals,
  Ostrogoths Visigoths
• Byzantines conquered these Germanic groups and
  extended their rule in the west

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Conflict in the Christian Church

• Argument over use of icons (religious images) in
  worship
• AD 726 Emperor Leo III ordered all icons removed
  from churches b/c he believed they encouraged
  superstition and the worship of idols
• Emperors supporters known as iconoclasts (image
  breakers)

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• Church leaders resisted order and were supported
  by the Roman Pope
• Christian church in east and west argued over
  source of religious authority
• Pope in Rome said he was supreme leader of church
• Patriarch of Constantinople opposed this claim
• Eventually led to a schism (separation) in 1054
• Roman Catholic Church in West and Eastern
  Orthodox Church in East

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Byzantine Art

• Glorified religion
• Icons in homes, churches shrines
• Mosaics - pictures made of many tiny pieces of
  colored glass or flat stone set in plaster
• Illuminated manuscript
• Subjects of Byzantine art appeared stiff and
  artificial with calm, meditative faces to inspire
  reverence

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Byzantine Architecture

• Greatest form of Byzantine art
• Greatest masterpiece is church of Hagia Sophia,
  meaning holy wisdom
• Huge building in form of a cross includes
  murals, mosaics, stone carvings and insets of
  ivory, silver and jewels
• Capped by huge dome that rests on massive columns

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Hagia Sophia
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Inside Hagia Sophia
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Justinians Code

• Justinian had Roman laws codified and classified
• Omits repetitions, inconsistencies, and statutes
  dealing with Roman religion
• Preserved Romes legal heritage and later became
  the basis for most European legal systems

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Justinians Accomplishments

• Expanded the Empire
• Created Justinians Code
• Commissioned rebuilding of Hagia Sophia
• Helped spread Christianity
• Increased womens rights

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Fall of Constantinople

• Ottoman Turks from central Asia attacked the
  Eastern provinces
• In AD 1453 the Ottomans laid siege to
  Constantinople

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Byzantine Contributions

• Codified Roman law- Under the emperor Justinian,
  legal experts collected and arranged Roman law.
• Preserved Ancient Greek Civilization- the
  Byzantines had more in common with the Greeks
  than they did the Romans. They spoke Greek, and
  not Latin.
• Shielded Western Europe from Islamic Invaders.
  This above all else is the greatest
  accomplishment of the Byzantines. Why is this so
  significant?