The Byzantine

EmpireWorld History I

Ms. Costas & Ms. Marino

The Fall of Rome❖ After Rome became too big to control,

Emperor Diocletian split the empire into two halves

❖ Western Roman Empire

❖ Capital: Rome

❖ Eastern Roman Empire

❖ Capital: Constantinople

❖ The West became cut off from trade, began to fall

❖ The East flourished, but was weakened over time as the West continued to fall

❖ The capital of Constantinople was taken over an changed hands

❖ Renamed the Byzantine Empire

Outlasting the Western Empire❖ Historians called Eastern Empire the Byzantine Empire

❖ Named after the capital city’s original name of Byzantium

❖ The Byzantine Empire lasted about 1,000 years after the Western Empire

❖ Emperors were absolute rulers

❖ Struggled against Germanic peoples, Huns, other groups

❖ Lost much land to invaders

Emperor Justinian❖ Justinian was emperor from C.E.

527 to 565

❖ Reconquered lost Eastern Empire lands in Italy, Africa, Spain

❖ Married Theodora

❖ Co-Ruler

❖ At first was disliked by his people

❖ Too strict

❖ Eventually becomes the most beloved ruler of the empire

Nika Revolt❖ Rebellion against Justinian and Theodora for reforms in the

government❖ Greens = lower class❖ Blues = upper class❖ Joined together to rebel

❖ Justinian wants to run but Theodora convinces him to stay❖ Orders all rebels to the Hippodrome

❖ slaughters all his opposition

Theodora’s Historic SpeechIf flight were the only means of safety,

still I would not flee. Those who have worn

the crown should never survive its loss…

Emperor, if you wish to flee, well and good,

you have the money, the ships are ready, the sea is clear.

But I shall stay.

I accept the ancient proverb:

Royal purple is the best burial sheet

Justinian’s Accomplishments

❖ Justinian’s goal was to “rebuild” the splendor of the Roman Empire

❖ Used tax money to built up Constantinople

❖ Encouraged wealthy nobles to come to Constantinople by

building them palaces

❖ Many accomplishments…

❖ Justinian’s Code

❖civil law

❖ Hagia Sophia

❖ Patron of the arts

Preserving Roman Culture

❖ Justinian’s Code – uniform code of law based on Roman law

❖ Included laws on marriage, slavery, property, women’s rights, crime

❖ Byzantines spoke Greek but considered themselves culturally Roman

❖ Studied Latin, Greek, Roman literature and history

❖ Eastern Empire preserved Greek and Roman culture

❖ In former Western Empire, Germanic, and Roman cultures blended

The Church Divides❖ Division of the empire affected the Christian church

❖ Caused by different cultural practices, limited contact between areas

❖ Religious practices developed differently

❖ In the east, the emperor had control over the head of the church

❖ In the west, the lack of an emperor gave pope more responsibilities

❖ Western Pope claimed control over churches in both the east and west

❖ Eastern Church rejected the authority of the Pope

❖ Christian Church split in 1054

❖ Roman Catholic Church in the west, Eastern Orthodox Church in the east

❖ Orthodox – “holding established beliefs”; catholic – “universal”

❖ Split led to creation of two separate European civilizations

Religion & Government❖ Pope claimed authority over

Christian emperors, kings

❖ Roman Catholic Church influenced government in the west

❖ Disagreements between church and kings later caused conflicts

❖ Byzantine emperor was absolute ruler

❖ Had power over spiritual head of Eastern Orthodox Church

❖ Overall, had greater power than rulers in the west

The Byzantine Empire Collapses❖ New Arabian religion of Islam began in 600s

❖ Muslim armies attacked Constantinople

❖ Civil wars, attacks by Ottoman Turks, Serbs hurt Byzantine Empire

❖ Only small section of empire remained by 1350

❖ Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople in 1453

❖ Ended the Byzantine Empire