Byzantine Empire Mr Millhouse AP World History Hebron

Byzantine Empire Mr. Millhouse AP World History Hebron High School

Fall of the Roman Empire 164—Plague spreads through Rome 180—End of Pax Romana 300—Diocletian divides the Empire 313—Christianity tolerated 410—Visigoths sack Rome 455—Vandals sack Rome 476—Fall of the Western Roman Empire

Eastern Rome: A Survivor Society • Constantine established the Eastern capital at Byzantium • Constantinople • Reasons for Survival • Higher level of civilization • Fewer nomadic invasions • Geography • Prosperous commerce

Justinian (527 -565) • Byzantine empire reached greatest size • Wanted to rebuild Roman Empire • Temporarily Re-conquered N. Africa, Italy and southern Spain • • Wife, Theodora, had considerable power Rebuilt Constantinople • Hagia Sophia • Justinian’s Code

Byzantine Empire under Justinian

Hagia Sophia

Threat of Islam • Arab peoples conquered parts of Byzantium • Prolonged sieges of Constantinople • Byzantine survived partly because of "Greek fire" • Imperial organization • Government run by trained bureaucracy & army • Theme System • • • Provinces organized on a military basis Ruled by a general who ran army & civil bureaucracy Responsible for protecting peasants • Aristocrats limited by army, emperor, & bureaucracy

Byzantine Empire

Constantinople • • “Second Rome” Key trading route linking • Buffer between Western E • Europe’s busiest marketp

Byzantine Economy • Government prevented wealthy from seizing peasant’s land • Free peasantry declined in the 11 th century • Craftsmen and merchants were respected • Glassware & mosaics • Thriving silk industry • Monopolized by the government

Great Schism (1054) • • Byzantine emperors tended to combine political and religious authority Dispute over use of icons • Iconoclasm—Attempt to suppress icon veneration in 8 th c. • Schism occurs in 1054 • Final break over the type of bread used in the mass and the celibacy of priests • Or was it?

Catholicism vs. Orthodox • • • Western Europe Pope in Rome Priests practice celibacy Latin Language Most important holy day Christmas • • • Eastern Europe Patriarch in Constantinople Clergy could marry Greek Language Most important holy day Easter

Effects of the Great Schism

Byzantine Culture • Cultural Foundations • • Christian beliefs Greek learning Roman engineering Byzantine Education • State-organized schools • Widespread literacy • Chariot Races • Blues vs. Greens • Riot of 532

Byzantine Decline • • The long decline began in 11 th century. Seljuk Turks seized most of the Asian provinces • Remove an important source of taxes and food • • • Crusaders, led by Venetian merchants, sacked Constantinople in 1204 A smaller empire struggled to survive for another two centuries In 1453, the Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople

Byzantine Challenges

Byzantine Empire

Rise of Russia • Area inhabited by Slavs • Vikings arrive using river system • Set up state based on trade & conquest around 9 th Century • State founded by Rurik • Capital at Kiev • People called Rus

Russia & Christianity • Prince Vladimir converted in 989 • Converted for trade, commercial reasons • • Elites baptized by order of prince, often against will Served as conduit for spread of Byzantine culture, religion • Cyrillic Alphabet

Kievan Rus • • “Third Rome” Decentralized government • Divided into provinces • Constant strife between boyars and princes • Constant threat of nomadic invasion