Sunset on the

“

Golden Horn

”

Emperor Justinian [r. 527-564]

Empress Theodora

Justinian

’

s Empire at its Peak

Church of Hagia Sophia [Holy Wisdom]

Interior of the Church of Hagia

Sophia

Justinian

’

s Code

Corpus Juris Civilis: 1. Less confusion 2. Organized the Empire 3. Spread Roman Legal ideas

Byzantine & Sassanid Empires, 6 c

6c Arabia:

A Threat to the Great Empires

The Byzantine Empire • 4 th cen. Constantine est. Constantinople • Greek Language, Christians, Barbarian armies recruited for protection • 5 th cen. Justinian rebuilt Constantinople, Designed Justinian ’s Code, and conquered N. Africa (godlike stature) • Used Greek Fire to incinerate Arabs and other invaders (sea)

Byzantine II • Economic burdens, threats on borders, and less farmers powers causes stresses • Expanded north to Bulgaria; united thru marriages (Slavs) • Bureaucrats trained in Greek classics, sciences, philosophies • Govt. controlled food prices and trade (taxes) • Adopted Domed buildings, mosaics, icons in paintings

Byzantine III • Pope doesn’t like icons (iconoclasm), and Greek language in church, celibacy, Charlemagne, and others… • Disagreement led to excommunication by both sides, Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church is est. (The Great Schism) • Empire declined thru invasions (Seljuks), Slavic Kingdoms renewing, Venice dominated trade (Crusades), 1453 CE artillery and Turkish sultan take over

Eastern Europe • Cyril and Methodius spread Christianity create written Slavic language (Cyrillic), create local vernacular • Influx of Jews created anti-Semitism (no farming allowed only commerce, Jews emphasized education, self governed, own culture) • Kievan Russians (Greek for Red)- tribal, animist, oral tradition, traded with Scandinavians, conquered by Norsemen (Rurik Denmark first Kievan monarch) • Vladimir I (980-1015) converted to Christian (Orthodox), forced conversions, rejected the pope, and liked alcohol in religion

E. Europe II • Russia traded with Byzantine, copied ceremonies (religious and Emperior), monogamy replaces polygamy, almsgiving to the poor, icons emerged, boyars (aristocrats) are less powerful • Declined- Relied too heavily from Byzantine (econ.), fractional princes, Byzantine weakened • Mongol Invasion (1237-1241) Tatars take control for 2 centuries, languished literature, trade cut off, left control to locals (differences) • Russia claims “Third Rome” when Constantinople falls in 1453, Orthodox stronghold, still hard times econ.

Byzantium - Josh Goellner

Transcript Byzantium - Josh Goellner

Constantinople: A Greek City (Istanbul Today)