Transcript Document 7266158

Byzantine Empire
•The Byzantine Empire with territory in the Balkans, the
Middle East, and the eastern Mediterranean, maintained very
high levels of political, economic, and cultural life between
500 and 1450 C.E.
•The Byzantine Empire, once part of the grater Roman
Empire continued flourishing from an eastern Mediterranean
base after Roman decline
•The empire continued many Roman patterns and spread its
Orthodox Christian civilization through most off eastern
Europe.
Emperor Constantine in the 4th c.
established a capital at
Constantinople
Greek became the official
tongue after the 6th c.
The empire benefited from the
high level of civilization in the
former Hellenistic world and
from the region’s prosperous
commerce
It held off barbarian invaders
and developed a trained civilian
bureaucracy
•Constantinople –Capital of the Byzantine Empire; constructed
on the site of Byzantium, an old Greek city on the Bosporus
Germanic invaders
pounded the Roman
empire in the west
Huns – Group of nomadic
tribes that pushed
through central Europe in
the 4th and 5th c.
instigating the migration
of the Germanic tribes
into the Roman Empire
Remember……
Most emperors that were
conquered moved their
empire back in the east
Important New Center
Constantinople
– “Second Rome”
Located on a strait that
linked Mediterranean and
Black Seas
Key trading route linking
Europe, Africa and Asia
– Buffer between
Western Europe and
Asia
Hellenistic culture – After Alexander’s death, Greek art,
education, and culture merged with those in the Middle East
Trade and important scientific centers were established, such as
Alexandria, Egypt
Byzantine Empire-(Eastern Roman Empire)
The Age of Justinian 527-565
Byzantine empire
reached greatest size
Wanted to recover what
had been lost during the
fall of Rome
Re-conquered N. Africa,
Italy and southern Spain
– Victories were temporary
•Justinian rebuilt
Constantinople in classical
style; among the architectural
achievements was the huge
church of Hagia Sophia
•Justinian – 6th c. Byzantine
emperor; failed to reconquer the
western portions of the empire;
rebuilt Constantinople; codified
Roman law
•Hagia Sophia – Great domed
church constructed during the
reign of Justinian
•Body of Civil Law – Justinian’s codification of Roman law;
reconciled Roman edicts and decisions; mad Roman law a
coherent basis for political and economic life
•Icons – Images of religious figures venerated by Byzantine
Christians
•Justinian codification of
Roman law was his greatest
achievement
•The revived empire
withstood the 7th c. advance
of Arab Muslims although
important regions were lost
along the eastern
Mediterranean and the
northern Middle Eastern
heartland
Hagia Sophia
•Byzantine political patterns resembled the earlier Chinese
system
•Am emperor, ordained by God and surrounded by elaborate
court ritual, headed both church and state
During Middle Ages
Dispute over use of icons (Holy Images)
contributed to split
Byzantine Emperor outlawed prayer to icons
Two branches of Christianity grew further
apart
1054 provoked a permanent split between
Byzantine, Eastern (Greek) Orthodox and
Roman Catholic Church
Iconoclasm – The breaking of images; religious
controversy of the 8th c. Byzantine emperor
attempted, but failed to suppress icon veneration
CHRISTIANS BUT DIFFERENCES
DIVIDED!!!
****Divisions in the Church
West
Pope in Rome
Latin Language
Most important holy
day Christmas
East, Constantinople
Patriarch in the
Byzantine-rejected
Pope’s authority
Clergy could marry
Greek Language
Most important holy
day Easter
Compare churches…..
•The final break between the two churches occurred in 1054 over
arguments about the type of bread used in the mass and the
celibacy of priests
Byzantine Heritage
Built on the
Hellenistic culture
– Christian beliefs
– Greek science, art
and literature
– Roman engineering
The World of Learning
Preserved classic
works of ancient
Greece
Mostly concerned with
writing about their own
times
Many went and taught
at universities in Italy,
Contributed to the birth
of the next cultural time
in European history,
Renaissance
•The long decline
began in 11th c.
•Muslim Turkish
invaders seized
almost all of the
empires Asian
provinces, removing
the most important
sources 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
What happened to the Byzantine?
Crusades
– Byzantine emperor called for help to fight the
Muslims headed for Jerusalem
Western Christians drained $$$
Muslims took control of northern territories
– Muslims eventually took Constantinople
and renamed it Istanbul
Geography-lies on Eurasian
plain and borders China
Ural Mts. Physical boundary
Wanted Moscow to be the
“Third Rome”
3 regions helped shape early
Russian life
– North-Lumber and hunting
– South-Fertile land for
farming
– Steppe-treeless grassland
Open to nomads from Asia
and Europe
•Kiev – Commercial city in
Ukraine established by
Scandinavians in 9thc, became
the center for a kingdom that
flourished until the 12th c.
Rise of Russia
Steppe Areas
Great “Highway”
Nomadic migrates
Rivers linked
Byzantine to Russia
•Vladimir I – ruler of Kiev (9801015) converted kingdom to
orthodox Christianity
•Russian Orthodoxy – Russian
form of Christianity brought from
the Byzantine Empire
First Civilization
Kiev in Present day
Ukraine
Home of vital trading
networks
Would become the
center of the first
Russian state
Boyars – Russian
landholding aristocrats;
possessed less political
power than their
western European
counterparts
Kiev and the Byzantine Empire
Trade helped Kiev enter the Byzantine empire
957 Princess Olga of Kiev converted to
Byzantine Christianity
– Grandson spread religion which gained strength
Russians started to adapt religious art, music
and architecture
– Onion domes
Onion Domes
is a type of architectural dome that
frequently adorns Russian Orthodox
Churches.
Symbolism
The domes are often brightly painted; the colors
symbolize different aspects of religion.
– Green, blue, and gold domes represent the Holy
Trinity, the Spirit of God, and Jesus, respectively.
Green dome
– Onion domes often appear in groups of three or five,
representing the Holy Trinity or Jesus and the Four
Evangelists, respectively. Domes standing alone
represent Jesus.
Mongol Influences
Nomadic people from central Asia
– United by Genghiz Khan (Later Chapters)
Looted and burned Kiev
Russian princes had to pay money to rule
without Mongol interference
Mongol rule cut off Russian contacts with
Western Europe which were making
advances in art and science
Russian Orthodox grows stronger due to
religious toleration
Tatars – Mongols who conquered Russian
cities during the 13th c.; left Russian
church and aristocracy intact
Moscow Takes Lead
With their location near
trading rivers, Moscow
steadily increased their
power
Head of Russian
Orthodox church made
Moscow capital,
became political and
spiritual center
Ivan the Great ---- Ivan III
Recovered Russian
territories that were
lost to invaders
Tried to limit the
power of boyars
(landowning nobles)
Took on the title of
Czar (Russian for
Caesar)
Ivan the Terrible --- Ivan IV
Grandson
Nobles granted land for
military service
Tied serfs to land
Violent, killed own son
Black horses and black
robes-slaughtered rebels
Introduced Russia to
extreme absolute power
Eastern Europe
Recap
Byzantine
Greek language
Claimed right to appoint
the head of the church
Did not accept pope
$$ Good – Silk, Paper
Taxes provided money to
run govt. and army
Western Europe
Latin in churches
Pope had power and
the people accepted
Trade, town life and
learning declined
after the fall of Rome
Shaping Eastern Europe
Geography makes
area cultural
crossroads
Crusades will bring in
a lot of Muslims to
area