Transcript The Rise of the Byzantines

The Rise of the Byzantines
Main Idea:
The Eastern Roman Empire grew rich and
powerful as the Western Roman Empire fell.
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The Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire reached
a high point in the A.D. 500’s.
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It spread west to Italy, south to Egypt, and east to
the border of Arabia.
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Greeks made up the largest group.
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Emperor Constantine moved the
capital of the Roman Empire from
Rome to the east and called it
Constantinople in present day
Istanbul, Turkey.
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It is located between the Black Sea
and Aegean Sea which makes it a
crossroads for trade between
Europe and Asia.
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It became very wealthy from trade.
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It was known as “New Rome” and
followed Roman ways.
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Public buildings and palaces
were built in the Roman style.
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The Hippodrome was a huge
arena built for chariot racing.
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Political and social life was
based on the Roman way with
Emperors speaking Latin and
enforcing Roman laws.
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The poor still received free
bread and shows.
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The wealthy lived on large
farming estates.
The Rise of the
Byzantines
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As time passed, the Byzantine
Empire became more Greek. (
spoke Greek and honored Greek
history)
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Other groups such as the
Egyptians, Persians, and Slavs
also contributed to the cultural
ways.
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Between A.D. 500 and A.D. 1200,
the Byzantines had one of the
world’s richest and most
advanced empires.
Justinian
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Justinian became Emperor in A.D.
527.
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He was strong leader who
controlled the military, made laws,
and was supreme judge. His order
was unquestionable.
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He was married to Theodora, a
strong-willed, former actress who
helped him run the empire.
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Theodora influenced Justinian to
give women more rights. Example:
Women were given the right to own
land.
Justinian’s
Conquests
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Justinian wanted to reunite the Roman
Empire.
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He named the general, Belisarius, to
strenghthen and lead the army.
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Belisarius organized a calvary of
soldiers on horseback who wore armor
and carried bows and lances.
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The Byzantine military was successful
in conquering Italy, Northern Africa,
and defeating the Persians.
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after Justinian’s death, his empire
didn’t have the money to maintain an
army and lost the west again.
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Justinian ordered a group
of scholars led by,
Tribonian, to reform the
empires laws.
The new simplified code
became known as
Justinian’s Code.
The new code made it
easier for officials,
business people, and
individuals to more easily
understand the Empire’s
laws.
Justinian’s Code had a
great influence on the laws
of many European
countries of today.
Byzantine
Civilization
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The Byzantine civilization
lasted about 1000 years.
Constantinople became the
richest city in Europe.
Byzantines were highly
educated and creative.
They preserved and passed on
Greek culture and Roman law
to other peoples.
They gave the world new
methods of arts.
They spread Christianity to
people in Eastern Europe.
From the A.D. 500’s to the
A.D. 1100’s, the Byzantine
Empire was the center of
trade between Europe and
Asia.
1. Imports (from Asia)Byzantium received luxury
goods such as, spices, gems,
metals and cloth.
2. Exports (from Byzantium)
included farm goods, furs,
honey, and enslaved people
from Northern Europe.
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The Importance
of Trade
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Although trade made
Byzantium wealthy, most
people were farmers, herders,
laborers, and artisans. A
major industry was silk
weaving.
Byzantine Art
and Architecture
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Byzantine emperors ordered
the building of churches, forts,
and public building,
throughout the empire.
Constantinople is known for
hundreds of churches and
palaces.
Justinians greatest building
achievement was the Hagia
Sophia, which means “Holy
Wisdom.”
It became the religious center
of the Byzantine Empire.
Byzantine Art and Architecture
Byzantine Architecture
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Inside the Hagia Sophia
Byzantine Art and Architecture
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The walls of the Hagia
Sophia were covered
with beautiful marble
mosaics; pictures
made from many bits
of colored glass or
stone.
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Byzantine mosaics
mainly showed figures
of saints or Christian
holy people.
Byzantine Religious Art
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Family was the center of
social life.
The government stressed the
importance of marriage and
divorce was rare.
Some Byzantine women
became well educated and
involved in politics.
Some women served as
regents, a person who stands
in for a ruler who is too
young or too ill to govern.
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Learning was highly respected in
the Byzantine culture and was
supported by the government
Boys studied religion, medicine,
law, arithmetic, grammar, and
other subjects.
Girls were taught at home.
Byzantine authors wrote about
religion and stressed the need to
obey god and save one’s soul.
Byzantine writers copied and
passed on the writings of the
ancient Greeks and Romans.
These are the world’s only
copies.