Transcript The Byzantine Empire

Review:
Fall of Rome

Roman emperor, Diocletian (284 AD) divided
the Roman Empire into east and west
Review:
Fall of Rome

Constantine (312 AD) rejoined east & west; moved
capital from Rome to Byzantium, renaming the city
Constantinople
The Byzantine Empire
western half suffered from invasion
 last Roman emperor ousted in 476 B.C.
 eastern empire became known as Byzantine Empire

Emperor Justinian

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527 Justinian (Byzantine
nobleman) took control of
eastern empire
fought to regain control of
Rome & Italian peninsula
called himself new Caesar &
ruled like emperors of Rome
head of both church & state
exercised absolute power
Roman influence in Byzantine Culture

Learning:
 Byzantium valued GrecoRoman classical learning
 Students learned Greek &
Latin grammar, philosophy,
read classic literature written
by Greeks & Romans
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Some Roman laws remained

Christianity - official religion
Rise of Constantinople

Justinian started public
building projects:
 14-mile wall around city
 churches (Hagia Sophia)
 courts, schools, &
hospitals

Markets offered trade goods
from Africa, Asia, & Europe
Empress Theodora

Justinian’s wife & advisor
(most powerful woman in
Byzantium)

Met w/ foreign envoys,
wrote to foreign leaders,
passed laws, & built churches
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Passed laws to protect
women & grant them
benefits
Justinian’s Code
Some of Roman law continued in Justinian’s new
system of law.
 Legal system est. in Justinian’s Code served as law in
the Byzantine Empire for 900 years.
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Justinian’s Code consisted of four works:
The Code - contained 5,000 Roman laws
2. The Digest - quoted & summarized opinions of Rome’s
greatest legal thinkers
3. The Institutes - told law students how to use the laws
4. The Novellae (New Laws) - presented all new legislation
1.
Justinian’s Code Practice

Interpreting Justinian’s Code WS – Then vs.
Now with a partner

Quick Writing Prompt:
What was Justinian’s Code? What was the
advantage of combining established Roman
law with the new system of law in the
Justinian Code?
(10 minutes to answer this question)
Impact on Russia

Byzantium traded w/ Slavic
peoples to north

Russian culture was created
as Greek Byzantines
interacted w/ Slavs

Slavic peoples - culturally
similar but politically
different communities
Impact on Russia: Trade
Location of
Constantinople
Dnieper River

880 - city of Kiev
settled on Dnieper
River

People living in
Kiev could sail to
Constantinople to
trade.
Impact on Russia: Politics & Religion
Religion:
 957 - princess Olga from Kiev
converted to Christianity
 989 - grandson, Vladimir, converted
entire population of Kiev to Eastern
Christianity
 Vladimir imported teachers from
Byzantium to teach about new
religion
Politics:
 Ivan III came to power in Moscow –
declared he would make Russia
“third Rome” & took title “czar”
(Russian for “Caesar”)
The Great Schism

Read “The Church Divides” on pages
304 - 306 in your textbook

Summarize the conflict between the
Eastern and Western Churches. What
happened as a result of this conflict?
The Great Schism
Christianity developed different religious beliefs in
eastern & western empires
 In 1054, the Pope (West) & Patriarch (East)
excommunicated each other (outcast from church)
 Eastern (Greek) Church = Greek Orthodox
 Western (Latin) Church = Roman Catholic
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Great Schism: Key Religious Differences
Emperor claims authority
over Patriarch & bishops
 Patriarch & bishops share
power & administer
church as a group
 Priests allowed to marry
 Divorce permitted in
certain cases

Greek Orthodox
(East)
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Pope claims authority
over all bishops, kings &
emperors
Priests may not marry
Divorce not permitted
Roman Catholic
(West)