Transcript The Byzantine Empire

The Byzantine Empire
By Bryan Burton, Jesse
Wagner, and Makayla
Morris
Who Were the Byzantines?
The Byzantines were a Greek speaking
eastern Roman empire of the Middle Ages.
 Lasted from about 306 AD to 1453 AD.
 Centered around capitol of Constantinople.
 Ruled by emperors in direct succession of
the Roman rulers.
 It remained an economic, military, and
cultural powerhouse despite losing
territory throughout the years.
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Where did They Come From?
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It is impossible to find an exact date for when
they separated from the Romans.
It was a gradual process, and the concept of a
separate Byzantine Empire is a phrase coined my
modern historians.
However, Emperor Constantine I moved the
capital from Nicomedia to Byzantium (Later
renamed Constantinople) in 324, marking a
turning point in their history.
The citizens of the time referred to themselves as
a part of the Roman Empire or as Romania.
History
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Christianity grew rapidly in the area especially
after Constantine I.
After splitting with Rome, they went through
many Dynasties.
The Byzantine Empire gradually grew smaller and
smaller. By 650, it was less than half of its
original size.
Poor leaders and an inability to enforce the laws
led to their shrinking territory.
They were involved in several wars, including the
Muslim Wars and Bulgarian Wars.
The Black Plague and Arab invasions also harmed
their society.
Councils of Nicaea
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Constantine I was somewhat involved, however it
is speculated that he participated in hope of
political gain, not because he was a believer.
Resulted in first uniform Christian doctrine: the
Creed of Nicaea.
Purpose was to define beliefs of all of
Christianity.
Solidified belief of role of Christ and defined what
it is to believe in the Apostles and Christ.
Decided on the official date of Easter.
Dealt with technicalities of Christianity.
Controversy as to how much influence the
various Councils had over the formation of the
modern Bible.
– They may have selected some of the books that are a
part of the Bible.
The Crusades
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Pope Urban II called a Council of Clermont and
encouraged the people of Western Europe to
partake in a armed pilgrimage to drive the
Muslims out of Jerusalem.
– Wanted to aid the persecuted Christians there
and to expand his own power.
This was called the First Crusade, which was
quickly followed by the Second Crusade.
Eventually a Third and Fourth Crusade occurred,
temporarily expanding the Byzantine Empire’s
influence.
Culture
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Byzantine was an economic powerhouse. They
had a uniform system of coinage to help regulate
the economy.
– Constantinople was a mecca for trade. The silk road
also expanded their aspirations.
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They had very few contributions to science until
the Renaissance when they expanded knowledge
of mathematics and astronomy.
Christianity became popular in Byzantine, but it
was never uniform. The Eastern Orthodox church
and the Nestorians (now called the Assyrian
Church of the East) were two of the most popular
denominations.
The Jews were a constant minority.
Culture (cont.)
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Byzantine art dealt with religion and church
theology.
– Influenced Italian Renaissance art.
They also had unique and influential architecture.
The Byzantines wrote a lot of literature, primarily
religious manuscripts and poetry.
Primary languages were Greek and Latin, but
being a major trade area other languages
became popular including Syriac, Aramaic,
Coptic, Armenian, Georgian, Slavonic, Vlach,
Arabic, and Chinese.
Government
 Byzantine
emperors were absolute
and regarded as having divine origin.
 They also had a bureaucracy of
courts and the military.
– This was ordered and flexible according to the
empire’s situation.
– Many individuals were a part of the
government simply for their own good or the
Emperor’s personal gain, not for the good of
the empire.
Lasting Impact
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Byzantine was the only stable long term
European nation in the Middle Ages and server as
a barrier between Asia and Western Europe.
– It was constantly under attack, shielding the western
world.
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They had a big influence on the growing religion
of Christianity.
Their culture and ideas ran opposite of that of
Western Europe.
Byzantine also influenced art and literature.
Bibliography
 http://www.metmuseum.org/explore
/byzantium/time.html
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantin
e_Empire
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Co
uncil_of_Nicaea