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Constantinople

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Constantine moved capital there from Rome in 330CE; was built at a major crossroads of land and sea trade routes; It's on the Bosporus Strait, It the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara (which flows into the Mediterranean Sea); It also links Europe and Asia

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Why was size a problem for Rome

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It was too big for the government to take care of! •Emperor Diocletian decided to split Rome in half! •WESTERN HALF: Europe/North Africa (and the city of Rome •EASTERN HALF: Turkey/parts of Asia (and the city of Byzantium

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2 big changes during Constantine's rule

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1. He became a Christian 2.He decided to build a new imperial capital Because he became a Christian, Constantine stopped persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire

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What did Constantine accomplish

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AD 330- Constantine decided to set up his capital in Byzantium- an ancient Greek city He built markets, forums (public squares), paved roads, a cathedral (Hagia Sophia), a palace, public baths, and a hippodrome (circus) 500,000 people lived in Constantinople

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Trade in Constantinople

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Goods came to Constantinople from Kiev (north), Egypt(south), across Central Asia and China The diverse people, goods, and ideas made Constantinople an interesting and exciting place to be. Byzantines charged taxes on all goods that came through the city... this made them very rich.

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What did Byzantine emporers hope to take back

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Rome; though Emporor Justinian greatly expanded the region and clamed Rome and Lazio for a time; in 565, Italy fell to another Germanic tribe, the Lombards

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What happened after Constantine was no longer emporer

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other emperors ruled from Constantinople... The Byzantine Empire was a mainly Christian empire- a change from the other empires of the day. Eventually the Roman Empire officially split into 2 halves (as mentioned before) and the Eastern half remained stronger due to military and trade strength In AD 476, the western Roman Empire collapsed

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What happened to Constantinople while the western part of the Roman Empire was falling apart

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a strong army and a strong wall protected Constantinople. Constantinople had strong, popular leaders who promoted education and reformed laws

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Ottoman Turks

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defeated Byzantine empire in 1453

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Byzantine Empire

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eastern portion of the Roman empire;

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Ostrogoths

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went to war with Byzantine empire resulting in draining Justinian's resources

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Justinian's military feats- positive

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crushed the rebellion, succeeded gaining land by fighting;

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Justinian's military feats- negative

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wars are expensive and left the treasury bare; set fires and killed 30,000 people and badly damaged towns and houses

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Justinian's law and government- positive

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stenghtened a land divided by disagreements by people within, organized the laws and decrees of past emporers (Justinian Code)

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Justinian's law and government- negative

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settled disputes mainly by restricting rights and killing non Christians and non orthodox Christians; acted cowardly when he would have given up crown during Nica revolt of 532 but wife and co-ruler convinced otherwise

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Justinian's art

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encouraged the arts; Byzantine style characterized by colorful mosaics and long thin figures influenced artistic styles in mid evil Eurpoe

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Justinian architecture- postive

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built aquaducts, bridges and many buildings; Hagia Sophia is a huge domed church in Constantinople that was built

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Justinian architecture- negative

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spent large sums on building projects; contributed to financial weakness of empire

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Justinian literature

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greek language, literature, philosophy; period reflected greek styling with Christian themes

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Justinian religion - positive

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being fierce believer in the word of God in the holy bible. Lovers of the traditions and rituals of the Orthodox church

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Justinian religion - negative

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persecuted people who had different beliefs; all people who disagreed were killed; some people didn't believe in God

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Justinian

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A Byzantine emperor who ruled from 527 - 565 who made many improvements to the eastern part of the empire. Born in AD 482 in Macedonia. He was not born into a royal family - but was adopted by his uncle who was an ambassador for the emperor. He received a good education. He loved Theodora. His dream was to restore the Roman Empire to its former glory. Best known for consolidating old Roman laws into a new set of laws that would be easier to understand. Expanded the Byzantine emporer and ruled at the hight of its power. He was born poor, so he listened to all of his subjects, not just the rich ones

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Theodora

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Empress; Married Justinian in 525. She was considered below his class. She was very intelligent and considered one of his closest advisors and supporters.

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What were some of Justinian's passions?

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His passions included reuniting the empire, the law and the church.

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How was Justinian's Code different from Roman law?

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Justinian's Code helped guarantee fairer treatment for all.

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Who stopped Justinian from leaving Constantinople during riots in 532 AD?

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Justinian was stopped from leaving by his wife, Theodora. She was smart and powerful and helped her husband rule effectively.

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What was the new name given to the society that developed in the Eastern part of the Roman Empire after the west fell?

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Byzantine Empire

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Where was Constantinople located?

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Constantinople was strategically located where Europe and Asia meet.

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Why was Constantinople's location a good one?

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The city was in a perfect location to control trade routes between the two continents.

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How was the power of an eastern emperor different from that of an emperor in the west?

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An eastern emperor was greater because he was considered the head of the church as well as the political ruler. In the west, popes and bishops were leaders of the church.

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How did people show respect to the emperors of the eastern empire?

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When people were in the presence of the eastern emperor, they had to crawl on their hands and knees to talk to him.

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What was the religion for most people in the Byzantine Empire?

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Christianity

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What is a mosaic?

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A picture made with pieces of colored stone or glass.

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What are two important differences between the eastern and western church at that time?

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In the west, the religious services were performed in Latin and the priests could not be married. Christians could worship icons in the west and the east rejected the worship of icons. In the east, the emperor was of higher authority than the bishop and in the west the pope had highest authority over the people.

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Justinian's code

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Code 1 - written laws help everyone know how to behave Code 2 - do what you want, unless it's against the law Code 3 - air, water and land should be free for all people Code 4 - the golden rule (treat others as you want to be treated) Code 5 - punishment for stealing = value of item stolen x 4 (for freemen and slaves) Code 6 - once daughter is married, they are under control of husband and his family Code 7 - you could not marry outside your social class (like patricians and plebs in Rome) Code 8 - "finders keepers" unless you find something on someone else's property (then ½ goes to finder and ½ goes to property owner)

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Byzantine technology

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- The Golden Horn was a challenge for Byzantine engineers, since the five miles of sea walls in that area were comparatively weak and the calm waters there could provide a safe anchorage to an enemy fleet. Emperor Leo III provided a solution in the form of the famous barrier chain. Made of giant wooden links that were joined by immense nails and heavy iron shackles, the chain could be deployed in an emergency by means of a ship hauling it across the Golden Horn. Securely anchored on both ends, with its length guarded by Byzantine warships at anchor in the harbor, the great chain blocked enemy ships from entering. Theodosian Walls This series of stone walls has surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople since its founding as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire by Constantine. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they are one of the greatest and most complex fortification systems ever built.

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Strengths of the Byzantine Empire:

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Constantinople was located on water, which helps with trade and transportation. There were military quarters and fortified walls to protect the city.

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Weaknesses of the Byzantine Empire:

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Enemies could enter the area by sea from many directions. Plan of Attack:

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Eastern Church

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Emporers led the church and the government; magnificent mosaics were built inside; priests could get married

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western church

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popes and bishops led the church; priests couldn't get married

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overlap of eastern and western church

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worked together peacefully; both ideas continued to grow

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Why did Justinian reorganize Roman Law

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to create a legal system that would help guarantee fairer treatment for all.

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What languages did the Eastern and Western Roman societies speak

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Greek in the East, Latin in the West; Scholars in the East studied Greek, not Roman philosophy

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What led to a split in the church

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Differences, such as whether priests should be married and in what language - Greek or Latin

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Where was constantinople located

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between the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea.

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Two of Justinian's major accomplishments

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unifying the empire, and creating a simplified code of laws.

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treatment of women in the eastern empire

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were appreciated; had influence in public affairs.

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Differences in east and west

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In the east, emperors had political and religious power; in the west, emperors had political power only.

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what changed the byzantine empire

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Contact with other cultures changed the Byzantine Empire because people began to speak Greek, rather than Latin. Scholars studied Greek, not Roman, philosophy. Constantinople became a great trading city.

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mosaic

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a picture made with pieces of colored stone or glass, sometimes with gold, silver, and jewels.

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Roman Empire Only

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Latin was the main language Pope and bishops led the church Prayed to Icons Priests could not marry.

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Roman and Byzantine Empire

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Christianity was the main religion. Believed Jesus was the Messiah, God's son

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Byzantine Empire Only

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Greek was the main language. Emperor led the church and the government; appointed a patriarch to run the church No icons allowed Priests could marry.

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The Hippodrome

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was a circus... chariot races, meetings, and riots took place here.

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Heraclius

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ruled between AD 610- 641 Reorganized and strengthened the imperial administration and army Lost Syria, Palestine, & Egypt to the Arab Muslims

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split in the church

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Because of the argument over icons, the pope banished the Byzantine emperor from the church. Byzantines were angry about this. This argument lead to a schism (split) between the Roman Catholic Church in the west and the Eastern (Greek) Orthodox Church in the east.

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Macedonian Dynasty

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Between AD 900- AD 1100, trade increased and things started growing again. They traded with places as far away as Kiev (Russia) and Venice. The relationship with Kiev and their leader (Vladimir the Great) brought Christianity to Russia The population grew, arts advanced, they regained some lost land.

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fall of constantinople

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AD 1000's- Muslims to the East started gaining power AD 1100's- Turks had taken land in Asian Minor away from Byzantines AD 1171- war with Venice AD 1200's- Christian crusaders attacked Constantinople and took over AD 1453- 70,000 Turks surrounded the land by sea and by land and took over Constantinople was rebuilt and named Istanbul- the center of the Ottoman Empire and the center of Muslim culture

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