The Byzantine The Byzantine Empire: Empire:

The New Rome

ObjectivesObjectives

The student will The student will demonstrate knowledge demonstrate knowledge of the Byzantine Empire of the Byzantine Empire and Russia from about and Russia from about 300 to 1000 C.E.300 to 1000 C.E.– Explaining the Explaining the

establishment of establishment of Constantinople to provide Constantinople to provide political, economic, and political, economic, and military advantagesmilitary advantages

– Identifying Justinian and his Identifying Justinian and his contributionscontributions

Essential QuestionsEssential Questions– Why was Constantinople Why was Constantinople

established as the capital established as the capital of the Eastern Roman of the Eastern Roman EmpireEmpire

– What was the influence of What was the influence of Justinian’s codification of Justinian’s codification of Roman law on the Roman law on the Byzantine Empire and later Byzantine Empire and later legal codeslegal codes

– What was Justinian’s What was Justinian’s influence on the expansion influence on the expansion of the Byzantine Empire of the Byzantine Empire and its economyand its economy

The Division of the Roman The Division of the Roman EmpireEmpire

Where we left off Where we left off – In 284 C.E. Diocletian

became Roman emperor.

– He decided that the huge Roman empire could only be ruled by splitting it into two parts.

The Division of the Roman EmpireThe Division of the Roman EmpireFrom From World History: World History: Connections to Today Connections to Today Prentice Prentice Hall, 2003Hall, 2003

ConstantineConstantine In 330 C.E. Diocletian’s In 330 C.E. Diocletian’s

successor, successor, Constantine, , rebuilt the old port of rebuilt the old port of Byzantium, at the mouth Byzantium, at the mouth of the Black Sea. of the Black Sea.

He renamed it He renamed it Constantinople and Constantinople and made the city the capital made the city the capital of the Eastern Roman of the Eastern Roman Empire.Empire.– Became known as the Became known as the

Byzantine EmpireByzantine Empire

What are the advantages of building a major city here?

Geographic AdvantagesGeographic Advantages

Located on a PeninsulaLocated on a Peninsula Easily fortified Easily fortified

– Strong walls secured Strong walls secured the citythe city

Barbarians couldn’t get Barbarians couldn’t get through, lacked siege through, lacked siege weapons weapons

Provided natural safe Provided natural safe harbors for shipsharbors for ships– both merchant and both merchant and

military shipsmilitary ships

Provided natural Provided natural defensedefense– water on three sides. water on three sides.

(the Black and Aegean (the Black and Aegean Seas)Seas)

Gave distance from Gave distance from Germanic invasions in Germanic invasions in Western empireWestern empire

Economic and Political Economic and Political AdvantagesAdvantages

Economic/ TradeEconomic/ Trade Easy access to the Easy access to the

Mediterranean SeaMediterranean Sea Located at an Located at an

important land route important land route that linked Europe that linked Europe and Asia (Silk Road) and Asia (Silk Road) Crossroads of tradeCrossroads of trade

Political/ Social Political/ Social Preserved classical Preserved classical

Greco-Roman cultureGreco-Roman culture Seat of Byzantine Seat of Byzantine

Empire until Ottoman Empire until Ottoman Empire Empire

The Fall of the Western Roman The Fall of the Western Roman EmpireEmpire

By 395 C.E., the Roman By 395 C.E., the Roman Empire was formally Empire was formally divided into two empires: divided into two empires: East and West. East and West.

With the invasion of With the invasion of Germanic forces from Germanic forces from the north, the Western the north, the Western Roman Empire was Roman Empire was conquered and further conquered and further divided. divided.

This left the eastern This left the eastern part of the Roman part of the Roman empire to carry on the empire to carry on the Greco-Roman Greco-Roman tradition.tradition.

Byzantine EmpireByzantine Empire

At first, this Empire At first, this Empire controlled only a small controlled only a small area around the area around the eastern Mediterraneaneastern Mediterranean

During the reign of During the reign of Justinian (527-565), it Justinian (527-565), it started to recover started to recover much of the territory much of the territory of the old Roman of the old Roman empire.empire.

The Byzantine Empire Under The Byzantine Empire Under JustinianJustinian

This map depicts the This map depicts the Empire at the death Empire at the death of Justinian I, who of Justinian I, who had reigned from had reigned from 527 to 565 as sole 527 to 565 as sole Emperor, Emperor, sometimes in sometimes in concert, and concert, and sometimes in sometimes in conflict, with his conflict, with his powerful wife powerful wife Theodora. Theodora.

The New RomeThe New Rome

It traded these for spices, ivory and precious stones on the Silk Road with China and India.

The Byzantine Empire was wealthy and produced:

gold, silk, grain, olives and wine

The Silk RoadThe Silk Road

Justinian and TheodoraJustinian and TheodoraJustinian ruled as an Justinian ruled as an

autocrat autocrat with the help of his with the help of his wife, Theodora. wife, Theodora.

Ruled with absolute powerRuled with absolute power Headed church and stateHeaded church and state

They created a huge They created a huge Christian empire and the Christian empire and the empire reached its greatest empire reached its greatest size.size.

Reclaimed former Roman Reclaimed former Roman territoriesterritories

Areas in Italy, Southern Spain, Areas in Italy, Southern Spain, and North Africaand North Africa

Justinian and TheodoraJustinian and Theodora

They also built They also built

Hagia SophiaHagia Sophia

And rebuilt the And rebuilt the HippodromeHippodrome

Justinian and TheodoraJustinian and Theodora Byzantine Empire had its Byzantine Empire had its

own character own character – Many Byzantines spoke Many Byzantines spoke

Greek, not LatinGreek, not Latin

To regulate society To regulate society Justinian set up a panel of Justinian set up a panel of 10 legal experts10 legal experts– Combed through 400 years Combed through 400 years

of Roman law and legal of Roman law and legal opinionsopinions

Codified (arranged into a clear Codified (arranged into a clear system)system)

Result was a body of civil Result was a body of civil law known as Justinian’s law known as Justinian’s CodeCode

Justinian’s Code of LawsJustinian’s Code of Laws Code consisted of four Code consisted of four

worksworks– The codeThe code

Contained 5,000 lawsContained 5,000 laws

– The DigestThe Digest Quoted and summarized Quoted and summarized

opinions of Rome’s opinions of Rome’s greatest legal thinkers greatest legal thinkers about the lawsabout the laws

– The InstitutesThe Institutes Was a textbook that told Was a textbook that told

law students how to use law students how to use the lawthe law

– The NovellaeThe Novellae Presented legislationPresented legislation

Examples of lawsExamples of laws– Laws were more fair to Laws were more fair to

women. They could own women. They could own property and raise their own property and raise their own children after their husbands children after their husbands died.died.

– Children could choose their Children could choose their own marriage partners.own marriage partners.

– Slavery was legal and slaves Slavery was legal and slaves must obey their masters.must obey their masters.

– Punishments were detailed Punishments were detailed and fit the crimeand fit the crime

ImportanceImportance– His work inspired the His work inspired the

modern concept and, indeed, modern concept and, indeed, the very spelling of "justice"the very spelling of "justice"

Justinian's Achievements

Revived classical Greco-Roman culture

Improved the wealth and power of Byzantine Empire by expanding trade

Reconquered former Roman territories and doubled size of Byzantine Empire

Codified Roman law, basis of European legal systems

CrisisCrisis

Justinian's plagueJustinian's plague– Disease that would Disease that would

later resemble the later resemble the bubonic plaguebubonic plague

– Arrived from India on Arrived from India on ships infested with ships infested with ratsrats

– In 542 C.E. at its peak, In 542 C.E. at its peak, 10,000 people died a 10,000 people died a dayday

– ConsequenceConsequence Smaller population Smaller population

more vulnerable to more vulnerable to attacksattacks

AttacksAttacks– Attacked on all sides Attacked on all sides

by Barbarians and by Barbarians and new empiresnew empires

Sassanid Persians Sassanid Persians attached in 600sattached in 600s

Newly formed Islamic Newly formed Islamic Empire attacked in 674 Empire attacked in 674 and 717 C.E.and 717 C.E.

– Slowly shrank size of Slowly shrank size of empireempire

The End of the Byzantine The End of the Byzantine EmpireEmpire

The Byzantine empire drew The Byzantine empire drew to a close in 1453 when to a close in 1453 when forces from the Muslim forces from the Muslim Ottoman Empire Ottoman Empire surrounded and conquered surrounded and conquered Constantinople.Constantinople.

The ancient city was The ancient city was renamed Istanbul and renamed Istanbul and became the capital of became the capital of the Ottoman Empire.the Ottoman Empire.

ObjectivesObjectives

The student will The student will demonstrate knowledge demonstrate knowledge of the Byzantine Empire of the Byzantine Empire and Russia from about and Russia from about 300 to 1000 C.E.300 to 1000 C.E.– Explaining the Explaining the

establishment of establishment of Constantinople to provide Constantinople to provide political, economic, and political, economic, and military advantagesmilitary advantages

– Identifying Justinian and his Identifying Justinian and his contributionscontributions

Essential QuestionsEssential Questions– Why was Constantinople Why was Constantinople

established as the capital established as the capital of the Eastern Roman of the Eastern Roman EmpireEmpire

– What was the influence of What was the influence of Justinian’s codification of Justinian’s codification of Roman law on the Roman law on the Byzantine Empire and later Byzantine Empire and later legal codeslegal codes

– What was Justinian’s What was Justinian’s influence on the expansion influence on the expansion of the Byzantine Empire of the Byzantine Empire and its economyand its economy