BYZANTINE EMPIREaka Eastern Roman Empire

BYZANTINE EMPIRE "Byzantine" derives from Byzantium, an ancient Greek colony

founded by a man named Byzas. Located on the European side of the Bosporus (the strait linking the

Black Sea to the Mediterranean), a great place for trade.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE In 330 A.D., Roman Emperor Constantine I chose Byzantium as the

site of a new Roman capital & renamed it Constantinople. The citizens of Constantinople & the rest of the Eastern Roman

Empire identified strongly as Romans & Christians, though many of them spoke Greek & not Latin.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE Constantinople was located on a strait and had huge walls to

defend itself. It also had a smaller border to share with barbarian tribes.

Their government was more stable & they had a lot more money than any other kingdom in the middle ages.

A cosmopolitan city, it was home to Greeks, Romans, Jews, Arabs, Serbs, Persians, Huns, & Scandinavians.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE Justinian I (ruled 527 – 565) was the greatest ruler of the Byzantine Empire. During his reign, the empire included most of the land surrounding the

Mediterranean Sea, as his armies conquered part of the former Western Roman Empire, including North Africa.

He built many monuments, including the Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom).

BYZANTINE EMPIRE He also codified (wrote down) all the Roman laws from the past several

centuries into one book. This “civil law” as it was called, is the basis for what most of Europe uses

for their legal systems. In civil law, judges look at statues to try cases (used in Europe). In common law, judges look at statues & precedent (older cases). Used in

English speaking countries.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE By 650 A.D., the empire looked more Greek than Roman. According to

historical sources, most of the population from 650 A.D. onwards was of Greek cultural background.

Their army fought more like the ancient Athenians & Spartans rather than of the Roman Legions.

Greek replaced Latin as the official language. Latin was now only used by the church in the west & those with a university education. It was now a dead language.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE During the 7th & 8th centuries, attacks by Persians, Slavs, & Arabs

combined with internal political instability & a poor economy, threatened the empire.

Lost the Balkans to the Slavs & the Middle East & North Africa to the Arabs.

The Middle East & North Africa are still predominantly Muslim to this day.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE 717-718: A large Muslim force besieged Constantinople by land &

sea. They failed. The Byzantine fleet was less than 1/3 of the Arab’s, but Greek fire

evened the numbers. Emperor Leo III used the city walls to save the city.

The city would survive for another 700 years.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE The ingredients of “Greek fire” were closely guarded, but

historians think it was a mixture of naphtha, pitch, sulfur, lithium, potassium, metallic sodium, calcium phosphide & a petroleum base.

Basically, it was shot at a ship & caught it on fire. It was nearly impossible to extinguish.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE Both the rich & poor ate cheese, figs, eggs, olive oil, walnuts,

almonds, apples, & pears. Normal Greek food even today. Honey was used as a sweetener, since sugar was not available. Bread was an essential staple of the Byzantine table. The bakeries

of Constantinople regularly produced over 80,000 loafs per day!

BYZANTINE EMPIRE From A.D. 500 to A.D. 1200, Byzantium was the wealthiest nation in Europe &

western Asia. Its standard of living was, by far, the best in Europe. It was a leader in art, science, trade, & architecture. It saved classical knowledge & literature as well as kept invading armies from

invading western Europe.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE What made them so wealthy was they didn’t inflate (destroy) their

money like the west did. Whoever has the money that is the most stable over time has the

money EVERYONE wants (think $$$). In the 11th century, they started to inflate (dilute the amount of

gold per coin) their money to pay for things they needed. It’s a hidden tax that, over time, makes people poorer (think of slowly increasing grocery prices).

They couldn’t trust their money & foreigners didn’t either, so others switched to silver coins from foreign countries.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE 800: Charlemagne, king of the Franks, is crowned "Emperor of the

Romans" by Pope Leo III in Rome. For the first time in 300 years, there is an emperor of the "East" & an emperor of the "West".

917: The Bulgars conquer Thrace (became modern Bulgaria). 1055: Loss of southern Italy to the Normans (Vikings from France).

BYZANTINE EMPIRE 1071: Defeat at Manzikert to the Seljuk Turks. Permanent loss of most of Asia

Minor (this is why Asia Minor became Turkey). 1453: Fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans (Turks). End of the Byzantine

Empire. It was gunpowder that brought down their great city walls. They used a cannon that was 26 feet (8 meters) long to fire 1,200-pound (545-

kilogram) cannonballs at the walls of Constantinople.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE The Turks plundered the city for three days. Then they replaced the cross,

symbol of the Christians, with the crescent, symbol of Islam, over Hagia Sophia. The city was renamed Istanbul. The Ottoman Empire would last until World War

1 ended in 1918.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE Many Greeks were killed, but some stayed in “Turkey” until the 20th

century when they moved back to Greece. When they moved back, the native Greeks couldn’t understand the

Greeks that had stayed in “Turkey” because their languages had evolved so much!

The Greeks wouldn’t be an independent country again until 1832. The island nation of Cyprus is still two countries; half Greek & half

Turkish.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE The Christian Council of Chalcedon in 451 divided the Roman World into five

patriarchs (sections). Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Jerusalem, & Antioch. When the Muslim Arabs conquered Egypt & the Middle East, Constantinople

became the center of the Greek Orthodox Church & Rome the west. There is no leader of the Greek Orthodox Church like the Pope.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE For centuries, there had been significant religious, cultural, & political differences

between the Eastern & Western churches. There were major theological differences between Roman Catholics & Greek

Orthodox Christians, on topics such as the use of images, the nature of the Holy Spirit, & the role & identity of the Pope.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE The Byzantine Emperor was BOTH the emperor AND the Patriarch of

Constantinople. This combined church & state more closely than the west. The eastern emperor acted more like a king than the ancient Romans would have tolerated.

The west had the Pope as head of the Catholic Church & Kings who ruled their kingdoms. Sometimes the Pope & a King wouldn’t agree & this led to some MAJOR problems. The Church was separate from the state, although it heavily influenced it.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE 1054 (the Great Schism): Pope Leo IX excommunicated (kicked out of the

Church) the Patriarch of Constantinople. In response, the Patriarch condemned the Pope. One thousand years later, this division in the Christian church has still not

been healed.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE Over time, through trade & contact, the Russians & Balkans

became Greek Orthodox members. They still are to this day. If you go to Europe, there is a line that divided the eastern empire

from the west that still separates Roman Catholics from Greek Orthodox.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE Artists created a distinctive style of mosaic work, painting, & domed

architecture, which influenced the cultures of Greece, Italy, Spain, & Russia. The west forgot how to build, read, learn & stay clean like the Romans did. It took

1,000 years for them to “catch back up.” Don’t forget Greek/Latin root words!

BYZANTINE EMPIRE The period from about 641 to 1025 is considered to be the golden age of the

Byzantine Empire. It was the only organized state west of China to survive without interruption

from ancient times until the beginning of the modern age. The Byzantines were known as Romaioi (Romans). Scholars labeled them, and

their empire, as Byzantine in the 17th century.

BYZANTINE EMPIREaka Eastern Roman Empire

BYZANTINE EMPIRE “ " derives from Byzantium, an ancient

colony founded by a man named . Located on the European side of the (the strait

linking the Sea to the Mediterranean), a great place for .

BYZANTINE EMPIRE In 330 A.D., Roman Emperor I chose Byzantium as

the site of a new Roman & renamed it .

The citizens of Constantinople & the rest of the Roman Empire identified strongly as Romans & , though many of them spoke & not .

BYZANTINE EMPIRE Constantinople was located on a and had huge

to defend itself. It also had a smaller to share with barbarian

. Their government was more & they had a lot more

than any other kingdom in the . A cosmopolitan city, it was home to Greeks, Romans, ,

, , , , & .

BYZANTINE EMPIRE I (ruled 527 – 565) was the greatest of the

Byzantine Empire. During his reign, the empire included most of the land surrounding the

. Sea, as his armies conquered part of the former Roman Empire, including North .

He built many monuments, including the Sophia (Holy ).

BYZANTINE EMPIRE He also (wrote down) all the Roman from

the past several centuries into one book. This “ law” as it was called, is the basis for what most of

uses for their legal systems. In civil law, judges look at to try

(used in Europe). In law, judges look at statues & (older

cases). Used in speaking countries.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE By 650 A.D., the empire looked more than Roman.

According to historical sources, most of the from 650 A.D. onwards was of Greek background.

Their fought more like the ancient & Spartans rather than of the Legions.

Greek Latin as the official language. Latin was now only used by the in the & those with a university education. It was

now a language.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE During the 7th & 8th centuries, attacks by , ,

& combined with internal political instability & a poor economy, the empire.

Lost the to the & the Middle & North to the .

The Middle East & North Africa are still predominantly to this day.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE 717-718: A large Muslim force Constantinople by land &

sea. They . The Byzantine fleet was less than of the Arab’s, but evened the numbers. Emperor Leo III used the city

to the city. The city would survive for another years.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE The of “Greek fire” were closely guarded, but

historians it was a mixture of naphtha, pitch, sulfur, lithium, potassium, metallic sodium, calcium phosphide & a petroleum base.

Basically, it was at a ship & caught it on . It was nearly to .

BYZANTINE EMPIRE Both the rich & poor ate , figs, eggs,

oil, walnuts, , apples, & . Greek food even today.

was used as a sweetener, since wasn’t available.

was an essential staple of the Byzantine table. The bakeries of Constantinople regularly produced over loafs per day!

BYZANTINE EMPIRE From A.D. 500 to A.D. 1200, Byzantium was the nation in Europe

& western Asia. Its standard of was, by far, the in Europe.

It was a leader in , , trade, & architecture. It classical & literature as well as kept invading from invading Europe.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE What made them so was they didn’t inflate ( ) their money like the west did. Whoever has the money that is the most over time has the money

EVERYONE (think ). In the th century, they started to inflate ( the amount of

per ) their money to pay for things they needed. It’s a tax that, over time, makes people (think of slowly increasing prices).

They couldn’t their money & foreigners didn’t either, so others switched to coins from foreign .

BYZANTINE EMPIRE 800: , king of the Franks, is crowned "Emperor of the

" by Pope Leo III in Rome. For the first time in years, there is an emperor of the “ " & an emperor of

the " ". 917: The conquer (became modern

). 1055: Loss of southern to the (Vikings from

France).

BYZANTINE EMPIRE : Defeat at Manzikert to the Seljuk . Permanent of

most of Minor (this is why Asia Minor became ). : of Constantinople to the Ottomans ( ).

of the Byzantine Empire. It was that brought down their great city

They used a cannon that was feet long to fire lbs cannonballs.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE The Turks the city for three days. Then they the ,

symbol of the Christians, with the , symbol of Islam, over Hagia Sophia.

The city was renamed . The Ottoman Empire would last until War 1 ended in .

BYZANTINE EMPIRE Many Greeks were , but some in “Turkey” until the

th century when they moved to Greece. When they moved back, the Greeks couldn’t

the Greeks that had stayed in “Turkey” because their languages had so much!

The Greeks wouldn’t be an country again until .

The island nation of is still two ; half & half .

BYZANTINE EMPIRE The Christian of in 451 divided the Roman World into

patriarchs (sections). , , , , &

. When the Arabs conquered Egypt & the Middle East, Constantinople

became the of the Greek Church & me the west.

There is no of the Greek Orthodox Church like the .

BYZANTINE EMPIRE For , there had been significant religious, cultural, & political

between the Eastern & Western . There were major differences between Roman Catholics &

Greek Orthodox Christians, on topics such as the use of , the nature of the , & the & identity of the

.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE The Byzantine Emperor was BOTH the AND the of

Constantinople. This & more closely than the west.

The emperor acted more like a than the Romans would have .

The west had the as head of the Catholic & who ruled their . Sometimes the Pope & a King wouldn’t

& this led to some MAJOR . The Church was from the state, although it heavily it.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE (the Great ): Pope Leo IX

(kicked out of the ) the Patriarch of Constantinople. In response, the Patriarch the Pope. One years later, this in the Christian

church has still not been .

BYZANTINE EMPIRE Over time, through & contact, the &

became Greek members. They still are to this .

If you go to Europe, there is a that divided the eastern empire from the west that still Roman from Greek

.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE Artists created a distinctive style of work, painting, &

architecture, which influenced the of Greece, Italy, Spain, & Russia.

The west how to build, read, learn & stay clean like the Romans did. It took 1,000 for them to “ back up.”

Don’t forget Greek/Latin words!

BYZANTINE EMPIRE The period from about 641 to 1025 is considered to be the

age of the Empire. It was the only organized west of to survive

without interruption from times until the beginning of the age.

The Byzantines were known as (Romans). Scholars labeled them, and their empire, as Byzantine in the th century.