Chapter 9Civilizations in Eastern Europe:

Byzantium and Orthodox Europe

Chapter Summary The byzantine Empire in western Asia and SE

Europe expanded into eastern Europe Catholicism influenced western and central

Europe The byzantine empire had territories in the

Balkans, the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean

The Byzantium empire maintained very high levels of political, economic, and cultural life between 500 and 1450 CE

The empire continued many Roman patterns and spread orthodox Christianity

The Byzantine Empire Once part of the greater Roman empire Continued from a eastern Mediterranean

after Roman decline Although there were roman patterns it copied

the empire developed its own form of civilization

The Origins of the empire Emperor Constantine in the 4th cent. CE

established a capital at Constantinople Latin was the court language Greek became the official language after the

6th cent.The empire benefitted from a high level of

civilization in the Hellenistic world It developed a trained civilian bureaucracy

Justinian’s Achievements Attempted to reconquer western territory but

without lasting success Military efforts weakened the empire as Slavs

and Persians attacked the frontiers Justinian rebuilt Constantinople in the

classical style; among the architectural achievements was the church of Hagia Sophia

Justinian codified Roman law which later spread throughout Europe

Arab pressure and the empires Defenses The empire was centered in the Balkans and

western and central turkey This location blended a rich Hellenistic

culture with Christianity The revived empire withstood the 7th cent.

Arab advanceThe wars and permanent Muslim threat had

significant cultural and commercial influences

Arab pressure and the empires Defenses The free rural population, the provider of

military recruits and taxes, was weakened Aristocratic estates grew larger and

aristocratic generals became stronger The empires fortunes fluctuated as it resisted

pressure from Arab and Slavic kingdoms Bulgaria was a strong rival, but Basil II

defeated and conquered it in the 11th cent.

Byzantine Society and Politics Politics resembled the earlier Chinese system An emperor was ordained by god and

surrounded by elaborate court ritual headed by both church and state

Women occasionally held the throne Officials were trained in Hellenistic

knowledge in a secular school system Provincial governors were appointed from

the center and a spy system helped preserve loyalty

Byzantine Society and Politics Military organization defended the empire Troops were recruited locally and given land for

service The empire socially and economically depended on

Constantinople's control of the countryside The bureaucracy regulated trade and food prices A wide spread commercial network extended into

Russia, Asia, Scandinavia, western Europe and Africa Despite the busy trade merchants never developed

political power Cultural life centered on Hellenistic secular traditions

and orthodox Christianity

The split between Eastern and Western Christianity Byzantine culture, political orgainizati0n and economic

orientation help to explain the rift between eastern and western versions of Christianity

Different rituals grew from Greek and Latin versions of the bible

Emperors resisted papal attempts to interfere in religious issues

Charlemagne, the first Frankish king, tried to be recognized as Roman emperor

In 1054 the final break occurred over arguments about the type of bread to use in the mass and the celibacy of the priests

The Empires DeclineDecline began in the 11th cent.Muslim Turkish invaders seized most of the empire’s

provinces in Asia, removing the most important sources of taxes and food

The empire never recovered from the loss of its army at Manzikert in 1071

Independent Slavic states appeared in the Balkans Crusades, led by Venetian merchants, sacked

constantinople in 1204Italian navies were used to secure special trading

priovileges In 1453 the Ottoman turks conquered Constaninople

The spread of Civilization in Eastern Europe Byzantine empire influenced spread among

the people of the Balkans and southern Russia through conquest, commerce and Christianity

9th cent. missionaries, Cyril and Methodius devised a written script, Cyrillic

This script was for the Slavic language to provide a base for literacy in eastern Europe

Unlike western Christians, the Byzantines allowed the use of local languages in church services

The east central borderlands East and west Christians competed in eastern

Europe Roman Catholics and their Latin alphabet

prevailed in Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland

A series of regional monarchies- Poland, Bohemia, Lithuania-with powerful land-owning aristocracies developed

Eastern Europe received an influx of Jews from the Middle East western Europe

The emergence of Kievan Rus’Slavic people from Asia migrated into Russia

and eastern Europe during the period of the Roman empire

They possessed iron and extended agriculture in the Ukraine and western Europe

Political organization centered in the family tribes and villages

The Slavs followed an animist religion and had a rich tradition of music and oral legends

The emergence of Kievan Rus’A monarchy emerged at Kiev around 855

under the Danish merchant, Rurik Kiev became a prosperous commercial center Contacts with the Byzantines resulted in the

conversion of Vladimir I (980-1015) to orthodox Christianity

Kiev’s rulers issued a formal law code

Institutions and Culture in Kievan Rus Kiev borrowed much from Byzantium but it was

unable to duplicate its bureaucracy or education system

Cultural, social, and economic patterns developed differently from western European experience

Rulers favored Byzantine ceremonials and the concept of a strong central ruler

Orthodox Christian practices entered Russian culture Almsgiving emphasized the obligation of the wealthy

to the poor Literature focused on religious and royal events

Kievan declineDecline began in the 12th cent.Rival princes established competing gov.

while the royal family fought over succession Asian invaders seized territory as trade

diminished because of Byzantine decay Mongol invasions of the 13th cent.

incorporated Russia into its territory

Kievan declineRussian Orthodox Christianity survived

because the tolerant mongol rulers didn’t interfer with Russian religious beliefs or daily life as long as tributes were paid

In the 15th cent mongol control ends and the russian cultural and political tradition incorporating the Byzantine inheritance reemerged

The Russians claimed to be the successors to the Roman and Byzantine states, the 3rd Rome

The end of an era in eastern EuropeMongol invasions, the decline of Russia and

the collapse of Byzantium eastern Europe entered into a difficult period

Border territories such as Poland fell under western influence

The Balkans fell to the Islamic world of the Turks

Western and eastern Europe evolved separately, with the east pushing ahead in power and cross-cultural sophistication