Pg 268 - 273

The Byzantine EmpireThe “New” Rome

Following Constantine’s decision to move the capital to Constantinople power began to shift to the eastern half of the empire

In 527 C.E. Justinian succeeded his uncle as Emperor

Beginning in 533 C.. Justinian began to reclaim parts of the western empire

Africa, Rome, then SpainBy circa 550 C.E. Justinian had reclaimed

almost all of the former Roman empire

The “New” Rome

Emperor Justinian [r. 527-564]

Justinian’s Empire at its Peak

The Byzantine emperors had complete control government and the church

Byzantine emperors lived under constant threat of assassination

Of the 88 emperors 29 die violently and 13 abandon the throne to live out their lives in the monastery

Absolute Power

The Byzantine Empire became a much different place than the Western Empire

Many still followed Roman tradition but few spoke Latin and most belonged to the Eastern Christian Church

Justinian reviewed Rome’s laws, he repealed some laws and added others

The Justinian Code contained four parts1. The Code – 5,000 laws2. The Digest – opinions of Rome’s greatest legal

thinkers3. The Institutes – a textbook for law students4. The Novellae – (New Laws)

Building the “New” Rome

While the Law was being written Justinian began to rebuild the crumbling city of Constantinople

The city would surrounded by 14 miles of stone wall

Access by land was defended by a moat and 3 walls The inner most wall was 25 feet thick and had

towers 70 feet tallJustinian also expanded his palace Also adding baths, aqueducts, law courts,

schools, and hospitals to the city

The Imperial Capital

Meaning “Holy Wisdom” in GreekJustinian had a passion for building churchesA church of the same name had been

destroyed in riots in 532 C.E.Justinian wanted rebuild it and make it the

most splendid church in the Christian world

Hagia Sophia

Church of Hagia Sophia [Holy Wisdom]

Mese or “Middle Way” was the main street through Constantinople

Connecting the imperial palace to public squares and finally to the walls

Merchants lined the MesePurchasing goods from England, Spain, France,

Africa, Russia, India, and ChinaThe Hippodrome (Greek for horse and race

course) was free entertainment for the peopleChariots and circus actsTeams were named for their colors60,000 could fit into the Hippodrome

Life in Constantinople

The Byzantine people valued educationFocused on Greek and Latin grammar,

philosophy, and rhetoricLearned geometry, history, and medicineByzantine is responsible for preserving much

of the Greek and Roman works

Preservation of Learning

Eastern Christians distanced themselves from the Western Christians

In 1054 the Pope and Patriarch (Eastern Leader) excommunicated each other

This lead to the Schism of the Christian church

Eventually becoming the Eastern Orthodox and the Roman Catholic

The Schism

After Justinian’s death(565 C.E.) Byzantium suffered several setbacks

The Plague of Justinian struck during his reign and after Most likely what is the Bubonic Plague

At its peak it is believed 10,000 people died each day

The illness broke out every 8-12 years until the year 700 C.E.

A huge percentage of the Byzantine population was lost during the plague

Byzantine’s Enemies

The Byzantine Empire was under constant attack from all sidesLombards in the WestSlavs, Avars, and Bulgars in the NorthThe Persians in the East

Byzantine held off multiple invasions with bribery, diplomacy, and political marriages

Even with reorganization and military rule the empire continued to shrink

Finally falling to the Ottoman Turks in 1453 C.E.

Byzantine’s Enemies (continued)