The rise of the Byzantine Empire

Roman Empire moves East• Constantine knew the Western Roman

Empire was weakening, so he built a new capital (Constantinople) in the East for better protection and to be closer to his rich provinces.

• As a result the empire’s center of power moved eastward. By 476 Rome and the Western Empire had been taken over by Barbarians, while Constantinople grew in power and wealth.

Justinian (r. 527-565)• Tried to reconquer Roman lands to the west

– succeeded by 553, but Rome was ruined

– lost the territory again after Justinian died• Ordered 10 Greek & Latin scholars to compile &

simplify laws (528-534)– Corpus Juris Civilis (Code of Justinian) = used as

guide by West European law for justice, property, marriage, & divorce

• Undertook massive building program in Constantinople– known as “The City”– 2 requirements for citizenship:

• 1. Membership in the Christian church• 2. Ability to speak Greek

– Hagia Sophia (Hay-ee-uh soh-fee-uh) = great cathedral & symbol of the Christian city

– Hippodrome = same function as the Roman Colosseum

– University = emphasized arts of writing & speaking well in Latin & Greek• copied great works of Ancient writers• boys & girls tutored at home, but only boys went to university

Icons allowed

Pope as head of church

Services in Latin

Priests could NOT

marry

Iconoclasts (but later labeled

heretics)

Emperor as head

of church & state

Services in local

languages

Priests could marry

Roman Catholic Church Latin for “universal”

Eastern Orthodox Church Greek for “correct belief”

1054

1054 CE: Pope & Patriarch excommunicated each other (cut off from church)

A new Empire in Russia• During 700s and 800s, groups of people who spoke

Slavic languages migrated from Asia into Eastern Europe. – Accepted Eastern Orthodox Christianity from Byzantines.

– Became known as the Rus (Russians)

– Built a rich trading kingdom centering on the city of Kiev

– Mid 1200s: Mongols from Asia destroyed Kiev, burned cities, plundered farms, broke morals, and scattered people.

– By 1241: Mongols ruled all of Russia; forced all kingdoms of Russia to pay tribute (helped unite Russia)

A new Empire in Russia

• Moscow began its rise to power under Prince Ivan I (1328-1341)= debt collector for Mongols. – 1328: Russian Orthodox Church

made Moscow its headquarters– Ivan and his successors enlarged

kingdom by land purchases, wars, trickery, and shrewd marriages.

A new Empire in Russia

• Ivan III (14623-1505, nicknamed “Grandfather of Russia”) married the niece of the last Byzantine emperor and began calling himself czar (caesar)– 1480: Ivan refused to pay Mongols their tribute;

bloodless standoff led to Russian freedom. • Center of Moscow=walled fortress known as the Kremlin.

• Inside the Kremlin=home for the czar and one for the head of the Russian military.

• Moscow became center of the new and aggressive empire.