The Byzantine Empire: The New Rome

1. The Byzantine Empire: The New Rome

2. Objectives • The student will demonstrate knowledge of the Byzantine Empire and Russia from about 300 to 1000 C.E. • Explaining the establishment of Constantinople to provide political, economic, and military advantages • Identifying Justinian and his contributions • Essential Questions • Why was Constantinople established as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire • What was the influence of Justinian’s codification of Roman law on the Byzantine Empire and later legal codes • What was Justinian’s influence on the expansion of the Byzantine Empire and its economy

3. The Division of the Roman Empire • 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.

4. The Division of the Roman Empire From World History: Connections to Today Prentice Hall, 2003

5. Constantine • In 330 C.E. Diocletian’s successor, Constantine, rebuilt the old port of Byzantium, at the mouth of the Black Sea. • He renamed it Constantinople and made the city the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. • Became known as the Byzantine Empire

6. What are the advantages of building a major city here?

7. Geographic Advantages Located on a Peninsula • Easily fortified • Strong walls secured the city • Barbarians couldn’t get through, lacked siege weapons • Provided natural safe harbors for ships • both merchant and military ships • Provided natural defense • water on three sides. (the Black and Aegean Seas) • Gave distance from Germanic invasions in Western empire

8. Economic and Political Advantages Economic/ Trade • Easy access to the Mediterranean Sea • Located at an important land route that linked Europe and Asia (Silk Road) • Crossroads of trade Political/ Social • Preserved classical Greco-Roman culture • Seat of Byzantine Empire until Ottoman Empire

9. The Fall of the Western Roman Empire • By 395 C.E., the Roman Empire was formally divided into two empires: East and West. • With the invasion of Germanic forces from the north, the Western Roman Empire was conquered and further divided. • This left the eastern part of the Roman empire to carry on the Greco-Roman tradition.

10. Byzantine Empire • At first, this Empire controlled only a small area around the eastern Mediterranean • During the reign of Justinian (527-565), it started to recover much of the territory of the old Roman empire.

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

12. The New Rome The Byzantine Empire was wealthy and produced: It traded these for spices, ivory and precious stones on the Silk Road with China and India. gold, silk, grain, olives and wine

13. The Silk Road

14. Justinian and Theodora • Justinian ruled as an autocrat with the help of his wife, Theodora. • Ruled with absolute power • Headed church and state • They created a huge Christian empire and the empire reached its greatest size. • Reclaimed former Roman territories • Areas in Italy, Southern Spain, and North Africa

16. Justinian and Theodora They also built Hagia Sophia • And rebuilt the Hippodrome

17. Justinian and Theodora • Byzantine Empire had its own character • Many Byzantines spoke Greek, not Latin • To regulate society Justinian set up a panel of 10 legal experts • Combed through 400 years of Roman law and legal opinions • Codified (arranged into a clear system) • Result was a body of civil law known as Justinian’s Code

18. Justinian’s Code of Laws • Code consisted of four works • The code • Contained 5,000 laws • The Digest • Quoted and summarized opinions of Rome’s greatest legal thinkers about the laws • The Institutes • Was a textbook that told law students how to use the law • The Novellae • Presented legislation • Examples of laws • Laws were more fair to women. They could own property and raise their own children after their husbands died. • Children could choose their own marriage partners. • Slavery was legal and slaves must obey their masters. • Punishments were detailed and fit the crime • Importance • His work inspired the modern concept and, indeed, the very spelling of "justice"

20. Crisis • Justinian's plague • Disease that would later resemble the bubonic plague • Arrived from India on ships infested with rats • In 542 C.E. at its peak, 10,000 people died a day • Consequence • Smaller population more vulnerable to attacks • Attacks • Attacked on all sides by Barbarians and new empires • Sassanid Persians attached in 600s • Newly formed Islamic Empire attacked in 674 and 717 C.E. • Slowly shrank size of empire

21. The End of the Byzantine Empire • The Byzantine empire drew to a close in 1453 when forces from the Muslim Ottoman Empire surrounded and conquered Constantinople. • The ancient city was renamed Istanbul and became the capital of the Ottoman Empire.

22. Objectives • The student will demonstrate knowledge of the Byzantine Empire and Russia from about 300 to 1000 C.E. • Explaining the establishment of Constantinople to provide political, economic, and military advantages • Identifying Justinian and his contributions • Essential Questions • Why was Constantinople established as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire • What was the influence of Justinian’s codification of Roman law on the Byzantine Empire and later legal codes • What was Justinian’s influence on the expansion of the Byzantine Empire and its economy