The Byzantine Empire

1. The Byzantine Empire • Location: (core) SE Europe/SW Asia (Constantinople) • formerly known as the Eastern Roman Empire • Western Europeans’ name for the Byzantines – “Greeks”

2. The Byzantine Empire – cont. • Began in 330 C.E. – Emperor Constantine adopted the city of Byzantium as the seat of his power (renamed it Constantinople) • 395 C.E. – The Roman Empire splits into two. • The Western part – under barbarian pressure • The Eastern part – prospers / more secure

3. Byzantine Empire: Major Characteristics • Christianity (Orthodox) – official/state religion • Emperors – political leaders; appoint Patriarchs • Greek culture • Roman Law • Contact with Muslim civilization • Buffer between the West (Europe) and the East (Middle East)

4. The Byzantine Empire in Maps • Throughout its history, the empire won and lost territories. Here are some examples:

5. The Byzantine Empire in Maps – Cont. • http://sadredearth.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Byzantine_Empire_animated.gif

6. Byzantine Empire – Major Rivals • Goths and Bulgars • Sassanids (Persians) • Arabs (Muslims) • Seljuk Turks • Western (Latin) Christians (Franks)??? • Ottoman Turks

7. Byzantine Military: • Philosophy: Defense Oriented (surrounded by aggressive rivals) • Tactics: no code of honor (propaganda, bribery, trickery, use of spies, etc.) • Organization: native born soldiers (not many mercenaries); emphasis on coordinated attacks (use of signals and messengers); cavalry, infantry, engineering corps, and medics. • The Cataphract (discipline heavy cavalry) – the most well-trained and drilled units of the army

8. Military Innovations (cont.) • Stirrups-One of Most Important Inventions • 5th or 6th century from China • Allowed man to use full force of the lance • Could stand up and gain height • Poorer riders could still perform well • “Greek Fire” • Even today unsure of what exactly its chemical composition was, kept so secret it was forgotten • Shot out of hollow tubes on ships, was like liquid fire, stuck to everything, could not be extinguished

9. Byzantine Empire: Religion • Orthodox Christianity • Patriarch of Constantinople Appointed by Emperor • [eventual] Schism (break/split) with the Latin (West) Church • Spread of Orthodox Christianity into Eastern Europe (major conversion accomplishment: Kievan Rus (Russia/Ukraine)

10. Icons and Iconoclasm • Icons – religious work of art • Byzantine icons – icons, frescos, and mosaics of Jesus, Mary, angels, and saints.

11. Byzantine Iconoclasm Definition:two periods in the history of the Byzantine Empire (730-787 and 814-842) when Emperors imposed bans on religious images/icons. Rival parties within the empire: Iconoclasts (against icons) vs. Iconophiles (in favor of icons) Major Reasons: • Old Testament interpretation of worshiping of “graven images” • Arab raids in the east of the empire / series of military defeats

12. Schism of Christian Church – 1054 http://home.comcast.net/~DiazStudents/MiddleAgesChurchMap1.jpg

13. Byzantine Cultural Achievements and Influences • Preservation of Roman traditions/law/culture • Art (Icons) • Architecture (Hagia Sophia) • Spread of culture/religion to Eastern Europe • Cyrillic Alphabet

14. Byzantine Art and Architecture http://wpcontent.answers.com/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/Chapelle_Palatine2.jpg/400px-Chapelle_Palatine2.jpg

15. Byzantine Icons • Religious images • Two-dimentional • No / little background • Importance of symbolism, not realism http://www.greekfleamarket.com/images/icons/b65.jpg

16. Byzantine Mosaics http://www.classic-mosaics.co.uk/site/MyImages/byzantine_4516.jpg http://www.italylogue.com/files/2008/04/ravenna_mosaic.jpg http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Medieval/Bio/JustinianI.html

17. Byzantine Style Architecture:Hagia Sophia http://www.gotochina08.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/Istanbul-Hagia-Sophia.jpg http://www.wheressamtheman.com/2007/11/istanbul-pics.html http://intranet.arc.miami.edu/rjohn/images/Byzantine/Mosque%20Hagia%20Sophia.jpg

18. Byzantine Style Architecture in Russia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo-Byzantine_architecture_in_the_Russian_Empire Cathedral of Christ the Savior In Moscow http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Russian_culture St.Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow

19. Byzantine Influences on Kievan Rus (Russia) and Eastern Europe Orthodox Christianity Byzantine style architecture Cyrillic Alphabet (St.Cyrill and St.Methodius)

20. Religions of Europe (present day) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Europe_religion_map_en.png

21. Byzantine Cultural Legacy in Eastern Europe (cont.) • St.Cyril and Methodius - … Byzantine Missionaries • - spread Orthodox faith • to Slavs of Eastern • Europe

22. Cyrillic Alphabet • A family of alphabets used by peoples of Eastern Europe and Central Asia http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Azbuka_1574_by_Ivan_Fyodorov.jpg

23. Patriarch of the Church and the State (Government) http://faculty.cua.edu/pennington/ChurchHistory220/LectureTwo/JustinianMosaic.jpg

24. Church and State in the Byzantine Empire http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Istanbul.Hagia_Sophia075.jpg http://warandgame.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/basil.jpg

25. Church and State: Modern Russia http://www.asianews.it/files/img/RUSSIA_-_ortodossi_(500_x_334).jpg http://www.theorthodoxchurch.info/blogs/news/uploaded_images/14-724624.jpg

26. Fall of Constantinople (1453) • Sultan Mehmet II’s Ottoman Army captures Constantinople *Large cannons *Small Firearms *Numerical advantage (50,000 to 8,500) http://drjamesgalyon.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/gatesofconst.jpg

27. Reasons for the Fall of Constantinople (example) • Large cannons Dardanelles Gun, used in siege of Constantinople; It now lies in the Tower of Londonhttps://sites.google.com/a/brvgs.k12.va.us/rennaisance/gunpowder-and-firearms

28. Byzantine Legacy http://www.flightsafrica.co.uk/blog_images/Byzantium.jpg