Byzantium

1. Byzantium

2. Chapter 7: Outline The Decline of Rome Literature and Philosophy Augustine of Hippo Boethius The Ascendancy of Byzantium Church of Hagia Sophia: Monument and Symbol Ravenna Art and Architecture St. Catherine's Monastery at Mount Sinai The Persistence of Byzantine Culture Outline: Chapter 07

3. Timeline : Byzantium 250 AC - Persecution of Christians under Decius 286 AD - Diocletian divides Roman Empire into East and West parts ruled by himself and Maximian c. 326 AD - Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem 330 AD - Constantine dedicates new capital of Roman Empire on site of Byzantium, naming it Constantinople c. 333 AD - Old Saint Peter's Basilica, Vatican 386 AD - Saint Jerome translates Bible into Latin 386 AD - Saint Ambrose of Milan begins use of vernacular hymns in church 397 AD - Augustine of Hippo, The Confessions 410 AD - Visigoths sack Rome 413-426 AD - Augustine of Hippo, The City of God c. 450 AD - Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Neonian; Arian Baptisteries, Ravenna 522-524 AD - Boethius, The Consolation of Philosophy, allegorical treatise 526-547 AD - San Vitale, Ravenna 527-565 AD - Reign of Justinian as Eastern Roman emperor in Constantinople 532-537AD - Hagia Sophia, Constantinople, rebuilt, combining basilica plan and central plan with dome 590-602 AD - Gregorian Chant established at Rome during papacy of Gregory the Great 1054 AD - Eastern and Western Church formally split 1063 AD - Saint Mark's, Venice begun

4. This chapter traces briefly the slow waning of Roman power in the West by focusing on the impact of two late Roman writers who are both Christians: Boethius, who wrote in provincial Ravenna, and Augustine,who lived in Roman North Africa. The Decline of Rome • Unwieldy bureaucratic machine • Too many mercenary troops that were disloyal • Power shift from Rome to Constantinople • Invasion of barbarians from north • 330 A.D. Emperor Constantine moved capital to Constantinople • Final barbarian assault – end of empire, 476 A.D. • ……………………………………………………………………………………………. • By the early fourth century, The Roman Empire already had severe • economic, political, and social problems. In 330 Emperor Constantine • dedicated the Greek Commercial center of Byzantium as his • eastern capital. • He renamed the city Constantinople.

5. Early Christian Iconography • Simplified Forms • Stylized Figures • Pure High-Key Color • Frontal Presentation • Rigid Postures • Decorative Design • Elements • Symmetrical Composition • Spiritual Quality • “God’s Eye View” • Biblical – The Word of God • Imbued with Holy Spirit • Didactic – Used for Purposes • of Religious Instruction • Evangelical – Used to • Spread the Faith Page with The Crucifixion, from the Rabbula Gospels, from Beth Zagba, Syria. 586

6. Saint Augustine Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) “So long, therefore, as his philosophy agrees with his religious doctrines, St. Augustine is frankly neo-Platonist; as soon as a contradiction arises, he never hesitates to subordinate his philosophy to religion, reason to faith. He was, first of all, a Christian; the philosophical questions that occupied his mind constantly found themselves more and more relegated to the background.” -Catholic Encyclopedia This is the oldest surviving portrait of Augustine, from the Lateran in Rome in the sixth century.

7. Boethius Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius, 480 – 525 AD • Roman statesman and philosopher, often styled • "the last of the Romans", regarded by tradition • as a Christian martyr • Translated works of Aristotle • Created many original philosophical texts • Extended the groundwork of Christian Philosophy Boethius takes up many problems of metaphysics as well as ethics and of the Being and Nature of God, of providence and fate, of the origin of the universe, and of the freedom of the will.

8. As the wheel of fortune turned downward for Rome, Byzantium began its ascent as the center of culture. Our focus is on the great builder and patron of Byzantine culture, Emperor Justinian and his consort, Theodora. The central feature of their reign is its blending of their political power with the Christian Church so that church and state became a seamless whole. Christianity, which had been a despised and persecuted sect, now became the official religion of the state The Roman Empire, Christianity, and the ascent of the ByzantineEmpire Church of Hagia Sophia, Constantinople, 6th century AD

9. Byzantine Christianity had a readily recognizable look to it, a look most apparent in its art and architecture. It was an art that was otherworldly, formal, and profoundly sacred. A contemporary Orthodox theologian has said that the proper attitude of a Byzantine worshiper is gazing. The mosaics and icons of this tradition were meant to be seen as windows through which the devout might view the eternal mysteries of religion. No conscious attempt was made to be innovative in this art. The emphasis was always on deepening the experience of sacred mystery. Byzantine Art and Architecture lunette over the south doorway, Curch of Hagia Sophia Virgin and Child flamked by Emporer Justinian I and Constantine I Church of Hagia Sophia, interior, Constantinople, 6th century AD

10. Church of Hagia Sophia, Constantinople Church of Hagia Sophia, interior, Constantinople, 6th century AD

11. Ravenna San Vitale and Sant'Apollinare in Classe, in Ravenna, Italy (6th century AD.) are two of the most illustrious expressions of Byzantine artistry in the world. Basilica of San Vitale Sant'Apollinare in Classe (Tower is a medieval addition)

12. Church of San Vitale,Ravenna, Italy Church of San Vitale, view across the central space toward the sanctuary apse , Ravenna, Italy. 526-47

13. Church of San Vitale, Theodora Mosaic Empress Theodora and Her Attendants, mosaic on south wall of the apse, Church of San Vitale, Ravenna(Dodati) 547 AD

14. Church of San Vitale,Ravenna,TheodoraMosaic Empress Theodora and Her Attendants, detail; mosaic on south wall of the apse, Church of San Vitale, Ravenna(Dodati) 547

15. Justinian I- Roman Emperor (527-65) Flavius Anicius Julianus Justinianus was born about 483 at Tauresium. In 521 Justinian was proclaimed ruler. The thirty-eight years of Justinian's reign are the most brilliant period of the later empire. Full of enthusiasm for the memories of Rome, he set himself, and achieved, the task of reviving their glory. The many-sided activity of this wonderful man may be summed up under the headings: military triumphs, l egal work, ecclesiastical polity, and architectural activity. Dominating all is the policy of restoring the empire, great, powerful, and united. Church of San Vitale,Ravenna,JustinianMosaic Emeror Justinian and His Attendants, detail; mosaic on the north wall of the apse, Church of San Vitale. 547

16. Mausoleum of Gala Placida,Mosaic Good Shepherd, mosaic in the Lunette over the west entrance, Mausoleum of Gala Placidia, Ravenna, Italy. 425-26

17. Church of Saint'Apollinare The Transfiguration of Christ with Saint Apollinaris, First Bishop of Ravenna, mosaic in the apse, Church of Saint'Apollinare in Classe, Italy. 533-49

18. Byzantine Architecture Byzantine Architecture Early Byzantine architecture is essentially a continuation of Roman architecture. Gradually, a style emerged which was influenced more by the architecture of the near east, and used the Greek cross plan for the church architecture which mostly stands today. Brick replaced stone, classical orders were used more freely, mosaics replaced carved decoration, and complex domes were erected.

19. Old St. PetersBasilica, Rome Old Saint Peter's, Rome, 320-27; atrium added in later 4th century

20. What Byzantine Art Reveals about Byzantine Civilization • The power and expressiveness of the figures portrayed in the art suggest • the vitality and strength of Byzantine traditions, which have outlasted the fall • of the empire. • The richness of the materials, especially the lavish use of gold, • indicates wealth. • The great variety in the subject matter, media, and types of art attests to • the taste and sophistication of the society that commissioned it and to the • remarkable artistic skill of the craftsmen who created it. • The continuing portrayal of classical themes and idealized human figures • are visual reminders of the importance of the Greco-Roman heritage • in Byzantine thought. • In style and subject matter the arts of peoples as near as Russia, Georgia, • Armenia, and Bulgaria, and as far away as western Europe and the middle • East show the vast expanse of Byzantine cultural and artistic contacts. What ByzantineArt Reveals About Byzantine Civilization Because Byzantium was Greek-speaking, the culture of ancient Greece was kept alive until the middle of the 15th century, when the city fell to the Ottoman Turks. The removal of much of that culture to the West was a strong influence on the development of the Renaissance.

21. The influence of this art was far-reaching. Italo-Byzantine styles of art persisted in the West up to the beginnings of the Italian Renaissance. These same styles entered Russia at the end of the tenth century and still persist. Today, students can visit Greek or Russian churches and see these art forms alive as part of traditional Christian Orthodox worship and practice. Persistence of ByzantineCulture Extent of Byzantine Empire c 565 AD.