The Byzantine Empire The “New” Rome

1. The Byzantine EmpireThe “New” Rome Pg 268 - 273

2. The “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 Spain • By circa 550 C.E. Justinian had reclaimed almost all of the former Roman empire

3. Emperor Justinian [r. 527-564]

4. Justinian’s Empire at its Peak

5. Absolute Power • 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

6. Building the “New” Rome • 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tradition but few spoke Latin and most belonged to the Eastern Christian Church • Justinian reviewed Rome’s laws, he repealed some laws and added others • The Justinian Code contained four parts • The Code – 5,000 laws • The Digest – opinions of Rome’s greatest legal thinkers • The Institutes – a textbook for law students • The Novellae – (New Laws)

7. The Imperial Capital • 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 tall • Justinian also expanded his palace • Also adding baths, aqueducts, law courts, schools, and hospitals to the city

8. Hagia Sophia • Meaning “Holy Wisdom” in Greek • Justinian had a passion for building churches • A 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

9. Church of Hagia Sophia [Holy Wisdom]

10. Life in Constantinople • 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 Mese • Purchasing goods from England, Spain, France, Africa, Russia, India, and China • The Hippodrome (Greek for horse and race course) was free entertainment for the people • Chariots and circus acts • Teams were named for their colors • 60,000 could fit into the Hippodrome

12. Preservation of Learning • The Byzantine people valued education • Focused on Greek and Latin grammar, philosophy, and rhetoric • Learned geometry, history, and medicine • Byzantine is responsible for preserving much of the Greek and Roman works

13. The Schism • 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

14. Byzantine’s Enemies • 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

15. Byzantine’sEnemies (continued) • The Byzantine Empire was under constant attack from all sides • Lombards in the West • Slavs, Avars, and Bulgars in the North • The 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.