Byzantine Empire

1. Byzantine Empire aka Eastern Roman Empire

2. Byzantine Empire • "Byzantine" derives from Byzantium, an ancient Greek colony founded by a man named Byzas. • Located on the European side of the Bosporus (the strait linking the Black Sea to the Mediterranean), a great place for trade.

3. Byzantine Empire • In 330 A.D., Roman Emperor Constantine I chose Byzantium as the site of a new Roman capital & renamed it Constantinople. • The citizens of Constantinople & the rest of the Eastern Roman Empire identified strongly as Romans & Christians, though many of them spoke Greek & not Latin.

4. Byzantine Empire • Constantinople was located on a strait and had huge walls to defend itself. It also had a smaller border to share with barbarian tribes. • Their government was more stable & they had a lot more money than any other kingdom in the middle ages. • A cosmopolitan city, it was home to Greeks, Romans, Jews, Arabs, Serbs, Persians, Huns, & Scandinavians.

5. Byzantine Empire • Justinian I (ruled 527 – 565) was the greatest ruler of the Byzantine Empire. • During his reign, the empire included most of the land surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, as his armies conquered part of the former Western Roman Empire, including North Africa. • He built many monuments, including the Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom).

6. Byzantine Empire • He also codified (wrote down) all the Roman laws from the past several centuries into one book. • This “civil law” as it was called, is the basis for what most of Europe uses for their legal systems. • In civil law, judges look at statues to try cases (used in Europe). • In common law, judges look at statues & precedent (older cases). Used in English speaking countries.

7. Byzantine Empire • By 650 A.D., the empire looked more Greek than Roman. According to historical sources, most of the population from 650 A.D. onwards was of Greek cultural background. • Their army fought more like the ancient Athenians & Spartans rather than of the Roman Legions. • Greek replaced Latin as the official language. Latin was now only used by the church in the west & those with a university education. It was now a dead language.

8. Byzantine Empire • During the 7th & 8th centuries, attacks by Persians, Slavs, & Arabs combined with internal political instability & a poor economy, threatened the empire. • Lost the Balkans to the Slavs & the Middle East & North Africa to the Arabs. • The Middle East & North Africa are still predominantly Muslim to this day.

9. Byzantine Empire • 717-718: A large Muslim force besieged Constantinople by land & sea. They failed. • The Byzantine fleet was less than 1/3 of the Arab’s, but Greek fire evened the numbers. Emperor Leo III used the city walls to save the city. • The city would survive for another 700 years.

10. Byzantine Empire • The ingredients of “Greek fire” were closely guarded, but historians think it was a mixture of naphtha, pitch, sulfur, lithium, potassium, metallic sodium, calcium phosphide & a petroleum base. • Basically, it was shot at a ship & caught it on fire. It was nearly impossible to extinguish.

11. Byzantine Empire • Both the rich & poor ate cheese, figs, eggs, olive oil, walnuts, almonds, apples, & pears. Normal Greek food even today. • Honey was used as a sweetener, since sugar was not available. • Bread was an essential staple of the Byzantine table. The bakeries of Constantinople regularly produced over 80,000 loafs per day!

12. Byzantine Empire • From A.D. 500 to A.D. 1200, Byzantium was the wealthiest nation in Europe & western Asia. Its standard of living was, by far, the best in Europe. • It was a leader in art, science, trade, & architecture. • It saved classical knowledge & literature as well as kept invading armies from invading western Europe.

13. Byzantine Empire • What made them so wealthy was they didn’t inflate (destroy) their money like the west did. • Whoever has the money that is the most stable over time has the money EVERYONE wants (think $$$). • In the 11th century, they started to inflate (dilute the amount of gold per coin) their money to pay for things they needed. It’s a hidden tax that, over time, makes people poorer (think of slowly increasing grocery prices). • They couldn’t trust their money & foreigners didn’t either, so others switched to silver coins from foreign countries.

14. Byzantine Empire • 800: Charlemagne, king of the Franks, is crowned "Emperor of the Romans" by Pope Leo III in Rome. For the first time in 300 years, there is an emperor of the "East" & an emperor of the "West". • 917:The Bulgars conquer Thrace (became modern Bulgaria). • 1055: Loss of southern Italy to the Normans (Vikings from France).

15. Byzantine Empire • 1071: Defeat at Manzikert to the Seljuk Turks. Permanent loss of most of Asia Minor (this is why Asia Minor became Turkey). • 1453: Fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans (Turks). End of the Byzantine Empire. It was gunpowder that brought down their great city walls. • They used a cannon that was 26 feet (8 meters) long to fire 1,200-pound (545-kilogram) cannonballs at the walls of Constantinople.

16. Byzantine Empire • The Turks plundered the city for three days. Then they replaced the cross, symbol of the Christians, with the crescent, symbol of Islam, over Hagia Sophia. • The city was renamed Istanbul. The Ottoman Empire would last until World War 1 ended in 1918.

17. Byzantine Empire • Many Greeks were killed, but some stayed in “Turkey” until the 20th century when they moved back to Greece. • When they moved back, the native Greeks couldn’t understand the Greeks that had stayed in “Turkey” because their languages had evolved so much! • The Greeks wouldn’t be an independent country again until 1832. • The island nation of Cyprus is still two countries; half Greek & half Turkish.

18. Byzantine Empire • The Christian Council of Chalcedon in 451 divided the Roman World into five patriarchs (sections). Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Jerusalem, & Antioch. • When the Muslim Arabs conquered Egypt & the Middle East, Constantinople became the center of the Greek Orthodox Church & Rome the west. • There is no leader of the Greek Orthodox Church like the Pope.

19. Byzantine Empire • For centuries, there had been significant religious, cultural, & political differences between the Eastern & Western churches. • There were major theological differences between Roman Catholics & Greek Orthodox Christians, on topics such as the use of images, the nature of the Holy Spirit, & the role & identity of the Pope.

20. Byzantine Empire • The Byzantine Emperor was BOTH the emperor AND the Patriarch of Constantinople. This combined church & state more closely than the west. The eastern emperor acted more like a king than the ancient Romans would have tolerated. • The west had the Pope as head of the Catholic Church & Kings who ruled their kingdoms. Sometimes the Pope & a King wouldn’t agree & this led to some MAJOR problems. The Church was separate from the state, although it heavily influenced it.

21. Byzantine Empire • 1054 (the Great Schism): Pope Leo IX excommunicated (kicked out of the Church) the Patriarch of Constantinople. • In response, the Patriarch condemned the Pope. • One thousand years later, this division in the Christian church has still not been healed.

22. Byzantine Empire • Over time, through trade & contact, the Russians & Balkans became Greek Orthodox members. They still are to this day. • If you go to Europe, there is a line that divided the eastern empire from the west that still separates Roman Catholics from Greek Orthodox.

23. Byzantine Empire • Artists created a distinctive style of mosaic work, painting, & domed architecture, which influenced the cultures of Greece, Italy, Spain, & Russia. • The west forgot how to build, read, learn & stay clean like the Romans did. It took 1,000 years for them to “catch back up.” • Don’t forget Greek/Latin root words!

24. Byzantine Empire • The period from about 641 to 1025 is considered to be the golden age of the Byzantine Empire. • It was the only organized state west of China to survive without interruption from ancient times until the beginning of the modern age. • The Byzantines were known as Romaioi (Romans). Scholars labeled them, and their empire, as Byzantine in the 17th century.

25. Byzantine Empire aka Eastern Roman Empire

26. Byzantine Empire • “" derives from Byzantium, an ancient colony founded by a man named . • Located on the European side of the (the strait linking the Sea to the Mediterranean), a great place for .

27. Byzantine Empire • In 330 A.D., Roman Emperor I chose Byzantium as the site of a new Roman & renamed it . • The citizens of Constantinople & the rest of the Roman Empire identified strongly as Romans & , though many of them spoke& not .

28. Byzantine Empire • Constantinople was located on a and had huge to defend itself. It also had a smaller to share with barbarian . • Their government was more & they had a lot more than any other kingdom in the . • A cosmopolitan city, it was home to Greeks, Romans, , , , , , & .

29. Byzantine Empire • I (ruled 527 – 565) was the greatest of the Byzantine Empire. • During his reign, the empire included most of the land surrounding the .Sea, as his armies conquered part of the former Roman Empire, including North . • He built many monuments, including the Sophia (Holy ).

30. Byzantine Empire • He also (wrote down) all the Roman from the past several centuries into one book. • This “ law” as it was called, is the basis for what most of uses for their legal systems. • In civil law, judges look at to try (used in Europe). • In law, judges look at statues & (older cases). Used in speaking countries.

31. Byzantine Empire • By 650 A.D., the empire looked more than Roman. According to historical sources, most of the from 650 A.D. onwards was of Greek background. • Their fought more like the ancient & Spartans rather than of the Legions. • Greek Latin as the official language. Latin was now only used by the in the & those with a university education. It was now a language.

32. Byzantine Empire • During the 7th & 8th centuries, attacks by , , & combined with internal political instability & a poor economy, the empire. • Lost the to the & the Middle & North to the . • The Middle East & North Africa are still predominantlyto this day.

33. Byzantine Empire • 717-718: A large Muslim force Constantinople by land & sea. They . • The Byzantine fleet was less than of the Arab’s, but evened the numbers. Emperor Leo III used the city to the city. • The city would survive for another years.

34. Byzantine Empire • The of “Greek fire” were closely guarded, but historians it was a mixture of naphtha, pitch, sulfur, lithium, potassium, metallic sodium, calcium phosphide & a petroleum base. • Basically, it was at a ship & caught it on . It was nearly to .

35. Byzantine Empire • Both the rich & poor ate , figs, eggs, oil, walnuts, , apples, & . Greek food even today. • was used as a sweetener, since wasn’t available. • was an essential staple of the Byzantine table. The bakeries of Constantinople regularly produced over loafs per day!

36. Byzantine Empire • From A.D. 500 to A.D. 1200, Byzantium was the nation in Europe & western Asia. Its standard of was, by far, the in Europe. • It was a leader in , , trade, & architecture. • It classical & literature as well as kept invading from invading Europe.

37. Byzantine Empire • What made them so was they didn’t inflate () their money like the west did. • Whoever has the money that is the most over time has the money EVERYONE (think ). • In the th century, they started to inflate ( the amount of per ) their money to pay for things they needed. It’s a tax that, over time, makes people (think of slowly increasing prices). • They couldn’t their money & foreigners didn’t either, so others switched to coins from foreign .

38. Byzantine Empire • 800:, king of the Franks, is crowned "Emperor of the " by Pope Leo III in Rome. For the first time in years, there is an emperor of the “" & an emperor of the "". • 917:The conquer (became modern ). • 1055: Loss of southern to the (Vikings from France).

39. Byzantine Empire • :Defeat at Manzikert to the Seljuk . Permanent of most of Minor (this is why Asia Minor became ). • :of Constantinople to the Ottomans (). of the Byzantine Empire. It was that brought down their great city • They used a cannon that was feet long to fire lbs cannonballs.

40. Byzantine Empire • The Turks the city for three days. Then they the , symbol of the Christians, with the , symbol of Islam, over Hagia Sophia. • The city was renamed . The Ottoman Empire would last until War 1 ended in .

41. Byzantine Empire • Many Greeks were , but some in “Turkey” until the th century when they moved to Greece. • When they moved back, the Greeks couldn’t the Greeks that had stayed in “Turkey” because their languages had so much! • The Greeks wouldn’t be an country again until . • The island nation of is still two ; half & half .

42. Byzantine Empire • The Christian of in 451 divided the Roman World into patriarchs (sections). , , , , & . • When the Arabs conquered Egypt & the Middle East, Constantinople became the of the Greek Church & me the west. • There is no of the Greek Orthodox Church like the .

43. Byzantine Empire • For , there had been significant religious, cultural, & political between the Eastern & Western . • There were major differences between Roman Catholics & Greek Orthodox Christians, on topics such as the use of , the nature of the , & the & identity of the .

44. Byzantine Empire • The Byzantine Emperor was BOTH the AND the of Constantinople. This & more closely than the west. • The emperor acted more like a than the Romans would have . • The west had the as head of the Catholic & who ruled their . Sometimes the Pope & a King wouldn’t & this led to some MAJOR . The Church was from the state, although it heavily it.

45. Byzantine Empire • (the Great ): Pope Leo IX (kicked out of the ) the Patriarch of Constantinople. • In response, the Patriarch the Pope. • One years later, this in the Christian church has still not been .

46. Byzantine Empire • Over time, through & contact, the & became Greek members. They still are to this . • If you go to Europe, there is a that divided the eastern empire from the west that still Roman from Greek .

47. Byzantine Empire • Artists created a distinctive style of work, painting, & architecture, which influenced the of Greece, Italy, Spain, & Russia. • The west how to build, read, learn & stay clean like the Romans did. It took 1,000 for them to “ back up.” • Don’t forget Greek/Latin words!

48. Byzantine Empire • The period from about 641 to 1025 is considered to be the age of the Empire. • It was the only organizedwest of to survive without interruption from times until the beginning of the age. • The Byzantines were known as (Romans). Scholars labeled them, and their empire, as Byzantine in the th century.