Origins Surviving eastern half of Roman Empire Byzantine rulers saw themselves as Roman emperors

2. Origins • Surviving eastern half of Roman Empire • Byzantine rulers saw themselves as Roman emperors • Constantinople founded by Constantine on site of Greek colony of Byzantium Constantine

3. Early Byzantine Period • From 324 CE to 842 CE • Emperor Justinian I • Empress Theodora • General Belisarius and reconquest of empire – peak of territory • Codification of Roman law Emperor Justinian and Theodora

5. The Middle Byzantine Period • 843-1081 CE • Golden Age • Extended power over Middle Eastern lands previously lost to Muslims • Use of secret weapons such as Greek Fire • Byzantine court life adopted by other rulers • Period of wealth and military strength Greek Fire in action

6. The Crusades Period • 1081-1204 CE • Emperor Alexius Comnenus • Call to West for help versus Seljuk Turks • Constantinople base for operations • Dislike between Western “Barbarians” and Byzantine “Sissies” • Sack of Constantinople 1204 – Fourth Crusade

7. Byzantine Decline • 1261-1453 • Empire restored to Byzantine control • Territories lost to Ottoman Turks • Commerce dominated by Italian city-states of Venice and Genoa • The Black Death in 1300’s • 1453 - Constantinople fell to Ottoman Turks Ottoman ruler, Mehmet II, directs the attack on Constantinople

8. Byzantine Empire – Animated Map

9. Hellenic – from the Greek word “Hellenes” The Greek word for “Greece”

10. Constantinople - The fortified capital of the Byzantine Empire

11. External threats: • Sassanid Empire • Huns • Germanic tribes • Muslims • Venice Attila the Hun

12. The Emperor • Byzantine rulers wielded absolute power – “divinely” appointed • Early emperors elected to office by the Senate, the army, and the people • Dynasties and co-emperors • Pomp and ceremony used to awe diplomats

13. Byzantine Government • Logothesia- government ministers that ran day-to-day administration • Imperial Senate- advised the emperor and provided a pool for higher appointments • Eunuchs- held positions closest to the emperor • High Chamberlain- chief of the Eunuchs

14. Byzantine Bureaucracy • Goal to expand Byzantine influence and protect the empire through vassal states • Logothete of the Dromus- • Spied on foreign ambassadors / visitors • Kept notes on strengths / weaknesses of other nations

15. Byzantine Bureaucracy • Byzantine ambassadors spied on the nations to which they were posted • Bribes were used to buy off enemies and pay enemies of friendly states to keep those states off-balance • “Stables” of potential heirs to foreign thrones were maintained for possible use • What does the word “byzantine” mean today? Why?

16. The Family • Oldest male dominated the household • Unlike Rome, children were protected from incest, and could not be sold or abandoned • Parents were required by law to find spouses for children • Childlessness was viewed by society as a disaster

17. Upper-class children were educated • Lower-class children received little to no education • The primary duty of a woman was to marry, bear children, and run the household • Marriage contracts agreed upon disposition of property • Women could inherit and dispose of property in any way they wished

18. Upper-class females were secluded and veiled • Seclusion extended into the home itself • Women had their own quarters surrounded by slaves and servants (her gynaeceum) • If women ventured outside the home she was accompanied by her gynaeceum • Very few women were educated

19. Byzantine Art • Roman architectural traditions • Hagia Sophia • Mosaics • The Icon

20. Iconoclasm • Initiated by Emperor Leo the Isaurian and son, Emperor Constantine V • Eighth century • Worship of icons seen as idolatry • Appropriation of Church wealth by emperor • Destruction of Byzantine art form • Back to status quo in ninth century Icon of Madonna and Child

21. Effects of Iconoclasm on the West • Iconoclasm damaged relations between Byzantines and Christian West - Pope against iconoclastic movement • Western Christianity turned away from Byzantines and to the Franks for support Icon of Mother and Child

22. Byzantine Religion • Emperor chosen by God – head of Church • Patriarch – highest Church official • First Christian monasteries • 1054 - Papal claims to primacy led to split of Church creating Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches

23. Byzantine Religion • Orthodox missionaries converted Slavs in Balkans, Ukraine, and Russia • Saint Cyril developed Cyrillic alphabet for Slavs Saint Cyril

24. The Byzantine Economy • Center of trade – location • Trade routes • Mediterranean • Silk Road • Black Sea • Russian The Byzantine Nomisma

25. Government influence on industry • Silk industry • Concessions to foreign merchants • Competitors • Venice • Genoa – Genoese coins supplanted Byzantine Nomisma Byzantine silk found in tomb of Charlemagne

26. Byzantines: Roman or Greek? • Greek replaced Latin as state language around 610 CE with ascension of Emperor Heraclius (Greek) • Subsequent emperors ethnically Greek • Chariot races • Baths • Emphasis on bureaucracy • Roman law • Center of Christianity in East Chariot races in the Hippodrome

27. Impact of Byzantines on Neighbors • Societies most influenced were Balkans, Ukraine, and Russia • Byzantine religion, art, architecture, and court life were adopted • Russia adopted Byzantine double-headed eagle as royal symbol • Russian rulers adopted title of “Caesar” (Tsar) • Russia considered itself “The Third Rome” and heir to the Byzantines after the fall of Constantinople