Byzantine Empire Vocabulary

1. Byzantine Empire Vocabulary Dowry- money and goods the wife brings to the husband at marriage Icon- holy picture or statue of Jesus, Mary or Saints Iconoclasts-believed worshipping icons was the same as worshipping idols Iconoclastic Controversy -debate between the defenders and opponents of icons

2. Byzantine Empire & Eastern Europe • Constantinople - the largest city and former capital of Turkey, Previously known as Byzantium, Constantine changed the name of the city and moved the capitol of the Roman Empire here from Rome. • Byzantine Empire - Historians' name for the eastern portion of the Roman Empire from the fourth century onward, taken from 'Byzantion,' an early name for Constantinople, the Byzantine capital city. The empire fell to the Ottomans in 1453. (250)

3. Heresy – an opinion that conflicts with official church beliefs (goes against church teachings) • Excommunication – making someone no longer a member of the church (kicked out-cannot go to heaven) • Mosaic – picture or design made from small pieces of enamel, glass or stone

4. Justinian – Emperor of Byzantine Empire (527-565 A.D.) expands empire, suppresses revolt, gives women some rights; builds Hagia Sophia. Hagia Sophia was the most famous example of Byzantine architecture, it was built under Justinian I and is considered one of the most perfect buildings in the world. • Justinian Code– very important to European Law Code-Roman Laws Digest-Opinions on Laws Institutes-Guide for law students Novaella-New Laws

5. Kiev - city on the Dneiper River, capital of Russia between from 882 to 1169 • Eastern Orthodox Church derived from the Byzantine Church and adhering to Byzantine rites • Byzantium - was an ancient Greek city, founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 657 BC and named after their king Byzas . The city was later renamed Nova Roma by Constantine the Great, but popularly called Constantinople and briefly became the imperial residence of the classical Roman Empire. Then subsequently the city was, for more than a thousand years, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, the Greek-speaking Roman Empire of late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Constantinople was captured by the Ottoman Turks, becoming the capital of their empire, in 1453. The name of the city was officially changed to Istanbul in 1930 following the establishment of modern Turkey.

6. Theodora – Justinian’s wife who advises him on laws and Nika revolt; expands women’s rights Hippodrome – where citizens could see wild chariot races and performance acts; location for Nika revolt

7. Belisarius – made general of army by Justinian after he leads the men who put down the Nika Revolt • Nika Revolt – riots were occurring over Justinian’s government and repression of the Nika rebellions; rioters were drawn to the Hippodrome and demanded to overthrow Justinian. Belisarius and his troops slaughtered the 30,000 rebels inside.

8. The Vikings were the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to travel as far east as Constantinople and the Volga River in Russia, and as far west as Iceland, Greenland, and Newfoundland, and as far south as Nekor.This period of Viking expansion – known as the Viking Age – forms a major part of the medieval history of Scandinavia, Great Britain, Ireland and the rest of Medieval Europe. • Macedonian Dynasty - during this period, the Byzantine state reached its greatest expanse since the Muslim conquests, and the Macedonian Renaissance in letters and arts began. The dynasty was named after its founder, Basil I the Macedonian • Orthodox Christianity is a term that covers the two branches of Christianity which emphasize their unbroken connection to the faith, doctrine and practices of the ancient Christian Church, and therefore call themselves "Orthodox" (from Greek: orthos + doxa, meaning correct belief). These two branches are the Eastern Orthodox Church and Oriental Orthodoxy.

9. Greek Fire – liquid thrown at ships that explodes and lights the ships on fire • Ottoman Turks – conquer the Byzantine Empire and rename capital Istanbul Fall of Constantinople

10. Russian Vocabulary Steppe – grassy plain w/out trees; black fertile soil Taiga – above the steppe; has great forests and rainfall

11. Boyars – nobles that made up a council to advise the princes who ruled Kievan Russia • Cyril & Methodius – Christian missionaries who gave the Slavs a written alphabet – Cyrillic alphabet

12. Rus – people who took control of Novgorod – ruled over Kiev and Slavs “Rus”-Russia Rurik – leader of the Rus people in Russia Yaroslav the Wise – 1019 A.D.-1054 A.D. Ruled during a great period during Russian History; built many churches 1st Russian Law code

13. Pravda Russkia – 1st Russian law code –contained tribal law and other customs Vladimir I – 980’s A.D. impressed with Christianity and Hagia Sophia; wanted to marry Ana (Byzantine Emperor’s sister); converts to Christianity; orders all Kievans to become Christian (Russian Orthodox Church); Father of Yaroslav the Wise

14. Czar=Tzar – (comes from word Caesar) true leader of Byzantine + Roman Empire (Russian Ruler); absolute power “Third Rome” – Moscow; brings Christian orthodoxy to the whole world 1. Rome 2. Constantinople 3. Moscow/Russia

15. Ivan III – “Ivan the Great”; assert independence from the Mongols; 1st ruler of independent Russia; increased land; great military conquest • Ivan IV – “Ivan the Terrible”; arrested the boyars and gave land to his supporters; killed his own son and others; laid foundation for New Russian State; becomes first official Russian Czar • Mongols – Genghis Kahn is the leader of the Golden Horde; they invade Kievan Russia and rule; they allow Russians to follow their own customs as they pay taxes and not revolt; Ivan III rids Russian of Mongols