Chapter 9: Civilization in Eastern Europe: Byzantium and Orthodox Europe

1. Chapter 9:Civilization in Eastern Europe: Byzantium and Orthodox Europe Ms. Sheets AP World History

2. Overview • Two major Christian civilizations develop • East and West • Each developed close relations with Islamic world • Each play major roles in trade (N/S, not E/W) • Civilizations spread north because of missionaries • Religions are culturally, even organizationally, separate

3. The Byzantine Empire: Introductions • Maintained high levels of political, economic, and cultural activity during much of 500-1450 • Controlled territory in Balkans, northern Middle East, and eastern Mediterranean • Rulers saw themselves as Roman emperors • Government in many ways is continuation of eastern portion of Roman Empire

4. The Byzantine Empire: Introductions • Constantinople = capital, is cosmopolitan, opulent, and most important city in Europe • Practice Orthodox Christianity (will become dominate throughout most of Eastern Europe) • Spreads culture, religion, and politics to parts of the world that had not previously been controlled by any major civ • Balkans, western Russia

5. The Byzantine Empire: Origins of the Empire • Emperor Constantine of Roman Empire • Built Constantinople in 4th c. CE as capital • Thriving city, fend off Mongol invasions • Empire divided into East/West- end of 4th c. • Capitals at Rome, Constantinople • Political style in East: complex administration around emperor, elaborate ceremonies • Justinian makes Greek language official, 6th c. • Greek = read freely classical texts • Latin becomes inferior, barbaric • Involved in Mediterranean commerce

7. The Byzantine Empire: Justinian’s Achievements • Justinian – 527-565 (wife Theodora) • Military gains and great expansion • Wanted to capture old Roman Empire itself • Belisarius, brilliant general • Gains in North Africa and Italy • Temporary capital at Ravenna, artistic center • Lost Italy: unable to withstand Germanic pressure • Systemizes Roman legal code • Influences future law codes in Europe • Reduces confusion, united and organized the new empire • Building Projects to Rebuild Constantinople • Hagia Sophia – engineering and architectural achievements (dome) • Slavs, Persians attack from East

9. The Byzantine Empire: Justinian’s Achievements • Map of byzantine empire under Justinian

10. The Byzantine Empire: Arab Pressure and the Empire’s Defenses • Constant external threats • Justinian’s successors’ primary concern is defense against Slavs, Russians, and Arab invaders • Able to hold off Arab Muslims from the east but with massive losses in Mediterranean provinces • Arab naval fleet; battle over Mediterranean • “Greek fire” • Empire’s size/strength reduced • Economic burdens from wars with Muslins • Increase in taxes; increase in wealth for upper class • Weak emperors • Bulgars from Bulgaria • Press onto Byzantine territory, some marriage alliances • Defeated by Basil II, 1014, and Bulgaria becomes part of empire

11. The Byzantine Empire: Byzantine Society and Politics • Emperors resemble Chinese rulers • Center of elaborate court rituals: divinely inspired, all powerful ruler • Ordained by God • Head of church and state • Women could (and did) serve as emperor despite patriarchal society • Empresses Theodora and Zoë (sisters) • Sophisticated bureaucracy • Open to all classes (but aristocrats dominate) and highly educated • Organize empire militarily, socially, economically • Provincial governors appointed • Economic control • Regulation of food prices, trade, and silk production • Trade network • Asia, Russia, Scandinavia, Europe, Africa

12. The Byzantine Empire: Byzantine Society and Politics • Arts • Creativity in Architecture (domed buildings) • Richly colored religious mosaics • Icon paintings – paintings of saints and other religious figures • Distinct Byzantine style • Cultural life blended Hellenism and Orthodox Christianity

13. The Byzantine Empire: The Split Between Eastern and Western Christianity • Separate paths emerge starting in 11th c. • Disagreements about Christian doctrine and policy • Papal interference in Byzantine political and religious affairs • Clerical celibacy (W – yes, E – no) • Dispute over the type of bread to be used in religious ceremonies • Byzantine state controlled church in the eastern lands • West translate Greek Bible into Latin • Patriarch Michael attacks Catholic practice in 1054 (bread, celibacy) • Mutual excommunication • Church splits into two traditions • Western (Roman Catholic) • Eastern (Orthodox)

14. The Byzantine Empire: The Empire’s Decline • Period of decline from 11th century after church schism • Able to survive by careful diplomacy but there are still problems • Seljuk Turks take most of Asian provinces in 1071 at Manzikert • Slavic states emerge which diminish Byzantine power • Appeal to West for help against Turks brings Crusaders but no help • 1204, Venetian crusaders sack Constantinople but West is not powerful enough to hold on • 1453, Constantinople taken by Ottoman Turks, and by 1461 empire gone

15. The Byzantine Empire: The Empire’s Decline • Who contributed to destruction of Byzantine Empire? • Seljuk Turks • independent Slavic states in the Balkans (Bulgaria and Serbia) • Western crusaders and Roman Catholic Church • Italian trading city-states (Venice and Genoa) • Byzantium important because they maintained a strong empire even amid rapid surge of Islam, as well as cultural innovations and Orthodox Christianity

16. The Byzantine Empire (1000-1100) Byzantine Empire went from a major to minor power after the Turkish defeat at Manzikert in 1071

17. The Spread of Civilization in Eastern Europe • Influence through Byzantine conquest, Christian missionaries and conversion, new trade routes • Christian missionaries (Cyril and Methodius) helped bring Orthodoxy northward into Russia and the Balkans • Create new alphabet: Cyrillic script • Possibility of literature and literacy developed in eastern Europe

18. The Spread of Civilization in Eastern Europe: The East Central Borderlands • The East Central Borderlands • Competition from Catholics and Orthodox Greeks for converts • Those who become Catholic are largely in Hungary, Poland • Regional monarchies prevail • Influx of Jews to Borderlands from W Europe and Middle East due to persecution • Migrate into region in large numbers (Poland = greatest number) • Value education and literacy with Jewish culture • Gain strength in local commerce • Resented by Christian community

19. The Spread of Civilization in Eastern Europe: The Emergence of KievanRus’ • Slavs from Asia moved into region during Roman Empire • Mix with earlier populations • Iron working, agricultural society of family tribes, and villages • Eventually, develop loose kingdoms • Animist religion (sun, thunder, wind, fire) • 6th, 7th centuries • Scandinavian merchants • Trade between Byzantines and the North (Scandinavia) • Luxury products from Silk Roads traded for furs from North • 855, trading city (Kiev) become site of monarchy under Rurik, first Prince of KievanRus’, principality

20. The Spread of Civilization in Eastern Europe: The Emergence of KievanRus’ • Vladimir I (980-1015) • Ponders religious choices • Converts to Orthodoxy, 1000, on behalf of all his people • Organizes mass baptisms, forcing conversions with military pressure • Controls church and creates literate Russian priesthood • Develops own Russian Orthodox Church • Yaroslav (1019-1054) • Issues unifying law code • Translates religious literature from Greek to Slavic • KievanRus’ forms core of Russian culture and politics • Largest single state in Europe

21. The Spread of Civilization in Eastern Europe: The Emergence of KievanRus’ East European kingdoms and Slavic expansion, 1000

22. The Spread of Civilization in Eastern Europe: Institutions and Culture in KievanRus’ • Russian culture borrowed much from Byzantium • Russian bureaucracy and education were not as developed • Attracted to ceremony and luxury of Byzantium • Generally peaceful and trade-oriented relationship between Byzantium and KievanRus’ • Orthodox influence • Ornate churches, filled with icons and incense • Monasticism develops, stress prayer and charity • Fervent religious devotion • Art (icons, illuminated manuscripts), literature (using Cyrillic) dominated by religion, royalty • No philosophy or science • Free farmers and aristocratic landowners • Boyars, landlords and Russian nobility, less powerful than in West

23. The Spread of Civilization in Eastern Europe: Kievan Decline • Decline from 12th century • Regional princes set up rival governments • Succession struggles within royal family • Asian conquerors and invaders chip away at territory • Fall of Byzantium reduces Russian trade and wealth • Mongols (called Tartars in Russian) invade • 13th century, take territory and major cities easily • Mongols are aided by rival princes • Control much of Russia for over two centuries

24. The Spread of Civilization in Eastern Europe: The End of an Era in Eastern Europe • Fall of Byzantine empire and Mongol invasions end this period of Russian history • Key features of Kievan social structure disappear • Orthodox Christianity and lively artistic culture remain, however • As result, East and West further separated • East is cut off from western contacts, stifling economic, political, and cultural sophistication

25. Global Connections: Eastern Europe and the World • Byzantine Empire • participated actively in interregional trade • Constantinople: great trading city, connection between East and West (signified by silk trade) • Russia • Dependent of Byzantium as main trading contact with rest of world • When Byzantium declines, and Mongols invade, period of isolation for Russia

26. Chapter 9 Homework Questions • What were some achievements of Justinian and the Byzantine Empire? • Describe the split between Western and Eastern Christianity? (Great Schism) • What led to the decline of the Byzantine Empire? • Describe the emergence of KievanRus and the Russian Orthodox Church. • In what ways was Vladimir’s conversion to Christianity a key event in European history?