The Decline of the Byzantine Empire

1. The Decline of the Byzantine Empire

2. The dispersed Byzantium (1204-1261AD) • After the conquest of Constantinople by the Crusaders, the Empire was divided among the conquerors: • Latin Empire of Constantinople: Constantinople & ¼ of the former Empire (Baldwin of Flanders) • Venetians: ¾ of Constantinople & ½ of the remaining territory, mostly important marine & commercial points  Venetian domination of the sea & the marine trade • Rest Crusaders: division of the remaining territory into smaller states, according to the power of the pretenders  absolutely alien governing to the local population (e.g. Kingdom of Thessaloniki, Ducat of Athens, Principality of Achaea, etc.)

3. The dispersed Byzantium (1204-1261 AD) • Greek states in the geographical area: • Empire of Nice • Despotate of Epirus • Empire of Trabzon

4. The dispersed Byzantium (1204-1261 AD) • Constant conflicts among the new states • Empire of Nice & Despotate of Epirus are now the only hope of “reconquista” • Latin Empire of Constantinople functions as a barrier against the co-operation of the Nice ’s enemies (Latin, Slavs, etc.) • 1261: Re-conquest of Constantinople by the Empire of Nice

5. Last Attempt of restoration (1261-1321 AD) • Disruption of the Latin Empire of Constantinople • Exposition of the Byzantine Empire to the northern & western enemies • Need of even more financial & military means • Aims of Byzantine Empire: survival against dangerous enemies – re-conquest of the territories that belonged to the Empire before the Latin conquest

6. Last attempt of restoration (1261-1321 AD) • Defensive politic based on diplomacy  diplomatic split of the enemy alliances • Main enemy: Charles of Anjou (dreamer of restoration of the Byzantine Empire under his hold) • Reduction of the military force • Necessity of external enforcement from the West  Attempt to gain the Pope ‘s help by accepting the subordination of the Eastern Christian Church to the Western  civil conflict between the Unionists & the Anti-unionists

7. Civil wars & fall (1321-1453 AD) • Defense based on mercenary troops – Complete lack of fleet • No income of the transporting trade, because of the Italian privileges • Low monetary credit, because of the continuous devaluation of the byzantine currency • Social polarization between the wealthy owners of the land & the poor peasants or workers

8. Civil wars & fall (1321-1453 AD) • Civil wars between the defenders of the byzantine throne • Expansive plans & invasion in the Greek mainland by the Serbians under the command of Stefan Dusan(dreamer of a Serbian-Greek Empire) • Expansion of the Ottoman Turks (1354 in Europe)  1422 first siege of Constantinople • New attempts to obtain military help from the West

9. Civil wars & fall (1321-1453 AD) • Almost unconditional acceptance of the union of the two Christian Churches (1438 – 1439 Ferrara) • Civil conflicts • Hatred against the Catholic West & the Pope • Enforcement of the Greek national feeling

10. Civil wars & fall (1321-1453 AD) • Territories of the last Byzantine Empire: • The area around Constantinople • Chalkidiki • Despotate of Mystras • The last Emperor Constantine 18th Paleologos

11. Civil wars & fall (1321-1453 AD) • April 1453: beginning of the last & fatal siege of Constantinople • 29th May 1453: conquest of the city by the Ottomans • The end of the Byzantine Empire • http://qed.princeton.edu/main/MG/Empires/Byzantine_Empire

12. Critical review During a period of more than 1000 years, the Byzantine Empire: • Was the frontier of Europe in the East • Combined hellenistic, western & eastern cultural elements to one culture • Offered a complicated model of a most organized administrative system • Instituted the political system of despotism on the name of the God • Offered the basis of the European law system (especially with the Justinian & Theodosian codes)

13. Critical review • Enforced the Christian religion (Orthodox centre) – Clearly set the dogmatic bases of the religion in the ecumenical councils • Set the bases of the (orthodox) monastic life (St. Catharine ‘ s in Sinai Peninsular, Mount Athos, Cappadocia, Nitria desert in Egypt, etc.)

14. Critical review • Enlightened the Christian -Greek culture to the other European & especially to the Slavic nations, respecting their own language & culture • Developed the byzantine secular (mainly inherited through folk songs) & religious (hymns, chants, etc, all chanted only by the human voice, without any instrumental accompaniment) music

15. Critical review • Preserved the Hellenistic Common Greek Language (based on the attic dialect) & developed it to the Medieval Greek Language • Simpler Complicated oral written language language (“attikizousa”) • Appointed the Greek language as the official language of the Byzantine Empire since the 7th c. AD

16. Critical review • Set the bases of the Modern Greek Literature (chivalrous poetical novels, Saga of DigenisAkritas, folk songs, etc.) • Replaced the capital letters with the small ones in the manuscripts since the 9th c. AD • Developed calligraphy & miniature painting • Preserved & commented the classical literature & the ecclesiastical tradition in the manuscripts

17. Critical review • Formed the various byzantine architectural rates of churches (basilica, basilica with dome, cruciform church, etc) • Developed hagiography (painting of saint & scenes of the Holy Bible or abstract decoration, during the War on Icons)

18. Critical review • Developed the arts of metallurgy, mosaic, etc. (usually in connection with the religion) & enlightened it to the West

19. Critical review Although: • Many civil conflicts disrupted its peace • The political & the religious power were sometimes inappropriately & dangerously mixed • The strong Christian faith of some emperors harmed the previous ancient civilization (e.g. closure of the Philosophical School of Athens by Theodosius the Great)