Rise and Legacy of Eastern Rome: The Byzantine Empire

Byzantium Becomes the New Rome

Western Rome SPLITS EASTERN ROME

Western Rome EASTERN ROME Byzantine

Capital = Constantinople Continued as the New ROME Kings saw themselves to still be considered ROMAN emperors EASTERN ROME

EASTERN ROME BECOMES Byzantine Empire

Constantinople • Survived because it was far away from the Germanic tribe invasions • It was the crossroads of trade so it was successful • Preserved Greco-Roman culture

Justinian • Justinian was a serious emperor who worked from dawn to midnight • He helped rebuild and re-conquer Rome • Had ABSOLUTEPOWER = controlled both government and church

Byzantine Under Justinian • He wanted a re-conquest of the Roman territories that were lost through Germanic invasions

Justinian’s Accomplishments • Sent Best general Belisarius to take North Africa from the Vandals • 2 Years later Belisarius took Rome back from the Ostrogoths • Justinian won back nearly all the territory Rome used to rule.

Justinian Code • Justinian set up a panel of legal experts to look through 400 years of Romanlaw. • Some laws were outdated • Justinian wanted to create a single, uniform code • This became known as the JustinianCode that was used for 900 years after his death

Justinian Expands Trade • The main street that ran through Constantinople was called the MESE which means “Middle Way” • It ran from the imperial palace to the outer walls

Justinian Expands Trade • There was a giant open-air market where shoppers could buy • Tin from England • Wine from France • Cork from Spain • Ivory and gold from Africa

Byzantium Preserves Learning • Families valued education • Sent children to monastic or public schools • Hired private tutors • Greek and Latin grammar, philosophy and rhetoric • They preserved Greek and Roman great works

Justinian’s Building Program • Launched the most ambitious public building program the Roman world had ever seen. • City protected by a deep moat, and three walls that were 25 feet thick • City coast was surrounded by a 14-mile stone wall

The Hagia Sophia • Justinians’ most splendid building • Christian church later taken by the Muslims

In 1054 A.D. the Orthodox Christian Church split from the Roman Catholic Church in the Great Schism

Byzantine Influence on Russia • The Byzantine Empire greatly influenced Russia. • Byzantine missionaries established Orthodox Christian churches in Russia. • Byzantine missionaries even created an alphabet, the Cyrillic alphabet, to write the Bible in Russian.

Rise and Legacy of Eastern Rome: The Byzantine Empire