Byzantium and the Rise of Russia

Chapter 9

The Byzantine Empire

• What do we remember about the Emperor Constantine?

• What was Contantinople?

The Byzantine Empire

• Why is Constantinople’s geographic location important?

• Watch the United Steaming video Constantinople: Capital of the Byzantine Empire.

The Byzantine Empire

• Since the Roman Empire is said to have fallen in the 400s, how did the eastern part of the empire stay powerful for another 1,000 years?

• What did Justinian attempt to do and how did he go about accomplishing it?

• What occurred under the leadership of Heralicus and Leo III?

The Byzantine Empire

• Divide into partners. On the internet go to http://dictionary.reference.com/ and look up the meanings for the word autocracy, theocracy, and aristocracy.

• Read pages 231 – 233. Using this information create a graphic organizer that will convey the nature of Byzantine society.

• What were Byzantine contributions in law, art and architecture?

• Watch the United Streaming video: The Roman empire continues in Byzantium in New Ways

The Byzantine Empire

• Read pages 233 – 236. Don’t skip the History through the Arts section.

• What is the pentarchy?

• How was the Orthodox Church governed?

• How did the iconoclast movement help split the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church?

The Byzantine Empire

• The split with Rome helped make Byzantium more Greek and for a time increased the emperor’s authority.

• Identify the achievements during the Macedonian “golden age”.

The Rise of Russia

• Why do countries engage in war?

• Read page 220 in your textbook.

• What were objectives of the Rus and the Byzantines in early warfare with each other?

The Rise of Russia

• Look at the map on page 238 - 240.

• Who were the Rus?

• What are some reasons a Rus-Byzantine alliance was developed?

• What could Kievan Russia and the Byzantine Empire gain from a peaceful alliance?

The Rise of Russia

• What advantages did the Byzantines see in establishing Christianity among the Rus?

• Vladimir carefully shopped for the appropriate religion.

• What were the long-term consequences of Vladimir’s adoption of the Orthodox Christianity of the Byzantines?

The Rise of Russia

• During the reign of Vladimir, how did the “bridge” of religion help carry Byzantine influences into Russian culture?

The Rise of Russia

• In small groups develop a list of ways in which Byzantine culture continued to influence Kievan Russia during the reign of Yarslav the Wise.