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The Byzantine Empire
I. A New Rome
Western Roman Emp. crumbled in 5th cent. Capital of East = Byzantium
A. The Reign of Justinian
East = Greece, N. Balkan Pen., Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Cyrenaica
Emperor Justinian (r. 527-565) Led political, economic, intellectual, &
artistic revival
1. Theodora 525: married Justinian Helped change Byz. law regarding
women Domestic violence Owning property Widow & custody Nika Revolt (532)
2. Belisarius
Commander-in-chief of army Regained former Roman territories in
Med. Byz. reached its greatest height
533: recovered N. Africa 535: attacked & seized Rome (Ostrogoths)
Byz. Emperors = absolute power headed state & church threat of assassination
II. Life in New Rome
Byz. Emp. developed its own character Roman ties?
A. Justinian Code
Panel of legal experts reviewed 400 yrs. of Roman law (outdated & contradictory) 1. the “Code” = 5,000 Roman laws (useful) 2. the “Digest” = summarized opinions of
great Roman thinkers 3. the “Institutes” = textbook for law
students 4. the “Novellae” = (New Laws), presented
legislation after 534
Decided legal questions regarding marriage, slavery, property, inheritance, women’s rights, & criminal justice
565: Justinian died, but code survived
B. Creating the Imperial Capital
Ambitious building programs Rebuilt fortifications of Const. Church building (connection betw. church &
state) Hagia Sophia (“Holy Wisdom”)
“the most splendid church in the Christian world” Completed in 537 “Solomon, I have outdone thee!”
Enlarged palace Also, baths, aqueducts, courts, schools, hospitals
Greco-Roman culture preserved Education focused on Greek & Roman
lit.
III. Strengths of the Empire
Political, military, economic strength
A. Political Strength
Centralized govt. Skilled, efficient, well-paid officials Practiced shrewd diplomacy
B. Military Strength
Frontier forces, infantry, cavalry Rewarded soldiers w/land grants 590: instruction manuals for
officers on military strategy Improved army weaponry 500s: built navy
“Greek fire”
C. Economic Strength
Prosperous ag., manufacturing, & trade Const. = heart of emp.
Strategic location on Bosporus betw. Asia & Europe
Govt. = regulated trade & manufacturing
IV. The Church Divides
Christianity developed differently betw. West & East
A. A Religious Split Patriarch (Rome, Const., Alexandria,
Antioch, & Jerusalem) Pope (patriarch of Rome) = supreme
authority in West (Byz. did not recognize)
Debate over icons (holy pics = Jesus, Virgin Mary, & the saints)
Byz. = iconoclasts (icons constituted idol worship & should be suppressed)
726: Emp. Leo III—outlawed icon worship in East
West = pope of Rome summoned a council in 787 Opposition to icons = heresy
Council threatened iconoclasts w/ excommunication
Friction betw. Pope (Rome) & patriarch (Const.)
Combined w/cultural & language diffs. 1054: Church split
West = Roman Catholic Church East = Eastern Orthodox Church
V. Decline of the Empire
1300s: Ottoman Turks rose to power
1453: captured Const. (Byz. Ended)