Eastern Europe 600-1450 Byzantine Empire

& Russia

Eastern Europe (Ch.9)

The Byzantine Empire under Justinian

Map Exercise

The Byzantine Empire, 1000-1100

Eastern Europe: Byzantium & Orthodox

Roman Emperor Constantine built Constantinople as capital in the 4th century Capital of Byzantine Empire

after the Roman Empire split around 324CE (Middle Ages)

After the fall of the western empire in 476 CE; the Eastern Roman Empire [Romania] lasted until 1453 by Ottoman

Culture: Hellenism Greek eventually became the

empire’s official languageLacked Innovative literary

forms Large and wealthy merchant

class, but it never gained significant political power because of the bureaucracyLuxury products, such as silk,

cloth and carpets

Eastern Europe: Byzantium & Orthodox

Justinian I (450-527) Justinian Dynasty (518-602) Contributions: Re-conquered most of the old Western

Roman EmpireBrilliant general Belisarius

Rebuilt Constantinople Hagia Sophia

Codification the Roman legal code (His Greatest Historical Achievement)

Updated by later emperors, helped spread its legal principles to various parts of Europe

Justinian successors were able to hold off Arab & Bulgaria (Bulgars) invaders, but the empire’s size & strength was greatly reduced

Eastern Europe: Byzantium & Orthodox

Expansion during Justinian's reign

Ancient “Napalm”: Petroleum, Quicklime, and Sulfur mixture

New Weapon : “Greek Fire”

Byzantine political system:Emperor was held to be

ordained by GodHead of the Church, Head of

State Women could serve as emperor

Empress Irene (r. 797-802) Zoe & Theodora (1028-1050

CE) Elaborate bureaucracy (Byzantine)

Organized the empire militarily, socially, and economically

Cultural life blended Hellenism and Orthodox Christianity

Eastern Europe: Byzantium & Orthodox

Sophisticated bureaucracy Open to all classes

Provincial governors

Government Economic Control Regulation of food prices & trade

Large peasant class – supplying goods Large tax revenues

Trade networks Asia, Russia, Scandinavia, Europe, &

AfricaSilk production increased

Techniques & silkworms originally ChinaLarge merchant class never gained power

ArtsDistinct Byzantine style rich colored icon

mosaics of religious figures and leadersCreativity in architecture Roman domed

buildings

Eastern Europe: Byzantium & Orthodox The Bulgar-slayer

Basil II

Hellenism

Great Schism (East-West Schism)

In 1054, the Catholic church of the west and the Orthodox Church of the East agreed to split (Mutual excommunication):

List of disagreements:Filioque Cause- Trinity

(Rome modified Nicene Creed without Eastern approval)

Pope Authority over all four Eastern patriarchs/ Jurisdiction

Differences Eastern Orthodox Divine Liturgy and Catholic Mass (Unleavened bread, with or w/o yeast)

Celibacy among Western priests

Eastern Europe: Byzantium & Orthodox

400 years of decline following the Schism and the Battle of Manzikert:Seljuk Turks –Took most of the Asian

provinces:1071, Battle of Manzikert, Byzantine

Emperor Romanos IV was defeated by Great Seljuq Alp Arslan (Stepped on his neck!)

Slavic states emergeAppeal to West brings crusaders

1204, Greedy Venetian crusaders sack Constantinople instead of Holy Land!

Ottoman Turks1453, Constantinople taken By 1461 the empire was gone

Eastern Europe: Byzantium & Orthodox

The Byzantine Empire 1000-1100

The Emergence of Kievan Rus'Started along the trade route between

Scandinavia & ConstantinopleSlavs from Asia migrated north along

Dnieper River Iron working, extended

Better than west until 11oos! Agriculture, rich soils of the Ukraine & Western Russia

Mix with earlier populationsFamily tribes, villages

Folk music & oral legends Regional KingdomsAnimistic

6th & 7th centuriesScandinavian merchantsTrade between Byzantines and the North

Spread of Civilization in Eastern Europe

East European Kingdoms and Slavic Expansion, c. 1000

Influence conquest, conversion, & trade: 864, Saints Cyril & Methodius

Missionaries to Slavs Invented Cyrillic script Slavic alphabetIncreased literacy in the Balkans

Allowed Slavs to use of their language/literature religiously

The East Central Borderlands Competition from Catholics (Latin

Alphabet/speech) and Orthodox GreeksCzechs, Hungary, Poland

Catholics prevailed throughout Regional monarchies prevail

Kingdoms in Poland, Bohemia, & Lithuania more territory than west…Active area for trade & industry

Jews fleeing intolerance in western Europe Stressed education & literacy

Spread of Civilization in Eastern Europe

855 CE Monarchy under Rurik (Legend) Center at Kiev Prosperous trading center

Vladimir I (980-1015) Converts to Orthodoxy around 1000 CE Mass Baptisms & forced conversions Controls church (Start of the Russian Orthodox Church)

Yaroslav issued unifying code of laws (Byzantine Example) Known as Yaroslav the Wise (1019-1054)

Institutions and Culture in Kievan Rus‘ (Russian) Orthodox influence

Built more ornate churches, Icons & incense , Monogamy, & Monasticism

Influenced by Byzantine patternsBureaucracy & Education not as developed

Art, literature dominated by religion & royalty Used the Cyrillic alphabet,

Free farmers were predominant But there was a aristocratic landlord class: Boyars,

Lords less powerful than in the West

Spread of Civilization in Eastern Europe

Kievan DeclineDecline from 12th century

Rival princes & governmentsSuccession strugglesMain trading partner also in

decline … Mongols (Tartars) 13th century, take

territory & usher in new periodThe End of an Era in Eastern

EuropeTwo centuries of rule:

Disrupted social structure East and West further

separatedPlaced in a disadvantage

politically, economically, & cultural sophistication,

Traditional culture survivedContinuity church & aristocratic

class

Spread of Civilization in Eastern Europe

Produced different versions of ChristianityOrthodox ChurchRoman Catholic Church

Culturally DifferentHellenism Mixed until later Western Culture

Organizationally separateTheocracy Feudalism

Difference in the military organization Byzantine recruited armies from the Middle East.Western Roman empires home gown

Differences Between East West Europe