Code of Justinian

​

Code of Justinian was the collections of laws developed under Byzantine emperor Justinian I (529-565 CE). By the 1100s the code had reached Western Europe. There, monarchs modeled their laws in its principles. The code also guided legal thinkers who began to put together the international law we use today.

​

​

​

Theodosian Walls

The Theodosian Walls are a series of defensive stone walls that surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople. Named after Emperor Theodosius II, who fortified the city’s existing walls in the 5th century CE. The wall was over 30 ft. tall and more than 16 ft. thick in some spots. The addition of 96 separate watchtowers made the walls almost impenetrable. That is until the Ottoman Turks broke through the walls in 1453 thank to the the use of cannons.

​

​

​

The Great Schism

The Great Schism of 1054 saw the Catholic church split into two churches, the Roman Catholic and the Eastern (or Greek) Orthodox. A key factor in the split was a fight over the use of icons. In the 700s, the Byzantine emperor outlawed the use of icons (i.e., pictures or statues of saints or the Virgin Mary), saying it violated the commandment against worshipping “graven images”.

​

​

​

Sea Chain

At the entrance to the Golden Horn, a waterway in Constantinople, there was a heavy metal chain that could be quickly pulled across the entrance of the harbor. The sea chain was very effective at preventing unwanted ships from entering and attacking the city. The chain remained unbreached until 1204. During the Fourth Crusade, Venetian ships were able to break through the chain with a ram.

​

​

​

Greek Fire

Greek fire was an incendiary weapon used by the Byzantine Empire that was first developed 672 CE. It was a combustible compound propelled by a flame-throwing weapon and used to set light to enemy ships. The substance was so effective because it couldn’t be extinguished by water.

​

​

​

Hagia Sophia

The Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) was built in 532 AD. after the previous church had been destroyed during the Nika Revolt. The building is an architectural marvel, with the massive dome rising 184 ft. from the floor. When the Byzantine Empire was under Christian control it was a cathedral of the Eastern Orthodox Church. After the empire fell to Muslim rule, it became an Islamic mosque. Since 1935, It’s been a museum

​

​

​

The Hippodrome

The Hippodrome was a circus that was the sporting and social center of Constantinople. It was most famous as a place for chariot races. It still survives as a park in which the traces of the old race course are clearly visible and a ruin. Constructed in 203 CE, it was about 430 ft. wide and 1500 ft. long. The Hippodrome could accommodate about 40,000-50,000 people.

​

​

Empress Theodora

Empress Theodora came from humble beginnings. The daughter of a “bear keeper” at the Hippodrome, she rose to become the wife of Emperor Justinian. But she was no ordinary wife. She also acted as an advisor and co-ruler of the empire. She is most famous for convincing Justinian not to flee, but to stay and fight during the Nika Revolt.

​

​

​

Code of Justinian was the collections of laws developed under Byzantine emperor Justinian I (529-565 CE). By the 1100s the code had reached Western Europe. There, monarchs modeled their laws in its principles. The code also guided legal thinkers who began to put together the international law we use today.

The Theodosian Walls are a series of defensive stone walls that surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople. Named after Emperor Theodosius II, who fortified the city’s existing walls in the 5th century CE. The wall was over 30 ft. tall and more than 16 ft. thick in some spots. The addition of 96 separate watchtowers made the walls almost impenetrable. That is until the Ottoman Turks broke through the walls in 1453 thank to the the use of cannons.

​

At the entrance to the Golden Horn, a waterway in Constantinople, there was a heavy metal chain that could be quickly pulled across the entrance of the harbor. The sea chain was very effective at preventing unwanted ships from entering and attacking the city. The chain remained unbreached until 1204. During the Fourth Crusade, Venetian ships were able to break through the chain with a ram.

​

The Great Schism of 1054 saw the Catholic church split into two churches, the Roman Catholic and the Eastern (or Greek) Orthodox. A key factor in the split was a fight over the use of icons. In the 700s, the Byzantine emperor outlawed the use of icons (i.e., pictures or statues of saints or the Virgin Mary), saying it violated the commandment against worshipping “graven images”.

​

Greek fire was an incendiary weapon used by the Byzantine Empire that was first developed 672 CE. It was a combustible compound propelled by a flame-throwing weapon and used to set light to enemy ships. The substance was so effective because it couldn’t be extinguished by water.

​

The Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) was built in 532 AD. after the previous church had been destroyed during the Nika Revolt. The building is an architectural marvel, with the massive dome rising 184 ft. from the floor. When the Byzantine Empire was under Christian control it was a cathedral of the Eastern Orthodox Church. After the empire fell to Muslim rule, it became an Islamic mosque. Since 1935, It’s been a museum

The Hippodrome was a circus that was the sporting and social center of Constantinople. It was most famous as a place for chariot races. It still survives as a park in which the traces of the old race course are clearly visible and a ruin. Constructed in 203 CE, it was about 430 ft. wide and 1500 ft. long. The Hippodrome could accommodate about 40,000-50,000 people.

​

Empress Theodora came from humble beginnings. The daughter of a “bear keeper” at the Hippodrome, she rose to become the wife of Emperor Justinian. But she was no ordinary wife. She also acted as an advisor and co-ruler of the empire. She is most famous for convincing Justinian not to flee, but to stay and fight during the Nika Revolt.