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Wednesday, Feb 21

Topic: Medieval World

  • Activities:
    • The Byzantine Empire: Why did Eastern Rome survive?

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SLIDESMANIA.COM

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Istanbul (not Constantinople) today

Constantine’s “New Rome,” 330 CE

What city skyline is this?

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Hagia Sophia aka Church of Holy Wisdom

537 CE

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Interior of the Hagia Sophia

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The Byzantine Empire

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Why did the Eastern Roman Empire Rise While the Western Roman Empire Fell?

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The “Postclassical Era”

  • 500 CE-1500 CE
    • “Middle/Medieval Ages”
  • Medieval era: new empires & states, new (sometimes fluid) borders, new religions, new technologies
    • Economic & technological expansion
    • Increased interaction, migration, & conflict
    • religion/ideology more dominant in states/regions

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Aksum

Moche Civilization

Mayan Civilization

Christendom

Byzantine Empire

Divided China

Gupta Empire

Major States & Empires, 500 CE

500 CE

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Successor Kingdoms to the Western Roman Empire

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Most Christian & influenced by Rome

“Obey Roman custom”

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Beginnings of Byzantium, 330-1453

  • 324 CE - Constantine moves capital Rome🡺Byzantium
  • 395 CE – Rome divided into the East and West
  • 476 CE – Western Roman Emperor Romulus deposed by Odoacer
  • 476-1453: Byzantine Empire is “New Rome”
  • Roman cultural traditions + Christianity (Eastern Orthodox)
    • Greek instead of Latin (after Emperor Justinian, 6th c)
    • Constantinople=cultural & political center
  • German kings recognized authority of Byzantine emperor as his vassals

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Constantine’s Building Projects

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Constantine’s Building Projects

  • Hagia Sophia
  • Hippodrome
  • Polo fields
  • Harbor
  • Great Palace
  • Chalke gate (Bronze Gate)
  • Baths of Zeuxippus.
  • Palace of Daphne
  • Public squares
  • Senate house

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Hippodrome

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Great palace of Constantinople

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Baths of Zeuxippus

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Palace at Daphne

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Carrying on Rome’s Legacy

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How did the Byzantine Empire compare to Rome?

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Hypothesize: Why did Eastern Rome Rise and survive as the Byzantine Empire while Western Rome fell?

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Successor State, or Continuation of Rome?

  • “Romans”
  • Greek, Orthodox
  • Emperor, Senate (ceremonial), civil service (upward mobility)
  • Persian enemies (Sasanians)

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Orthodox Christianity

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Mosaic from the Hagia Sophia, Justinian I

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Why did the Eastern Roman Empire Rise While the Western Roman Empire Fell?

Use the documents to infer the reasons why the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) survived & avoided the fate of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th and 6th centuries.

  • Economic reasons
  • Geographic reasons
  • political/diplomatic reasons
  • cultural/social reasons

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The Theodosian Walls

  • Theodosius II
  • 413 CE
  • Refortified before invasion of Attila the Hun
  • Used labor of circus factions (demes)

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Why did the Eastern Roman Empire Rise While the Western Roman Empire Fell?

  • Geographically ideal
  • Wealth, esp in Constantinople
    • Efficient tax collecting & gov→strong army & defenses
    • Constantine’s building projects & defensive walls
    • Reproduced Roman gov & culture
    • New center of Christianity
  • Location (protection from invasion + cross section of trade btwn Asia & Mediterranean)
  • Stronger sense of Roman identity
    • Didn’t face same setbacks as Western Rome
  • Silk industry
  • Astute politics of Emperor Zeno (divert barbarian threat)
  • Absence of large number of corrupt patricians

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