Byzantine Empire

Overview

• Based at Constantinople (modern day Istanbul)
• Named after emperor Constantine
• 330 C.E. - 1453 C.E.
• Basically… the Byzantine Empire = Eastern Roman Empire
• Western half falls into the Middle Ages
• Roman Government, Greek Culture, Christianity

The New Roman Empire

• Ruled by Justinian
• Began ruling in 527 C.E.
• Ruled with absolute power
• Married to Theodora
• Official language switched from Latin to Greek

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Geography of Constantinople

• On a peninsula
• Located on strait connected Black Sea and Mediterranean
• Key trading location between Europe, Africa, Asia
• Theodosian Walls
• Protected Constantinople from foreign invasion

Codex Justinianius (Justinian Code)

• Written in the Corpus Juris Civilus (Body of Civil Law)
• Basis for civil law in western Europe
• Justinian recognized there were contradictions among:
• old laws passed in the republic
• decrees of the senate
• writings of jurists who had been given the right to declare what was the law
• 4 PARTS:
• 1. The Code contained almost 5,000 Roman laws
• 2 .The Digest quoted and summarized the opinions of Rome’s legal thinkers
• 3. The Institutes was a textbook for law students
• 4. The Novellae (New Laws) was legislation passed after 534 C.E.

Bubonic Plague - Cause 1 for Empire Falling

• “Plague of Justinian”
• Began before Justinian’s death, worst year was 542 C.E.
• Caused by infected rats coming on boats from China, Egypt, India
• Economy declined because of deaths and disruption of agriculture and trade
• Up to 5,000 people per day died
• 40% of Constantinople population
• Faded out 750 C.E.

Bubonic Plague

Attacks & Revolts - Cause 2 of Empire Falling

• During 7th and 8th cent., multiple attacks by Persians and Slavs
• In 634, Muslim armies began their assault on the Byzantine Empire by storming into Syria
• Lost Syria, the Holy Land, Egypt and North Africa to Islamic forces

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The Church Divides - Cause 3 for Empire Falling

• 726 CE - Emperor Leo III spearheads movement to ban use of icons, or religious images used by Eastern Christians to aid their devotions
• Could not display Christian images
• Iconoclasm
• In the West (Rome) - Pope Gregory II supported use of icons
• Huge conflict between church and people
• 100 years later, Empress Theodora (Theophilus’ wife) restored icons to Eastern churches
• Eastern churches adopted Greek as language (Western = Latin)
• Disputed over the power of the Pope

The Great Schism of 1054

• Created the Eastern Orthodox Church
• Roman Catholic Church in West
• 1. Filioque clause
• The phrase "I believe . . . in the Holy Ghost which comes from the Father" was changed to "I believe . . . in the Holy Ghost which comes from the Father and the Son."
• 2. Use of unleavened bread
• 3. Papal authority
• Did the Pope have more authority than emperor or other patriarchs?

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The Roman Catholic Church changed the Nicene creed. It inserted a passage that is known as the Filioque. The Creed in its original form reads

In the West, the Creed was changed to read:

In the East..

• Catholic religious art often portrayed Jesus as suffering for the sins of mankind
• Orthodox religious art showed Jesus as majestic and divine

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Cultural Influence of Byzantine Empire

• Ancient Greek learning >>> Islamic world
• Introduction of the fork for table service
• Art & Architecture
• Lavish churches
• Mosaic
• Images of Christ
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The most characteristic implement of the Western table service, the fork, was first introduced to the Venetian society (late 10^th century) by a Byzantine princess…chroniclers mention the astonishment and anger she caused when she "used a golden double prong to bring food to her mouth instead of using her hands as was the norm…God in his wisdom has provided man with natural forks - his fingers. Therefore it is an insult to Him to substitute artificial metallic forks for them when eating."

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Continuing Decline of Byzantine Empire

• Serfdom
• Members of upper class began to claim land as own as empire expanded
• Poor class tied to the land and owed their allegiance to the noble landowner rather than the empire
• Threats from places like Venice (Roman Catholic) to Constantinople (Eastern Orthodox)
• The Crusades
• 1453 - Ottoman Turks conquer Constantinople
• Used cannons - more sophisticated military