Byzantine Empire
Name the capital of the Byzantine Empire, describe its geography, and describe what it was like
City on peninsula and natural harbor, located between Europe and Asia
Greek language; use of camels, mules, and ships; sewer system; social services
Large income gap - bread for tasks
Trade - Mediterranean Sea, Silk Road, Black Sea
Silk, spices, jewelry and ivory, wheat
Hippodrome: chariot races and circus acts
What was an effect of the Great Schism?
1054: Pope, Patriarch excommunicated each other and take away each other’s right of Church membership
Permanent division between churches
What was the Nika Rebellion?
Opposing chariot teams fight each other, then unite against the emperor
“Nika”: Greek for victory
High taxes
Expensive to expand, protect empire
Justinian stays, convinced by Theodora, and puts down revolt, but city burned down
Describe the use of icons and idols in the Byzantine Church and the main concern people had
Icons:
Can be images, pictures, or people
Used to help prayer
Religious art
Mosaics, marble, metal, ivory
Idols:
Objects that are specifically worshiped and prayed to
Can be statues, images
Icons can be idols, but idols are not icons. Fear: idols are used as a replacement for God. Fear: icons become idols
What were the social and familial structures of the Byzantine Empire like?
Oldest male dominated household
Parents had to find spouses for children
Childlessness - disaster
Income gap for education
Women: marry and bear children; could inherit property, upper-class secluded outside and at home
Accompanied by servants
Little education
What were some themes under the Byzantine Empire?
Loss of territory
Threats from Muslim warriors (Arab tribes banded together), nomadic tribes (Huns, Germanic tribes) in the North
Byzantine Empire: focus on present-day Turkey
Increase of Christianity, but specifically the Eastern Orthodox Church
Increased use of Greek
Increase of trade
Roman influences: arches, farming, clothing
Who was Justinian and what did he do?
Reconquered land in northern Africa and Italy with wife Theodora, but this land was quickly lost to Italian tribes
Construction - Hippodrome, palaces and tenements, roads, bridges, walls, public baths, Hagia Sophia
Most important contribution: Justinian Code
Codification and simplification of Roman law
Written in Latin
Legal opinion, laws
Lasted for rest of Eastern Roman Empire
Basis for legal system in Europe
More women’s rights
Robbery not a crime → lawsuit
Describe the Great Schism and the aspects of it
HINT: Roman vs. Byzantine opinions
Leadership
a. Roman: Pope, separate and above government leaders
b. Eastern: Patriarch, political leader that was above church officials
Church Authority and Decider on Final Issues
a. Roman: Pope
b. Eastern: Bible
Language
a. Roman: Latin
b. Eastern: Greek
a. Roman:
b. No Eastern: Yes
5. Priests’ Marriage
a. Roman: No
b. Eastern: Yes
6. Icons and Idols
a. Roman: Icons allowed to be used
b. Eastern: Icons banned because they could be used as idols (later allowed again)
Leo III, 730 AD
What was the government structure like in the Byzantine Empire?
Absolute power of emperor
Divine right
Early emperors elected by Senate, army, people
Use of official ceremonies
Humiliation parades of opponents
Use of mutilation
Government ministers ran day-to-day operations, emperor advised by Imperial Senate
Bureaucracy
Ambassadors spied on nations
Use of bribes
Use of ‘stables’ of potential heirs to foreign thrones
What led to the decline of the Byzantine Empire?
Government corruption and high taxes
Crusades: Western Europeans try to take Jerusalem from Muslims
Travel through Constantinople
1204 AD: Constantinople destroyed, holy items burned and stolen, Constantinople taken over
Byzantine Empire loses independence
1453: Ottoman Turks conquer Constantinople