Leaders and Rulers
Emperor who converted to Christianity and legalized it in 313 CE.
Constantine
Ancient city founded by Constantine, capital of Byzantine Empire.
Constantinople
Christian church led by the pope in Rome.
Catholic Church
Proclamation by Constantine granting religious freedom in 313 CE.
Edict of Milan
Writing system based on Greek script, used in Russian and Bulgarian.
Cyrillic alphabet
Byzantine emperor who ruled from 527–565 CE at the empire’s height.
Justinian
Ancient city on a peninsula between the Black Sea and Sea of Marmara.
Byzantium
Christian church in the east, including Greece and Turkey
Eastern Orthodox Church
Collection of laws organized under Emperor Justinian
Code of Justinian
Image made from small colored pieces of stone or glass.
Mosaic
Wife and co‑ruler of Justinian
Theodora
Large domed basilica built in Constantinople by Justinian.
Hagia Sophia
Statement of Christian beliefs established in 325 CE
Nicene Creed
Violent uprising in Constantinople caused by chariot team supporters.
Nika Riot
Artistic tradition of sacred images in Byzantine churches.
Icon
Title of the Bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church.
Pope
Arena in Constantinople where chariot races were held.
Hippodrome
Representation of a sacred event or individual
Icon
Council in 325 CE that established core Christian beliefs.
Council of Nicaea
The blending of Roman traditions with Christian beliefs in Byzantine culture
Culture of Byzantine Empire
Title of a high‑ranking bishop in the Eastern Orthodox Church
Patriarch
Eastern half of the Roman Empire that rose after 476 CE.
Byzantine Empire
Person who destroyed icons after Emperor Leo III banned them
Iconoclast
The empire that continued after the fall of the western Roman Empire.
Byzantine Empire
The riot that began with sports fans but turned political.
Nika Riot