Byzantium Becomes the New Rome

Chapter 11:1

• Main Idea: Constantinople ruled an eastern empire that survived for over a thousand years

• Why it matters now? Byzantine culture deeply influenced Orthodox Christianity, a major branch of modern Christianity

Setting the Stage• Western Roman Empire

crumbled by invading Germanic tribes

• Capital was moved from Rome Byzantium changed to Constantinople (by Constantine)• Byzantine became the

name of the Eastern Empire, with Constantinople as its capital

• Constantinople carried on the legacy of Rome, even after it’s fall

Byzantium: The Lost Empire

A New Rome in a New Setting

• Constantine planned Constantinople as a new capital of the empire- the New Rome

• Center of power moved EAST

Justinian: A New Line of Caesars

• Justinian=• Ruled the Eastern

Empire• Sent his best general

to recover North Africa & Rome

• After many battles, Justinian controlled almost all of ancient Rome

• Ruled by absolute power (over church & state)

Life in New Rome• Lived the Roman traditions, but

spoke Greek (not Latin)• Justinian set a panel of legal

experts to comb through 400 years of Roman law JUSTINIAN CODE (served as the code for 900 years)• Code= 5,000 Roman laws still

considered useful• Digest= Opinions from Rome’s

greatest legal thinkers• Institutes= textbook for law

students• Novellae (New Laws)

Creating the Imperial Capital

• Public Building Programs by Justinian:• Rebuilt fortifications in

Constantinople (14 stone wall)• Hagia Sophia= church

destroyed during riots• Enlarged his palace• Baths, aqueducts, law

courts, schools and hospitals

Hagia Sophia

Constantinople’s Hectic Pace

• MESE= the “middle way,” the main street running through Constantinople

• Merchants lined the streets with products from all over the world

• Hippodrome= chariot races and performances

Hippodrome

Nika Rebellion• = fan groups that

started a riot because of their hatred for the government• Shouted “Nika! ”

(victory)• Flooded the

Hippodrome and demanded Justinian’s remove

• Troops brought in and 30,000 were slaughtered

Nika Revolt

The Empire Falls

• Justinian died in 565

• After…• Street riots• Religious quarrels• Palace intrigues• Foreign danger

Plague of Justinian• Resembled the

bubonic plague• Probably arrived from

Indian ships invested with rats

• 10,000 killed everyday

Plague of Justinian

Attacks from East & West• Enemies that

attacked…• Lombards• Avars, Slavs, and

Bulgars• Persians• Arab armies

The Church Divides (1/2)

• Christianity grew and started to differ in the east and west

• East built on the works of the early Church

• PATRIARCH= leading bishop of Constantinople (but even he bowed to the emperor)

The Church Divides (2/2)

• First Controversy• In the East, Emperor Leo 3

banned the use of ICONS (religious images to aid in devotion)

• Emperor viewed this as idol worship

• In the West, the Pope ordered the EXCOMMUNICATION of a Byzantine emperor

Religious Icons

Byzantine Missionaries Convert the Slavs

• The East and the West both competed for CONVERTS

• Took Christianity to SLAVS• Saints Cyril & Methodius created

an alphabet for the Slavs so they could read the Bible in their own tongue

• Many Slavic languages, including Russian, are now written in what is called CYRILLIC ALPHABET

Saints Cyril & Methodius