Byzantine Empire(Eastern Roman Empire)

Overview

Partition Split from Western Roman

Empire in 395 CE Reached its peak from 527-

565 CE Territories

Egypt Syria Palestine Balkans Thrace Asia Minor Italy

Constantine

Constantinople Moves capital to Byzantium and renames city ‘New Rome’ Extremely defensible and located along major

land and sea trade routes Reform

Military is mainly dependent on foreign troops Council of Nicaea

Attempts to resolve dispute over whether Jesus Christ was more divine or human

Justinian

Justinian Code codified Roman law and

kept ancient Roman legal principles alive

Reduced confusion, organized empire, spread Roman legal principles

Nika Revolt 532 BCE Circus factions revolted Imperial army slaughtered

over 30,000 rebels in hippodrome

Justinian

Re-conquest Recaptured former Roman lands Exhausted finances and overextended

borders, military could not maintain control

Economy

Strategically settled imperial territory to meet threats and repopulate

Lost richest provinces in 7th century CE

main expense was government salaries

Economy

Taxation Main source of income Soldiers were granted exemptions

(pronoia) Stable currency Government influenced prices

Politics

Beliefs Constantinople was center of

universe Emperor was supreme ruler

and defender of Christianity

Byzantine Commonwealth

Commonwealth Used religion and diplomacy to create

system of client-kingdoms with neighboring nations

Emperor viewed as highest authority; rulers and sought his influence and titles

Emperor kept foreign rulers’ children as hostages to care for and educate

Allowed Eastern Roman Empire to control or influence more powerful nations

Experts at intelligence-gathering and espionage

Byzantine Commonwealth

Bulgaria Serbia Rus (Russia) Hungary Moldovia Romania Poland Lithuania

Warfare

Holy War All warfare was for Christianity, no

separate ‘Crusade’ concept Strategy

Avoided aggressive and unprovoked warfare, sought to preserve territory rather than expand

Allowed enemies to penetrate borders and overextend themselves before counterattack

Warfare

Organization Preserved Roman military

organization through 7th century CE Varangian Guard Introduced ‘theme’ system to

meet foreign threats; divided empire into provinces which provided own armies for defense

11th and 12th centuries imperial military was almost completely foreign mercenaries

Romanticized border warfare as cultural institution

Iconoclasm

Iconoclasm 8th and 9th

centuries CE Iconoclasts vs.

Iconophiles Two periods in 6th

century when holy icons were banned

Worship vs. veneration

Great Schism

Papal supremacy Papacy vs. pentarchy

Filioque Fundamental

disagreement over nature of Holy Trinity

Excommunication Both church leaders

excommunicated one another in 1054 CE

Decline

11th Century Loss of Italy to Normans Battle of Mantzikert 1076

leads to loss of Asia Minor to Turks

First Crusade 1096 CE 12th Century

2nd Crusade 1147 CE Last time empire waged

aggressive warfare to reclaim Eastern Europe and Asia Minor

13th Century 4th Crusade 1204 CE Sack of Constantinople

The Crusades

Greek role Tried to maintain good

relations with both Western Europeans (Franks) and Seljuk Turks

Indiscipline of Crusader armies hurt relations between Franks and Greeks

Fourth Crusade led to devastation of Constantinople and plundering of holy relics

Partitio Romaniae

Latin Kingdom Empire of Nicaea Despotate of Epirus Empire of Trebizond Kingdom of

Thessalonika Duchy of Athens Venetian Empire

Re-conquest and Decline

Constantinople Recaptured by Empire

of Nicaea in 1254 Ottoman Empire

Captures most imperial territory in Eastern Europe by 14th century

Capture Constantinople in 1453 CE

Empire of Trebizond falls in 1461 CE

Importance

Shielded Europe from Islamic Empires

Staging base for Crusades Center of trade between Europe and

Asia Maintained classical Greek and

Roman learning Spread Christianity throughout

Eastern Europe and Russia

Byzantium and Kievan Rus

Byzantium and the Kievan Rus

Contacts with Russia due to missionary activity and trade routes

Byzantine missionaries Cyril and Methodius spread Eastern Orthodox Christianity to Russia in 9th century CE created written script for

language Slavic alphabet – Cyrillic

Emergence of Kievan Rus

Scandinavian traders set up trade stop at Kiev

Monarchy emerged Rurik, Denmark

native, became first monarch

Russia – Greek world for “red” – hair color of Norse traders

Vladimir I

Predecessor Svjatoslav fought Byzantium for control of Bulgaria in 10th century CE

980-1015 – converted to Eastern Orthodox Christianity

Liked splendor and ritual of Eastern Orthodox Church

Rejected influence of the pope

Refused to accept a religion that forbade alcohol

Vladimir I

Cultural Borrowing from Byzantium

Kievan Rus’ could not duplicate Byzantine bureaucracy, but borrowed many features Architectural styles Cyrillic alphabet Extensive use of icons Monastic tradition stressing

prayer and service Political ideals of state

control of Church After fall of Constantinople,

Moscow declares itself “third Rome.”