Byzantine Empire Overview

Byzantine Empire Survival

• Reasons for Survival:
  • Christianity fostered unity among the people.
  • Constantinople's strategic location (surrounded by water and walls) minimized the need for vast standing armies.
  • Accumulated wealth supported a strong army and appeased potential enemies.

Byzantine Empire Identity

• Renamed Empire:
  • The Eastern Roman Empire became known as the Byzantine Empire.

Constantinople's Advantages

• Strategic Location:
  • Surrounded by water on three sides, further protected by city walls.
  • Located at a crucial trading crossroads between Europe and Asia.
  • Controlled sea trade between Kiev and the Mediterranean.

Roman and Byzantine Similarities

• Shared Characteristics:
  • Similar urban design: narrow streets, crowded apartments.
  • Similar military structure: legions, weapons styles.
  • Shared public spaces: oval arenas (Hippodrome) like the Circus Maximus.

Byzantine Welfare

• Christian Charity:
  • Christianity inspired a social responsibility to care for the needy.
  • Organizations supported those in poverty and sickness.

Theodora's Influence

• Empress Theodora:
  • Persuaded Justinian to resist a revolt involving the upper and lower classes.
  • Advocated for women's rights to land ownership and government participation.

Justinian's Legal Reforms

• Justinian Code:
  • Justinian, unhappy with old Roman laws, commissioned a reform effort.
  • The Justinian Code summarized Roman laws and served as a model for European law.
  • This significant achievement made the Byzantine Empire respected and influenced future legal systems.

Justinian's Architectural Legacy

• Hagia Sophia:
  • A major architectural achievement in terms of impressive grandeur, this initially Christian church, now a mosque, stands to this day as a symbol of Justinian's vision.

Justinian's Empire Vision

• Imperial Goals:
  • Justinian aimed to reunite the eastern and western Roman empires.
  • His goal was to regain the former greatness of Rome.

Military Expansion

• Military Campaigns:
  • During his reign, Justinian embarked on campaigns to conquer areas of Western Europe and Northern Africa

Belisarius' Military Reforms

• Belisarius' Contributions:
  • Belisarius reorganized the Byzantine army, prioritizing heavily armed cavalry and deploying effective strategies.
  • He invented "Greek Fire", a devastating pyrotechnic weapon that was a significant advancement to warfare at the time.

Byzantine Religion

• Official Faith:
  • Christianity was the official religion of the Byzantine Empire.

Church Leadership

• Patriarch's Role:
  • The emperor chose the Patriarch as the leader of the church within the city of Constantinople.

Monasticism's Significance

• Monastic Roles:
  • Monasteries operated hospitals for the sick and poor.
  • Monks acted as missionaries and translators, promoting their faith and religious texts.

East-West Schism

• Religious Divisions:
  • The Pope of Rome and the Byzantine emperor clashed over icon veneration.
  • This conflict led to the East-West Schism, a division in the Church between the Eastern and Western branches of Christian faith.

Byzantine Empire Achievements

• Empire's Legacy:
  • Constantinople was a prominent European city, known for its size, wealth, and beauty.
  • Byzantine scholars preserved Greek culture and Roman law.
  • Their artistic techniques and dissemination of Christianity impacted the world.

Factors Contributing to Decline

• Farmer Grievances:
  • Farmers receiving land grants for military service, later reduced with no further incentives to support/protect the empire resulting in a decline in loyalty, agriculture, and a weakened army.
  • Trade Domination: The Venetians received tax-free trading rights and eventually controlled trade within the empire which led to financial losses for Byzantium.

Fall of the Byzantine Empire

• Conquest by Ottomans:
  • The Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople in 1453.
  • Success factors included continuous attacks weakening Byzantine defenses by Christian Crusaders and other groups, loss of territory and population due to attacks, along with advantageous advancements in weaponry (guns/gunpowder)