The Byzantine Empire

The Byzantine Empire

1. Constantinople sat at a crossroads of land and sea routes, and its great wealth came from trade.

   • Constantinople stood as the proud and vital capital of the Byzantine empire, with its high walls and golden domes.
     • After rising to spectacular heights, the Byzantine empire eventually declined to a small area around Constantinople itself.
       • Justinian was determined to revive ancient Rome by recovering lands that had been overrun by invaders. Byzantine armies reconquered North Africa, Italy, and the southern Iberian peninsula. However, the fighting exhausted Justinian's treasury and weakened his defenses in the east. Justinian's victories were only temporary, as his successors would bitterly lose the lands,.

2. The Byzantine empire flourished under a strong central government, which exercised strict control over a prosperous economy.

   • Peasants formed the backbone of the empire by working the land, paying taxes, and providing soldiers for the military.
     • In the cities of the empire, trade and industry flourished, preserving a healthy money economy for the Byzantine empire.
       • The Byzantines also built one of the strongest military forces in the world. Soldiers, ships, and sailors protected the empire, and relied on a secret weapon called Greek fire.

3. Hagia Sophia, stands at a cultural and geographic crossroads. It is located where Europe meets Asia and Islam meets Christianity.

   • Justinian ordered the construction of Hagia Sophia, after the previous church was destroyed in riots.
     • Since then, the dome has been rebuilt and the building repaired.
       • Hagia Sophia has remained intact, a prize for whoever controlled the city. It has served as a cathedral of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, a Roman Christian cathedral, and an Islamic mosque. It is now a museum, and the interior reflects the Christian and Muslim heritage of the building.

4. Although the Byzantine emperor was not a priest, he controlled Church affairs and appointed the patriarch in Constantinople.

   • Unlike priests in Western Europe, the Byzantine clergy kept their right to marry, and spoke Greek as their primary language.
     • In the Roman Church, the chief Byzantine holy day was Easter, celebrated as the day Jesus rose from the dead.
       • During the Middle Ages, the two branches of Christianity drew farther apart. A dispute over the use of icons contributed to the split, when a Byzantine emperor outlawed the veneration of icons.