Byzantine Empire

Byzantine Empire

1. Constantinople

   • Capital of the Byzantine Empire
   • At a crossroads of land and sea routes
     • Great wealth came from trading because of the sea routes
   • Leaders constructed strong defenses for their city

2. Justinian

   • Created Justinian's Code
     • Commission to collect, revise, and organize all the laws of ancient Rome
     • Included laws passed by Roman assemblies or decreed by Roman emperors
     • Included the legal writings of Roman judges and a handbook for students
   • Byzantine Emperor
   • Revived ancient Rome by recovering lands that had been overrun by invaders

3. Theodora

   • Justinian's wife
   • Started in the lowest rungs of society
     • Was a prostitute as a young adult
   • Shrewd politician
     • Pursued her own policies
   • Served as advisor and co-ruler to Justinian

4. Great Schism

   • Split between Eastern and Western Christianity
     • Byzantine church became known as the Eastern, or Greek, Orthodox Church
     • Western branch became known as the Roman Catholic Church
   • The ban of icons and other controversies led the the split