Byzantium Creativity Holding On

Rome is a city, area, and empire

Concept associated with laws, and way of life
Comparable to concept of Zion
Fall of the Roman Empire
Designation of the name Byzantine
Constantinople considered the New Rome
Building of Constantinople
o Triangular peninsula on European Shore
o Laid out by Constantine 4th Century
o Copied Rome in many ways Neo Roma
o Walls protected the City
o Combine Greek and Christian Style
o Constructs churches and elegant buildings
o Completed in 6 years
o Christian City
o Built the church of the Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia)
o Free entertainment
o Free libraries
o Army Headquarters
o Administrative Capital
o Commercial Center
o Created a new senate
o Established a bishop (Patriarch
Effects on Rome
o Western portion of the Roman Empire fell to Germanic
invaders, the eastern half had their own Emperors
Constantinople was responsible for
o The Balkan peninsula
o The Northern Middle East
o The Mediterranean Coast
o North Africa
Greek becomes the official language of the Eastern Roman
Empire (Replacing Latin)
o Greek gave scholars access to the philosophical works of
the ancient Greeks
o 1500 Turks invade Constantinople
o East Constantinople headquarters as the West crumbles
Leo I (457 474)
Zeno (474 491)
Anastasius (491 518)
Justin I (518-527)
o West Theodoric gained power, agreed not to attack east

o Justinian
Life before emperor
Served in army
Best schooling
Served in court
Highly Educated
Retained mutual protection agreement with Goths
until Theodorics death
Military threats
Justinian conquered Italy
Married Theodora
Daughter of a bear trainer
Occasionally tried to influence affairs of the
state
Interested in theology
Encourage husband in Nike revolt
Nike Revolt
Blues and Greens
Behavior and Religious differences
Thieves created havoc and night
Faction united against government and staged a
rebellion
533 Reunification of Roman Empire
o Vision of a united Empire helped by
Justinian
o Persia
Peace accord
Trade routes
o North Africa
Regained Carthage from Vandals
Reunification of Roman Empire
o Italy
Conquered Naples and Rome
Welcomed by the clerics as Trinitarian
30,000 Goths attacked Belisarius 5000
Additional troops joined
Goths surrendered agreeing that Belisarius would be
King
Belisarius gave the kingdom to Justinian
Italy revolted and named Totila who conquered their
lands
Italy was eventually destroyed
Life in Byzantium Empire

Commerce and trade were very important

Regulation of the economy
People were more circumspect in their lives
Education and science
Hagia Sophia burned and rebuilt
Ravenna architecture
San Vitale
Turned into a mosque by Turks, destroyed images
and works of art in Church
Enriched by subsequent emperors
New mosaics were added
In 1453 Muslims gained possession
The Mosaics were Whitewashed
Justinian
o Justinian Code
Conflicts between laws
10 jurist appointed to rewrite and unify laws
The Codex Constitutonum
Code enshrined the Christian Church as the official
religion
Justinian as a theologian
Unify the people by unifying their faith
Devout Man
Supported Monasticism
Theodora was a Monophysite
Vigilius appointed Pope if he would accept Trinitarian
doctrine
Accepted but then retracted his agreement
Eastern and Western churches remained divided
Final Years
o Terrible outbreak of plague
o Theodora died and Justinian had little left
o The Huns attacked in the North
o Belisarius gathered an army and defeated the Huns
o Belasarius died shortly after
o Within a year, Justinian died
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