Early Byzantine architecture continued the styles of Roman architecture. The Byzantine Empire emerged as the Eastern Roman Empire became increasingly Christianized, with the capital moved to Constantinople. Under Justinian in the 6th century CE, a legal code was compiled that formed the basis of law for many centuries. The Byzantine Empire reached its height during the Macedonian dynasty from the 9th to 11th centuries CE, expanding to include many Christian cities in the East while also permanently losing wealthy Egypt and parts of Syria.

1. BYZANTINE
Early Byzantine architecture was built as a continuation of
Roman architecture. The term “Byzantine” derives from
Byzantium, an ancient Greek colony founded by a man
named Byzas In the course of the fourth century, the Roman
world became increasingly Christian, and the Byzantine
Empire was certainly a Christian state. When Christianity
became organized, the Church was led by five patriarchs, who
resided in Alexandria, Jerusalem, Antioch, Constantinople, and
Rome. The culture of Byzantium was rich and affluent, while science
and technology also flourished. Very important for us, nowadays,
was the Byzantine tradition of rhetoric and public debate.
Philosophical and theological discources were important in public
life. The debates kept knowledge and admiration for the Greek
philosophical and scientific heritage alive. Byzantine intellectuals
quoted their classical predecessors with great respect, even though
they had not been Christians. And although it was the Byzantine
emperor Justinian who closed Plato's famous Academy of Athens in
529 CE, the Byzantines are also responsible for much of the passing
on of the Greek legacy to the Muslims, who later helped Europe to explore this
knowledge again and so stood at the beginning of European Renaissance. During
the reign of Justinian (527-565 CE), a last attempt was made to reunite the whole
Roman Empire under one ruler, the one in Constantinople. Under Justinian, the
lawyer Tribonian (500-547 CE) created the famous Corpus Iuris. The Code of
Justinian, a compilation of all the imperial laws, was published in 529 CE; soon the
Institutions (a handbook) and the Digests (fifty books of jurisprudence), were added.
The project was completed with some additional laws, the Novellae. The second
period in Byzantine history consists of its apogee. I t fell during the Macedonian
dynasty (867-1057 CE). After an age of contraction, the empire expanded again
and in the end, almost every Christian city in the East was within the empire's
borders. On the other hand, wealthy Egypt and large parts of Syria were forever lost,
and Jerusalem was not reconquered.