The Byzantine Empire lasted from approximately 500 AD to 1453 AD, overlapping with and continuing the Eastern Roman Empire after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Some key events included Constantine moving the capital to Constantinople in 330 AD, Justinian recapturing land in the 530s AD but the Empire weakening after his death due to plague and invasions. Religious disputes also weakened the Empire, and over time the aggressive Arab Muslims absorbed more territory until the Ottoman Empire conquered Constantinople in 1453, marking the fall of the Byzantine Empire.

1. BYZANTINE
EMPIRE
CHAPTER
11
Section 1

2. By 500AD
Western
Rome was
no more

3. Byzantine Empire or Roman Empire?
The Byzantine Empire overlaps in time
with the Roman Empire for 100+ years.
This is due to the fact that the Roman
Empire splits to East and West in the 284.
Therefore, the Byzantine Empire has
several emperors who were in charge of
both the Byzantine and Rome.
Such as
Constantine I

4. Compare and Contrast
Roman Empire
Byzantine Empire
ROME BYZANTINE
Ruled by emperors
Similar Senate System
Great powers during
their time
Gladiators
Similar laws
Would fall to Islam
Caliphate, and lose great
amounts of wealth to the
crusades
Language: Greek
Main religion: Christianity
Defensive in battle
Peaks in 555
Similar laws as Roman, but
modified with the Justinian
code.
Language: Latin
Main religion: Pagan
Offensive in battle
Peaks in 177
Many civil wars
Falls to various nomadic groups.

5. CONSTANTINE I
Transfers capital from Rome to Byzantium
(renames it to Constantinople).
A significant figure for Christianity, because
of his conversion in religion.
A skilled and intelligent general.
Brutal ruler (For example, tried his eldest son
Crispus in court, and had him executed).

6. CONSTANTINE &
CHRISTIANITY
Still controversial among historians whether
his conversation to Christianity
(in his 40’s) was based on strategy or genuine.

7. Constantine dreams the night before a battle
that he is at a bridge and sees a holy cross.
He was convinced that Christianity was the correct
way of believing, and helped him win the battle.

8. Painting by
Giulo Romano
Battle of Milvian Bridge

9. JUSTINIAN I
Ruled from 527 to 565.
Known as the “Emperor who
never sleeps”. He was an energetic
emperor who attempted to restore lost land
of the Western Empire.
During his rule he helps build the Hagia
Sophia.

12. The Empire Peaks in
sizeunderJustinian

13. REFORMING LAW
THE JUSTINIAN CODE
Translated old roman laws that were written in Latin
into Greek.
Set to secure Christianity as the primary religion.
Anyone who was not Christian was punished.
Legacy: Today, many countries use his laws as the
basis of their own. For example, in the USA, the
founding fathers looked at his documents when
coming up with the first set of laws.

14. Theodora
Most influential
and powerful
empress for the Byzantine
Empire
Helped keep down the Nika
Riots. Her story of starting
as an exotic dancer to
become a empress is a true
success story.
Wife of Justinian I

15. FENDING OFF ATILLA THE HUN
Atilla and the Huns were able to destroy various parts
of the Western Roman Empire, and began to attack
the Eastern Roman Empire.
However, the Huns struggled to get through the high
city walls of Constantinople.
Despite these issues, the Huns were able to destroy
nearby cities. As a result, the Byzantine Empire
decided to stop him by buying him out. The Eastern
Empire offered to pay him 600 pounds of gold.

16. Strong,
high
walls

17. DEATH AND CHAOS
Following Justinians death, rioting and
chaos ensued in Constantinople.
A plague hit the city and killed off a
major part of the population.
From the East, the Persians attacked,
and later the Turks began to attack
into the 12th century.
THE EMPIRE WEAKENS

18. ICONOCLASM DISPUTE
There was a period between the 700 and 800s,
where groups quarreled about iconoclasm,
the act of rejecting religious images.
A Byzantine emperor banned the use of icons
(religious images) because he believed people
should worship god - not worship statues or
images of god.
This conflict alienated the West and the East.

19. Many Christians
destroyed images of
Jesus and images
of the Christian
martyrs and saints.

20. ICONOCLASM TODAY
Among the major world religions today, the
only one that refuses to use images is Islam.
In Islam it is considered blasphemous.

21. East-West Schism

22. Differences between eastern and western christianity cause
them to split in 1054.

23. THE FALL OF AN EMPIRE
Each century, more and more territory was being
absorbed by the very aggressive Arab Muslims.
The Muslims would go on to dominate the
Mediterranean sea, a critical route for trading
(Physical Geography).
By the 11th century, much of what was once part of
the Byzantine empire (Northern Africa, Egypt, Syria),
was now completely in the hands of the Arab Muslims.
The Empire would eventually crumble in the 1400s.

24. In 1453, the last parts of the
Byzantine Empire would fall to the
powerful Ottoman Empire.