The document provides an overview of the Byzantine Empire from its establishment as the eastern half of the Roman Empire to its fall in 1453. It details key political developments and achievements under Emperor Justinian I in the 6th century CE, including reconquests of territory in North Africa and Italy that expanded the empire. Justinian advanced legal reforms with his Code of Laws and sponsored major construction projects, most notably the Hagia Sophia church. However, the empire was later weakened by plague and costly wars with Persia, leading to its gradual decline and ultimate capture by the Ottoman Empire.

1. The ByzantineThe Byzantine
Empire: The NewEmpire: The New
RomeRome

2. Content Goals and Objectives:
• Goal 2 – The Byzantine Empire
The student will examine the influence of the
Byzantine Empire on medieval Europe.
•2.01 Trace the geopolitical developments of the
Byzantine Empire over the length of its existence.
•2.02 Detail the major political developments of the
Byzantine Empire during the rule of Emperor Justinian.
•2.03 Evaluate the major achievements of the Emperor
Justinian.
•2.07 Examine the causes and effects of the decline of
the Byzantine Empire.

3. The Division of the Roman Empire
In 284 AD,
Diocletian
became Roman
emperor.
He decided that
the huge Roman
empire could
only be ruled
effectively by
splitting it into
two parts.

4. Constantine
In 330 Diocletian’s
successor,
Constantine, rebuilt
the old Greek port
of Byzantium, at
the entrance to the
Black Sea. He
renamed it
Constantinople and
made the city the
capital of the
Eastern Roman
Empire.

5. The Fall of
the Western
Roman
Empire
By 395 AD, the Roman Empire was formally divided into two
empires: East and West.
With the invasion of Germanic forces from the north, the Western
Roman Empire was conquered and further divided. This left the
eastern part of the Roman empire to carry on the Greco-Roman
tradition.

6. Byzantine Empire
At first, this Empire
controlled only a small
area around the
eastern
Mediterranean, but
during the reign of
Justinian (527-565),
it started to recover
much of the territory
of the old Roman
empire.

7. At its height, the Byzantine Empire was ruled
by Justinian I (r. 527-565).
[Image source: http://www.bartleby.com/67/images/byzant01.gif]

8. Justinian was the son of prosperous peasants
from Macedonia.
[Image source: http://www.mezzo-
mondo.com/arts/mm/bruegel/BRP010_L.jpg]
As a young man in the
court of his uncle,
Emperor Justin I,
Justinian
was a very conscientious
student.
[Image source:
http://www.hyperbooks.com/images/scribe.j

9. Justinian was 44 years-
old when he was
crowned emperor of
the Byzantine Empire
in A.D. 527.
[Image source: http://www.bethlehem-
city.org/images/city/history/justinian.jp
g]

10. Over the objections of
his court, Justinian
married an ambitious
circus prostitute by
the name of Theodora.
[Image source:
http://www.callisto.si.usherb.ca/~croisa
de/IMAGES/Theodora.jpg]

11. Theodora proved to be a
capable empress, actively
assisting Justinian in
running the government.
[Image source:
http://xenohistorian.faithweb.com/europe
/Theodora.jpg]
Justinian ruled as an autocrat with the help of Theodora.
Created a huge Christian empire
Empire reached its greatest size
Autocrat – ruler who hasAutocrat – ruler who has
complete authoritycomplete authority

12. Political factions
derived their names
from the colors worn
by charioteers.
The Greens represented
Monophysitism and the
lower class.
[Image source:
http://www.siue.edu/COSTUMES/PLATE8AX.
Monophysitism is the
belief that Jesus Christ
was divine.

13. The Blues
represented
orthodoxy and the
upper class.
[Image source:
http://www.siue.edu/COSTUMES/PLATE10AX.HTML]

14. The Nika
Revolt
resulted from
anger over
excessive
taxation.
[Image source:
http://www.ulpiacoins.com/others/medieval_small.jpg]
In A.D. 532 a revolt erupted among
the spectators at a chariot race.
[Image source:
http://www.info-
antike.de/unterhaltung/Circus
_Maximus/Circus-1.jpg]

15. When Empress
Theodora refused to
evacuate the capital,
Emperor Justinian I
decided to remain
and fight the rebels.
[Image source:
http://www.siue.edu/COSTUMES/PLATE10CX.HTM

16. Eventually 30,000 subjects would perish during
the suppression of the rebellion.
The Byzantine generals Narses and Belisarius
ultimately led the Imperial Guard in fighting the
rebels.

17. The Sassanian Empire of Persia threatened
to conquer the eastern provinces of the
Byzantine Empire .

18. Although the Byzantines managed to rally
their forces and repel the invaders,
Justinian had to agree to pay tribute in
exchange for peace.
[Image source: http://mexplaza.udg.mx/wm/paint/auth/piero/san-francesco/battle.jpg]

19. With his eastern flank temporarily secure,
Justinian turned his attention to restoring
the Roman empire.
[Image source:
http://fstav.freeservers.com/byzant867.jpg]

20. Under the
leadership of the
General Belisarius,
the Byzantine
armies were
strengthened and
reorganized.
[Image source:
http://www.siue.edu/COSTUMES/images/PLATE11AX.JPG]

21. Between A.D. 533 and A.D. 555, the
Byzantines fought a series of wars
against the Vandals of North Africa, the
Ostrogoths in Italy, and Visigoths in
southern Spain.
[Image source: http://www.teachinghearts.org/dr0imaprome10.gif]

22. The Byzantines succeeded in
conquering these Germanic
groups and extended their rule
in the west.
[Image source: http://www.bartleby.com/67/images/byzant01.gif]

23. The wars of re-conquest exhausted Byzantium’s
resources, leaving it vulnerable to attacks in the East
by an expanding Persian Empire.
[Image source: http://www.anastos.nd.edu/images/byz9a.jpg]

24. The success of the Roman campaign
allowed Justinian to send Belisarius to the
East in order to suppress several eastern
barbarian uprisings.
Remember:
loot, pillage,
THEN burn!

25. Justinian was very aggressive
in the construction of roads, . .
.
[Image source:
http://www.hdg.de/eurovisionen/i
mages/technik/ostia.jpg]
fortresses, . . .
[Image source:
http://www.louvre.fr/img/photos/audito/constant.jpg]

26. aqueducts, . . .
[Image source: http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~grayb/aqueduct.jpg]
. . . and monasteries.
[Image source:
http://www.diavlos.gr/samos/samonastiri1.jpg]

27. Justinian’s most famous project was the church of Hagia
Sophia in Constantinople.
[Image source:
http://wiem.onet.pl/wiem/006e2f.html]
Hagia Sophia means “Holy
Wisdom”.

28. In the area of architecture, Justinian blended Greek, Roman, Persian and Middle
Eastern styles. The best known structure is the Church of Hagia Sophia
whose name means “Holy Wisdom”

29. The New Rome
The Byzantine Empire
was wealthy and
produced:
• gold, silk, grain, olives
and wine.
• It traded these for spices,
ivory and precious
stones from countries as
far away as China and
India along the Silk
Road trade routes.

30. Justinian Code
• Emperor Justinian chose ten men to review 1,600 books full
of Roman Law (Twelve Tables) and create a simpler legal
code.
• These men were able to create the Justinian Code with just
over 4,000 laws. The laws were recorded in four books.
• Many of the laws in Justinian’s Code reflect the point of view
of his wife, Theodora.
• This work preserved Rome’s legal heritage and
became the basis for most European legal systems.
30

31. Empress Theodora
• Theodora encouraged her husband to make new
laws that were fairer to women.
• Laws allowing parents to leave property to daughters
• Laws improving women’s rights
• Innocent until proven guilty
• Theodora assisted her husband in choosing
government leaders.
• She believed jobs should be given based on
ability and not social class.
31

32. Hippodrome
32

33. Justinian’s Code: Punishments
 Not only were the laws harsh but so were the
punishments. They were very similar to Hammurabi’s
code “an eye for an eye…..”.
 For example anyone who was caught gambling in
any way had a “minor” penalty of both of their hands
cut off.
 The people of Constantinople were very much
against most of the laws and their cruel punishments.
Just five years after enforcing the code, the city of
Constantinople was rioting.

34. Justinian’s Code of Laws
• Laws were fairer to women. They could own property
and raise their own children after their husbands died.
• Children allowed to choose their own marriage
partners.
• Slavery was legal and slaves must obey their masters.
• Punishments were detailed and fit the crime
• His work inspired the modern concept and, indeed, the
very spelling of "justice".

35. Riots
 In response to Justinians code of
law, the people of Constantinople
rioted throughout the city.
 The riots caused huge amounts
of damage, whole sections of the
city were burned down
 Mobs of angry citizens marched to the Hippodrome chanting
“victory” and “death to Justinian”.
During the riots Justinian got very frightened he pleaded
Theodora to leave but she stood tall, she was determined to
have power, even if it killed her.

36. Riot Control
 Justinian turned to his leading general
Belisarius to take care of the riots.
 Belisarius sent his army into the riot
slaughtering over 10,000 people before finally
regaining control of the burnt streets.

37. A New Hope
 The riots left Justinian desperate for any hope of
rebuilding. He first bought peace with the Persians using
mainly gold.
 Justinian’s next goal was to regain control of the
territory in Northern Africa lead by Belisarius. Two years
later Belisarius returned to Constantinople with news of
victory.
 He then wanted to recapture Rome from the Goths, in
537 (AD) Belisarius had regained Rome.

38. The Bubonic Plague
 During the year 543 (AD) the Bubonic
plague had struck Rome.
At least 200,000 citizens were lost, how was
Justinian supposed to make up for such a loss of tax
payers?
 To make up for the loss, Justinian sent out tax
collectors and severely taxed everyone.
 Taxes were so heavy that if someone died, their
neighbor had to make up for the tax.

39. Justinian: The Last of The Romans
 In 548 (AD) Theodora was killed by
cancer. Justinian then went into a
depressed state and spent his last
years alone in his palace.
 In 565 (AD) Justinian died, as did
any hope of a reunited empire.
 That same year Germanic and
Lombard tribes poured into Rome.

40. Religious Dispute
• Orthodox Christians, (east) or those who held strict religious
beliefs, thought the use of icons (pictures of Christ) was
forbidden in the Ten Commandments.
• Orthodox Christians thought this was a form of worshipping
idols.
• In the west where few people could read or write, church
leaders believed the use of icons was a good way to teach
about Christianity.
• In 1054 the Christian Church split because of
disagreements over religious issues.
• Two branches of Christianity form:
• Eastern Greek Orthodox Church
• Roman Catholic Church
40

41. The Great Schism of 1054
• Eastern Greek Orthodox
Church
• Based in Constantinople
• Official language – Greek
• Church led by a Patriarch
referred to as a Bishop
• Bishops couldn’t marry.
• Priests could marry.
• Scriptures were the final
authority on all matters.
• Emperor or political ruler was
above the Bishop.
• Rejected the use of icons.
• Roman Catholic Church
• Based in Rome
• Official language – Latin
• Church led by a Pope referred to
as Father.
• Church leaders could not marry.
• Only Pope and Bishops could
interpret the scriptures.
• The Pope was the Supreme head
of Church - above any political
ruler.
• Religious icons accepted.
41

42. The End of the Byzantine Empire
• The Byzantine Empire drew to
a close in 1453 when forces
from the Muslim Ottoman
Empire surrounded and
conquered Constantinople.
• The ancient Christian city was
renamed Istanbul and became
the capital of the Ottoman
Empire.

43. Bibliography
Grabsky, Phil. I,Caesar. London: BBC Books, 1997
 This book had very thorough and accurate information. It also has
excellent illustrations.
 “Justinian: The Last of The Romans.” Hail, Caesar
 Hail Caesar covers everything during Justinian’s reign. It also
covers many other emperors.
Peck, Harry. “Theodora.” New York. 2000. http://www,perseus.tufts.edu
(10, January, 02)
 The information covered in “Theodora” is mainly about when she
empress. The source is accurate but hard to read.
Shermerini, Joseph. “Justinian.” 1999.
http://ancient-coin-forum.com/index.html (10, January, 02)
 The Ancient Coin Forum is an excellent source for Roman coins. It
also has great coin images and detailed descriptions.