The Byzantine Empire, Eastern Roman Empire

Reading in the book? 303-308
176-177

Byzantine Empire (330-
1453)
• The Byzantines called themselves Romans.
• They had a Roman body, Greek mind, and
Christian heart.
• Politically, the emperor headed both Church
and State.
• Culturally, they observed Greek or Eastern
Orthodox Christianity.

1453)
• The Byzantines protected Europe from the Arab
and Mongol Empires.
• Their culture spread to south eastern Europe and
Russia.
• The Christian church split into Roman Catholic
and Greek Orthodox.
• They preserved the wisdom of the ancient world,
giving it to the Italians during the Renaissance.

1453)
• The Roman emperor Diocletian split the
empire into two halves. He reversed the
power model of government.

1453)
• The Christian emperor Constantine (306-337)
founded the capital city Constantinople. He made
Christianity legal by the Edict of Milan in 313.

Geography
• After Rome fell, Emperor Theodosius built
impregnable walls, which protected the city until the
Ottoman Turks took them down with cannons in
1453.

Geography
• Constantinople’s location not as good as
Rome’s location for a Mediterranean empire.
It took 2 weeks to sail to Alexandria, but 3
months to reach Spain.

Christian dogma
replaces Classical
philosophy
• The Byzantines thought their empire ordained
by the Christian God. Theodosius outlawed
all the classical temples and gods called
pagan by the Christians.

Classical Philosophy
dead
• Classical philosophy of Aristotle,
Stoics, all thought of as Pagan, which
should had no place in the Christian
world.

First they destroyed
Classical Culture
Church
• The Christians destroyed Pagan
temples, and learning. They burnt
the Library of Alexandria, and the
schools of Athens.

St Augustine
• In his books City of God and Confessions,
the Roman Empire had not fallen because
the old gods had gone, but because the
Empire had sinned against the Christian god.
• As Christianity and Classical philosophy
could not both be correct, Classical
philosophy banned and hated.

St Augustus
• Traditional Greek and Roman sexuality became
sinful.
• All sex outside of monogamous marriage a sin.
• Husbands had to be faithful to wives for the first time.
• Gays became sodomites, slowly burned.

St Augustus
• Women should be seen but not heard.
Educated women become witches, slowly
burned, or worst.
• They stoned Hypatia to death, the last great
classical philosopher mathematician and
geocentric theory of Alexandria.

Orthodox Church
• The Emperor (Casaropapismus) led
the Church with 5 Patriarchs (great
bishops) Rome, Constantinople,
Antioch, Jerusalem, and Alexandria.
• They held great counsels called
ecumenical councils to discuss
theology.

Also, they turned on
other Christians
• 325 Emperor Constantine held the
1st Ecumenical counsel at Nicaea.
• The formed the Nicaean Creed
(Christ equal to the Christian God)
said by all Christians today.

Rise of Heresy
• Christians with different views on
Christ became heretics, should be
burned.

Rise of Heresy
• 325 Arianism Christ not equal to
the father a heresy.
• 431 Nestorians (human nature of
Christ) a heresy .
• 451 Monotheists one divine nature
of Christ a heresy.

No rule of succession
• Once emperor cannot depose except by
revolution.
• Out of 88 emperors 1/3 died by poisoning,
assassination, starvation, torture or blinded
• 1/3 killed their predecessor
• 1/3 family members

1453)
• Over the course of 1100 years, the Byzantine
Empire expanded and contracted.

65)
• Under the Emperor Justinian and Empress
Theodora, the brilliant general Belisarius
reconqured most of the old Roman Empire.

65)
• Justinian’s wars destroyed Italy and bankrupted
the Imperial treasury.

Ad Decimum
September 13, 533
Strategic Context
Emperor Justinian of the Eastern Byzantine Empire is trying to reconquer the Western Byzantine Empire
and restore the old glory of the Roman Empire. Many lands remain to be conquered when the usurped
Vandal King Hilderic appeals for aid against his cousin, Gelimer, who is much less friendly to Byzantine
interests. Justinian sends his best general, Belisarius, to Africa with an expeditionary force to defeat the
Vandals and reestablish control over Carthage, North Africa and the Mediterranean. Belisarius is
marching on Carthage when Gelimer springs an ambush.
Stakes
+ A Byzantine victory would return North Africa
to the Byzantine Empire.
+ A Vandal victory would prevent Byzantine
expansion to North Africa and continue to
challenge for control of the Mediterranean.
By Jonathan Webb, 2009 ©
No Image
Available

Ad Decimum, 533
Strength
Byzantines
Well
Vandals
Well
Belisarius
7,000 infantry10,000 infantry
Gelimer
5,000 cavalry 4,000 cavalry

Belisarius’ force proceeds westward; he places cavalry to guard the front and rear of the infantry columns. Gelimer divides his force
into three to ambush the unsuspecting Byzantines. A cavalry force under Ammatas establishes a blocking position while another
cavalry force under Gibamund and the main infantry force under Gelimer lay in wait to assail the Byzantine flanks.
Ammatas’ cavalry engage the Byzantine advance guard while Gibamund’s cavalry hook around its left flank.
Belisarius quickly checks this second force with his own cavalry and a fierce melee ensues at the front of the
column. Meanwhile, Belisarius struggles to organize his infantry to join the battle.
The fierce, congested melee is won by the heavier Byzantine cavalry who kill Ammatus and chase the Vandal cavalry away before eventually
turning back to aid their fellow cavalry. They arrive too late however as Gelimer’s main infantry force joins the battle and routs the Byzantine
mercenary cavalry. Just as the Byzantine infantry appear on the verge of straightening out their ranks, the Vandal infantry crash into them, further
disordering them. Belisarius marshals his force as best he can, merely to survive.
A stroke of fortune staves off defeat for Belisarius; Gelimer arrives at the front to find Gibamund, his brother, slain. He is overcome
with sorrow and insists his brother be buried immediately right there on the battlefield. During this time, heavy fighting continues but
Gelimer does not push the attack, granting Belisarius the necessary time to coordinate his infantry into a controlled mass.
The Vandals become disorganized themselves without a coherent leader but are still capable of being a potent
fighting force. Belisarius therefore launches a sudden full scale attack before Gelimer again takes control. This
attack eventually breaks the Vandal army and the Byzantines pursue the Vandals from the battlefield.
Byzantines
(Belisarius)
Vandals
(Gelimer)
Byzantines
(Belisarius)
10,000 infantry
5,000 cavalry
NN
Gibamund
Gelimer
Ammatas
Vandals
(Gelimer)
7,000 infantry
4,000 cavalry

Ad Decimum, 533
Casualties & Aftermath
Byzantines: Vandals:
≈2,200
or
20%
≈750
or
5%
Belisarius encamped for the night before marching into Carthage the next day. Belisarius
declared the city’s citizens to be Romans oppressed by Vandal rule and issued orders for their
fair treatment. The Byzantines found the city’s gates open and Belisarius set about improving
the city’s fortifications against the resilient Vandal kingdom. Belisarius defeated Gelimer and
the Vandals for good later the same year at Tricamarum.

65)
• Rome was under siege 14 times, by the Byzantines
and Goths, destroying the city.

• Justinian and Theodora (527-75)
•
• Procopius Histories and The Secret History
Byzantine Emperors

Hagia Sophia, Church of the Holy Wisdom,
The Christian Byzantine Emperor Justinian (527-575 CE) had
Haiga Sophia built.

The religious art of Byzantium
• Intellectual, idealistic,
schematic, with
restrained colors and
reserved form.
• Realism is undesirable
• The objective is
emotional.

• Hippodrome Blue vs. Greens Chariot races

Justinian’s legacy
• Justinian orders the codification of Roman law.
Tribonian a law professor gathers all Roman Law
and organizes it in The Corpus Iuris Civilis, or
The Body of Civil Law, still used today
throughout Europe.

• Italy lay in ruins, the treasury broke.
Constantinople not in a good position to rule the
old Roman Empire.

• Justin 1st sheep herder
• Basil 1st a nomadic goat herder
• Michal 4th a servant

641)
• The Emperor Heraclius defeated the Persians,
but lost most of the empire to the Arabs after
Yarmuk.
• Most of Italy fell to the Lombards.

800)
• The Bulgarians took the Danube Valley in 679.

Leo III Isaurian (717-741)
• Leo III, using the Greek
Fire, defeats the Arabs
decisively and halts Islamic
expansion.

• Leo III, using the Greek Fire, defeats the Arabs
decisively and halts Islamic expansion.

• In a blink of an eye
the empire had lost
2/3 of its lands.
• Jerusalem gone.
• Leo believed Christ
had stopped
protecting the empire
because of icons.

Iconoclasm
• He ordered churches to
destroy iconoclasm all
holy images.
• The Pope in Rome totally
disagreed.
• Led to a revival of
classical learning and
opening of Universities in
Constantinople

799
• Pope Leo III asked the Frankish
King Charlemagne to protect
Rome as the Byzantines could
not.

800
• Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne Holy Roman
Emperor in the West, cutting political ties with
Byzantium.

The Macedonian Dynasty
867-1025
• The Macedonian Emperors rejuvenated and expanded the
empire. They revived a citizen army.

• Army small but highly trained and paid well
of citizen soldiers.

• Basil I (867-886) founder of the
Macedonian Dynasty
• Son of a shepherd who came to
power by assassinating Michael
III.
• Military success against the
Bulgarians and the Arabs
• Byzantine navy dominates
eastern Mediterranean.
Macedonian
Emperors

Macedonian Emperors
• He suppressed the power of the great landowners and protected the
middle classes.
• He recovered Syria, Bulgaria, and the Balkans.

Spread of the Orthodox
Church
• Cyril and Methodius Orthodox missionaries
convert the Bulgarians, Hungarians, Slavs and
Russians to the Orthodox Church.
• These converted barbarians became allies to the
Byzantine Empire.
• Cyril created the Cyrillic alphabet still used today
in Russia.

Orthodox Catholic
Church split
• The Byzantine and Roman
Christian Churches started as one,
but broke from each other into the
Roman Catholic Church and the
Orthodox Church.

Split with Catholics
• 1. After Yarmuck only the Patriarch
of Constantinople and Rome
remained independent.
• Catholics spoke Latin, Orthodox
Greek.
• 2 The Bishop of Rome (Pope) felt
superior to all other Bishops and the
Emperor.
• 3. After Justinian, the Emperor
could not protect Rome.

• 4. Monasticism
• Catholic Monks live in groups doing
missionary work and helping the
community.
• Orthodox monks live as hermits with
aesthetic lives.

• 5. Icons Emperor Leo (726)
bans icons (pictures of holy
people) and ordered them
removed from churches.
• The Pope of Rome totally
disagreed.

• 6. Priests could marry in
Orthodox Church
• Catholic priests cannot marry
must be celibate of life

800
• Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne Holy Roman
Emperor in the West, the Pope no longer relies on
the Byzantine Emperor for military protection.

Great Schism
• 7. In 1054, the final split over
the nature of the Trinity
• The Pope excommunicates the
Emperor and Patriarch.
• The Pope’s men put an order of
excommunication on the altar of
Hagia Sopia.
• Later, the Patriarch
excommunicates the Pope.

Seljuk Turks and
Normans attack the
empire
• The emperor pays off the German emperor to attack
the Normans in Italy,. He allies with Venice and the
Venetians sink the Normand's fleet. The emperor
gives the Venetians a colony in Constantinople .

1071 Seljuk Turks win
at Manzikirt
• The Emperor Alexus I asks the Pope and
Europe for help, the byzantine aristocrats
deserted the Emperor on the battlefield.

In 1095, PopeUrban II Calls the 1st Crusade
against the infidels.

The 1st Crusade
• The Crusaders set up Kingdoms for themselves
rather than return the land to the Byzantines.

• The Crusaders felt the Byzantine emperor
had not supported them.
• They did not send a byzantine army to help
the crusaders, charged them lots for food,
and would not pay the Venetians for
transporting the Crusaders.

• The city state of Venice benefited by
transporting crusaders and controlling trade
from Europe to Constantinople.

Venice takes over most of the trade routes of the small Empire
in 1265

• In 1187,Saladin of Fatimid Egypt destroys Crusader
armies and takes back Jerusalem.

• The 3rd Crusade (Kings
Crusade 1189-1192) fails
to regain Jerusalem.

• In 1189, Pope Innocent III
calls for the 4th Crusade
after Saladin dies.

In 1203, the 4th Crusade
sacked Constantinople
• The Crusaders never trusted the Byzantine Emperor ,
also the emperor had canceled Venice’s colony in
Constantinople.

• San Marco square in Venice

• 4 horses taken by the 4th Crusades from
Constantinople used to stand in the Hippodome since
the time of Justinian, some attribute them to Lysippos.
(4thC BCE)

• The language and religion barriers.
• The Byzantines did not support the Crusaders in a
way the Crusaders wanted.
• The Byzantines considered the western
Europeans barbarians and poor.
• The western Europeans considered the
Byzantines decadent, deceitful and effeminate.

Frankish Constantinople (1204-1261)
• The Franks or Latin controlled
the city of Constantinople,
and a few provinces.
• Most provinces stayed loyal to
the emperor.
• The Orthodox clergy disliked
the Catholic bishop in charge
of their church.
•

1261-1453 Paleologe
Dynasty
• The Byzantines regain the city of Constantinople,
yet the empire never recovers. Emperors supported
aristocrats over citizen soldiers.

The Palaiologean Renaissance
• Although politically the longest
lasting dynasty its area the
smallest, yet the arts and letters
flourished.
• An increasingly more Hellenized
state.

• They translated classical works into Latin and sent
copies of Classical Greek, Hellenistic, and Roman
works to new libraries in Florence and Venice.

• Greek and Latin teachers from
Byzantium taught in Florence
Italy the most famous John
Argyropoulos (1415 – 26 June
1487.

• The Emperor John VIII 1390–1448 and Patriarch
held a Council in Florence and submitted to the
Pope, yet the Catholics sent no military aid.

• However, the weakened state did not have the
manpower, energy, or resources to stop the
relentless march of the Ottoman Turks

1453 The Fall of Constantinople
• In 1453, Mehmet II took
Constantinople, ending the
Roman or Byzantine Empire.
• Constantine 11th died
defending the city and his
daughter Sophia married Ivan
the Great of Moscow.

Moscow becomes the 3rd
Rome
• The kings of Russia become Caesar or Czar.

Ivan the Great
Brought Russia under his control, created a new
capital city at Moscow.
The Orthodox Church moved their head quarters to
Moscow.

The Byzantine Empire created few (if any)
innovations or advances for civilization,
yet protected Europe from the Mongols
and Muslims.
They preserved Classical Roman and
Greek culture for Europe.

Influence of Byzantine Culture
on Eastern Europe and Russia
1. Trade Routes between the Black Sea
and Baltic Sea
2. Adoption of Orthodox Christianity by
Russia and much of Eastern Europe
3. Adoption of Greek alphabet to the
Slavic languages by St. Cyril (Cyrillic
alphabet)
4. Church architecture and religious art

Ivan the Terrible
D) Ivan the Terrible was the
1st Russian czar
- Czar: Means Caesar
or absolute ruler
E) He was called terrible
because he murdered
many boyars
- boyars: Nobles in Russia

Ivan the Terrible Continued:-etc: Ivan believed
that the boyars
were responsible
for the death of his
wife Anastasia

Byzantine Emperors
• Heraclius (610-641)seized the throne from
unpopular Phocas
• He defeated the Persians, but lost at Yarmuk.

• Leo III,Isaurian (717-741)
using the Greek Fire, defeats
the Arabs decisively and halts
Islamic expansion.
• He ordered icons destroyed in
all the Churches Iconoclasm,
which caused great debate
with the Pope in Rome.
Byzantine Emperors

Byzantine Emperors
• 1071 Alexius I asks Pope
Urban II for military aid
against the Turks.
• By 1099, the Crusaders had
taken Jerusalem and Antioch
from the Muslims.

Byzantine Emperors
• 1204 The 4th Crusade sacks
Constantinople setting up a
French or Latin dynasty.

Byzantine Emperors
• 1261: Michael VIII Palaiologos recaptures
Constantinople, defeats the Latins and
restores Byzantine form.
• The Palaiologos Empire constantly declined,
being squeezed between enemies from the
west and assaults of the Turks in the east

Byzantine Emperors
• 1453 Constantine XI, the last emperor died
defending the city from the Ottoman Turks.
His body never found, becoming the subject
of legends.
• His daughter flees and marries Ivan the
Great of Moscow, and Russia becomes the
3rd Rome.

The origins
• 292: Diocletian divides
the Roman empire into
two.
• 324: Constantine reunites
the two parts
• 330: Constantine builds
a new capital in the
location of ancient
Byzantium
• 337: The death of
Constantine results in
division between east and
west.

Constantinople
• Successive emperors
build strong walls,
palaces, churches,
gardens, aquaducts
and made the city the
biggest, strongest and
most enlightened city
of medieval
Christendom The Walls of Theodosius

The early years
• 337: Constantius II,
succeeds Constantine
• East and West divided
again, permanently.
• 361: Julian tries to revert
to paganism.
• 379-95: Theodosius I
• Christianity obligatory
• 396: Prohibition of
Olympic Games
Hippodrome

The Fall of Rome
• Barbarian tribes keep
pushing into a fragmented
and weakened Roman
Empire.
• The east through bribery,
diplomacy and better
military resists effectively
• 476: Rome Falls
• 491: Anastasius I: His
competent rule
reorganizes the east.
Financial strength and
administative success. The Last Legion

The Byzantine empire in 565, at its largest expansion ever.

The Struggle with the Persians
• Procopius is a rich source
for the campaigns in the
east.
• Justinian and his
successors were locked
into a titanic struggle with
an old enemy and won.
• However, both Byzantines
and Persians were
exhausted and vulnerable
to the Arabs and Islam.

Heraclius fighting Chosroes over the True Cross

The legacy of Heraclius
• The final act for Sassanid Persia IRONICALLY took place
outside Nineveh, the old capital of Assyria, which the
Medes/Persians had defeated about a thousand years
before.
• Sassanid power was dissolved and they were easily
conquered by the Arabs
• The Byzantines were also exhausted and could barely
sustain Arab attacks.
• In Europe, which had been depleted of troops the Slavs
were fast seizing Byzantine territories.
• Under the successors of Heraclius, his hard won gains had
been lost and the empire was nearly dissolved.

The Religious Battles
• Arrianism was the first major heresy which threatened to
split the empire (4th-5th c.)
• In the age of Justinian Monophysitism won over the entire
orient and Egypt (6th-7th c.)
• The ambivalence of monophysitic provinces towards the
center weakened Byzantine rule in Syria, Palestine and
Egypt.
• When these provinces were lost to the Arabs in the 7th
century, Orthodoxy prevailed.
• Then the more divisive Iconoclastic movement would tear
apart the Empire for the next two centuries (8th -9th).
• The political effects of monophysitism and iconoclasm
were detrimental.

The Macedonian Dynasty
• Under the Phrygian
dynasty, a remarkable
recovery had started
driven from the inside.
• The early Macedonian
kings consolidate their
power, expand their
territory and create a
vigorously healthy
state.

Leo VI, the Wise (886-912)
• Leo received good
education by Photios.
• He was not successful in
the military field.
• However, he completed
the legislative work of his
father
• He is the author of a
number of books
• He was an intellectual
emperor for peaceful
times.

Constantine VII, Porphyrogennetos
(913-20, 945-59)
• Improperly
legitimized son of Leo
VI and his 4th wife
Zoe Karbonopsina
(dark-coal eyed).
• Reasonably successful
• Intellectual, author,
painter

Romanos I, Lekapenos (920-45)
• The ‘gentle usurper’
• His campain against the
Bulgarians indecisive, but
made peace through
dynastic marriage.
• The campaigns of the
general Kourkouas against
the Arabs in the east more
effective.

Nikephoros Phocas (963-9)
• Romanos II (959-63), a
fun loving emperor died
young. Theophano
became regent.
• The warrior general
Nikephoros Phocas seized
the throne and married
Theophano.
• He recaptured Crete and
much of the eastern
provinnces from the Arabs

John Tzimiskes (969-975)
• Unpopular emperor
Phocas was murdered by a
conspiracy of his wife
Theophano and nephew
John Tzimiskes (short
man).
• Tzimiskes then renounced
Theophano and was
forgiven.
• Tzimiskes led successful
campaigns against
Sviatoslav of Kief and the
Arabs in Northern
Mesopotamia.
Lebedev: Sviatoslav I meets
John I Tzimiskes

The Byzantine Empire in 1025, after Basil’s death.

The Golden Years of Byzantium
• The 50 years following
Basil’s death were years
of prosperity and growth.
• Constantine VIII (1025-
28) was never interested in
ruling.
• At his death his daughter
Zoe became empress.
• Her accession was the
greatest calamity for
Basil’s empire
Empress Zoe

Zoe’s Husbands
• Romanos III Argyros
• (1028-34). Reversed
Basil’s financial
arrengements and suffered
a defeat in the east which
cost him popularity.
Probably murdered by Zoe
• Michael IV Paphlagonian
(1034-41), a reasonably
successful emperor.
• Constantine IX
Monomachos (1042-1055)
• A military disaster Constantine IX

The steep decline to Manzikert
• Isaac I Comnenos (1057-
9) tried to reorganize the
finances of the empire
• The Doukid emperors
Constantine X and
Michael VII Parapinakes:
dangerously weakened the
army
• Romanos IV Diogenes
was defeated at Manzikert,
and then brutally blinded
and deposed.
Battle of Manzikert

The Comnenian Restoration
• Alexios I Comnenos
(1081-1118) seized the
throne from Nikephoros
III Botaniates.
• Alexios stabilized the
empire by fighting off the
Normans in the West, and
with the help of the
Crucaders the Seljuk
Turks in the east.
• He supported links with
the Aristocratic families
and initiated a century of
prosperity and recovery

John II Comnenos, the Good
• After fending off a
challenge by his sister
historian Anna
Comnene, John
proved to be perhaps
the last great emperor
of Byzantium.
• He was known for his
piety, mild rule,
charity and humanity.

John’s achievements
• Through diplomacy and cautious warfare
with small objectives at the time, he secured
the west, recovered large parts of Asia
Minor from the Seljuks and put them on the
defensive.
• In a move designed to boost morale he
marched into the Holy Lands, but his
Crucader allies betrayed him.

Manuel I, Comnenos (1143-1180)
• The ruler and protector of
Christendom, Manuel was
seen in east and west as
the head of the most
powerful and rich
Christian state.
• Surprise defeat at
Myriokephalon
• Although he added to the
empire, his ambitious
goals were never reached
to the full.
Manuel I Comnenos

The Angeli
• The cruel public murder of
the last Comnenian
emperor, the able
Andronikos I (1185)
signalled the beginning of
the end for Byzantium.
• The incompetent rule of
Isaac Angelos and his
successors resulted in the
loss of Constantiniple to
the Crucasders in 1204

The Fall of Constantinople to the Crucaders , 1204

The Latin Empire of Constantinople

Frankish Constantinople (1204-1261)
• The sack of
Constantinople: a great
cultural calamity.
• Byzantine states in
provinces (Nicaea,
Trebizond, Epirus)
• The Latin empire of
Constantinople was
doomed, cut off from the
West, with a determined
Byzantine kingdom next
to it, and a clergy very
hostile to the Catholic
primate.

• Although politically the reign of Byzantium’s last
and longest lasting dynasty was bleak, the arts and
letters flourished.
• An increasingly more Hellenized state
• Some of the Palaiologean Emperors were able
(e.g. Michael VIII, Manuel II)
• However, the weakened state did not have the
manpower, energy, or resources to stop the the
relentless march of the Ottoman Turks.
• The old empire fell after a long struggle.

The Literature of Byzantium
• 4th-5th century:
• Still within the
boundaries of
Classical Literature.
• Basil
• Gregory Nazianzenos
• Gregory of Nyssa
• John Chrysostom
• Athanasius

The Era of Justinian
• Procopius
• Theophylactos
• John Malalas
• Hesychios
• Choiroboskos
• Poetry:
• Romanos the Melodist
• The Acathist Hymn
Justinian and his legal team

The 8th and 9th centuries
• Kassiane
• The Canon
• Andrew of Crete
• Kosmas the Melodist
• John Damascene
• Theophanes the
Confessor
• Photios

The Humanism of the
Macedonian and Comnenian Era
• Michael Psellos
• Constantine
Porphyrogennetos
• Michael Attaliates
• Anna Comnene
• The Acritic Epic
• Byzantine Romance
• Ptochoprodromos
• Suda
• John Tzetzes
Hippocratic Oath

Byzantine Empire
(330-1453)
• Byzantine: this term is a modern invention.
The Byzantines called themselves either
‘Romans’ or ‘Greeks’. Invented by the
classical scholar Hieronymus Wolf and
popularized by Montesquieu
• It was used for the medieval Greek-speaking,
Christian empire that dominated the eastern
Mediterranean.
• The ancient Greek city of Byzantium was
founded in 667 BC by king Byzas.
• In antiquity, because of its strategic location,
it was an important center for the transport of
corn to Attica.

The Age of Justinian (527-75)
• Procopius, Histories
• 532 The Nica revolt
• 536: Reconquest of Rome
and much of Italy took
many years.
• North Africa and the
Spanish coast were easily
conquered.
• Victories over Sassanid
Persia in the east
consolidate the borders

Hagia Sophia, Church of the Holy Wisdom, 6th c.

Justinian’s legacy
• Hagia Sophia remained the seat of Eastern
Christianity until the Fall of Constantinople.
• 552: Byzantine monks sneak silkworms and
mulbery out of China.
• Justinian orders the codification of Roman law
(Corpus Iuris Civilis).
• He was heavy-handed towards heresies
• In 529 he closed the philosophical school of
Athens, thus destroying the last stronghold of
paganism.

The Struggle with the Persians
• Procopius is a rich source
for the campaigns in the
east.
• Justinian and his
successors were locked
into a titanic struggle with
an old enemy and won.
• 627: Heraclios crushes the
Persians at Nineveh.
• However, both Byzantines
and Persians were
exhausted and vulnerable
to the Arabs and Islam.

Heraclius 610-641
• Heraclius seized the
throne from
unpopopular Phocas
• He defeated Chosroes
and the Persians
• Recovered many
Byzantine territories
• Hellenized the empire
• Took the title basileus

• Leo III, using the Greek
Fire, defeats the Arabs
decisively and halts
Islamic expansion.
• Constantine V the Dung-
named continued his
father’s successes against
the the Muslims and also
against the Bulgars
• The Isaurians, against the
odds, halted the
dissolution of Byzantium,
and preserved Christianity
in Europe.

Iconoclasm
• The Isaurians, followed by
the Phrygian dynasty tried
to abolish icons.
• This divided the empire.
• Icons were restored as
objects of veneration but
not worship by two
ecumenical councils under
the leadership of two
powerful women, Empress
Irene the Athenian, and
Theodora, Empress
consort to Theophilos.

Basil I (867-886)
• Founder of the most
glorious dynasty of
Byzantium.
• Seized power by
assasinating Michael III.
• Legislative Work
• Success in Adriatic/Sicily
against Arabs
• Byzantine navy dominates
eastern Mediterranean.

BASIL II (976-1025)
• The legendary, most
glorious emperor of
Byzantium.
• Suppressed revolt of
Vardas Skeleros after an
alliance with Vladimir I of
Kiev.
• With notorious
ruthlessness he suppressed
the power of the great
landowners and protected
the middle classes.

The achivements of Basil II
• He recovered much of Syria. Many of the lands in the east
had not been Byzantine since the time of Heraclius.
• After a long campaign the Bulgarians and Serbs submitted
to Basil, and the frontier of the empire for the first time in
centuries reached the Danube, again.
• He captured the southern Crimea from the Khazars
• He also recaptured much of Southern Italy.
• The ‘Father of the Army’ surprisingly left a full treasury at
his death.

The Palaiologean Period
• 1261: Michael VIII
Palaiologos recaptures
Constantinople, defeats
the Latins and restores
Byzantine form.
• The Empire he
reconstituted would be
squeezed between enemies
from the west and the
relentless assaults of the
Turks in the east

The Fall of Constantinople
• The world turned its eyes
on a depopulated
Constantinople in the
spring of 1453.
• A shadow of its former
glory the imperial city fell
after months of siege.
• Constantine XI, the last
emperor became the
subject of legends.

The religious art of Byzantium
• Intellectual, idealistic,
schematic, with
restrained colors and
reserved form.
• Realism is rare and
undesirable
• The objective is the
spiritual elevation of
the believer

The Palaeologean Period
• Choniates
• Phrantzes
• Chalkokondyles
• Zonaras
• Scholiasts
• Theology, especially pro
and anti-Hesychastic
Literature
• Lexicography
• Law

The Byzantine Empire, Eastern Roman Empire

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