Chap 12.1 Slides

Question 1

Where was a NEW ROME?

Answer 1

Constantinople: Eastern Roman Empire

Question 2

What was the Empire called?

Answer 2

•Became known as Byzantine Empire

Question 3

What was the significance of Constantinople?

Answer 3

• Remained capital of Eastern Empire long after Rome fell
• Even before fall of Rome, Constantinople larger, richer city than Rome

Question 4

What was good about Constantinople’s location?

Answer 4

• Location helped control trade between Asia, Europe
• Also helped guard city from attack

–Sea protected city on two sides

Question 5

Who made claim to empire?

Answer 5

Byzantine emperor Justinian I wanted to restore original Roman Empire

Question 6

Who was Belisarius?

Answer 6

• 533, Justinian sent ships, troops to northern Africa
• Troops led by top general, Belisarius

Question 7

How did Justinian I claim empire?

Answer 7

•Military action needed to accomplish his goal

•First had to reconquer North African territories taken by Germanic tribe, Vandals

Question 8

How was Justinian I successful in capturing empire?

Answer 8

• By 534 recaptured African region, absorbed back into Roman Empire
• 535, Belisarius led troops to Italy to retake that region

Question 9

What was the rebellion at home?

Answer 9

• Justinian and his wife Theodora served as co-rulers of empire
• Many resented Justinian’s efforts to reform empire

Question 10

What was the Nika Revolt?

Answer 10

532, opposition led to rebellion called Nika Revolt

• Two factions led revolt: Greens representing lower classes, Blues upper classes
• Justinian prepared to flee
• Theodora stood firm, refused to flee, convinced Justinian to do same
• Belisarius attacked rioters, slaughtered them by thousands

Question 11

What was Achievement in Constantinople after Nika Revolt?

Answer 11

• Nika Revolt destroyed parts of Constantinople
• Rebuilt city with new monuments

Question 12

What was the most famous building?

Answer 12

Most important new building, church, Hagia Sophia, “Holy Wisdom

Question 13

What was Justinian’s Code?

Answer 13

• Justinian set up commission that codified empire’s existing laws
• Corpus Juris Civilis had four parts; first part included all existing constitutions from time of Emperor Hadrian
• Code later updated, expanded to include Justinian’s laws as well

Question 14

What were the 2 institutions central to Byzantine culture?

Answer 14

Two institutions central to Byzantine culture

emperor, Christianity

Question 15

What was Role of the Emperor in Byzantine Culture?

Answer 15

• Emperor, priest-king, considered representative of Jesus Christ on earth
• Emperor responsible for both civil, religious law

Question 16

What brought End to Roman Traditions?

Answer 16

• Emperor Heraclius brought official end to Roman traditions
• Made Greek official language, replacing Latin

Replaced old Roman imperial titles with Greek ones

Question 17

What was the great influence on Byzantine art?

Answer 17

• Christianity greatly influenced artistic life
• Art, architecture, literature based on religious themes
• Byzantine art often featured saints, figures from Bible

Question 18

Most Byzantine art was in the form of __________

Answer 18

• Most art in form of mosaics
• Mosaics decorated floors, walls, ceilings

Question 19

What was unique about Byzantine architecture?

Answer 19

• Religion force behind Byzantine architecture;
• churches built by placing round dome over square foundation

Question 20

What were Changes after Justinian?

Answer 20

–Died 565, left government nearly bankrupt from expenses of taking back empire’s territory

–Had expanded empire beyond what government could administer

– Western provinces fell after his death

Question 21

Who ruled after Justinian?

Answer 21

–Reign of Heraclius began 610

–Heraclius defeated Persians on eastern border

–Croats, Serbs converted to Christianity, extending Byzantine influence into region

Question 22

What were the Religious Conflicts in the 700s?

Answer 22

In the 700s the use of art in churches deeply divided society, Controversy over the use of icons—paintings or sculptures of sacred figures

Question 23

What was the Controversy over icons?

Answer 23

• Churches contained beautiful icons
• Some Christians believed too close to non-Christian worship of idols
• People called iconoclasts, “icon breaker

Question 24

Why was the religious conflict over icons important?

Answer 24

The dispute played a crucial role in the growing divide between the emperor in Constantinople and the pope in Rome.

Question 25

What did Emperor Leo III forbid in 726?

Answer 25

• 726, Emperor Leo III forbade use of icons, ordered destruction
• Since few could read, clergy found sacred images useful for teaching

Question 26

What were the Growing Divisions in the church?

Answer 26

• Many issues divided eastern, western churches
• Use of Greek one difference; theological differences also emerged
• Eastern church allowed clergy to marry, western church did not

Question 27

What was the Byzantines’ attitude?

Answer 27

•Byzantines did not accept pope as supreme authority over religious issues

Question 28

What did the church differences lead to?

What formed?

Was this good for the Bysantines?

Answer 28

Schism

• 1054, differences became so large, schism, split, occurred between churches
• Church in east became Orthodox Church, west remained Roman Catholic
• Later hurt Byzantine Empire, could not rely on western help against invaders

Question 29

What brought on the decline of the Byzantine Empire?

Answer 29

Clash between the military and the Constantinople government weakened the empire, making it vulnerable from the outside

Question 30

What new enemies emerged?

What happened to Byzantine Empire?

Answer 30

• 1071, Turks defeated Byzantine army, permanently weakened Byzantines in eastern Asia Minor
• Same year, also lost last outposts in Italy, ending presence in west
• By 1391, empire reduced to Constantinople

Question 31

In 1453, what did Constantinople fall to?

Answer 31

• 1453, Constantinople fell to Ottoman Turks
• Turks renamed city Istanbul; Hagia Sophia became mosque

Question 32

What was the Byzantine Legacy?

Answer 32

• Ottomans had gained importance, spread influence into Greece
• Byzantine legacy:
• preservation of ancient Greco-Roman heritage;
• buffer between Christian West, Muslim East