World History Ch. 13 (Byzantine Empire)

Byzantine Empire and Crisis and Recovery in the West

Iconoclasts

Member of an 8th century Byzantine movement against the use of icons (pics of sacred figures), which it condemned as idolatry

Iconoclasm

(726–843 CE)

8th century Byzantine movement against the use of icons (pics of sacred figures), which was condemned as idolatry

• Religious icons, usually depicting Jesus, Mary, and the saints, on wood; most people could not read, so these icons were used in worship

  • Debate whether this broke the second commandment—were they worshipping the figure or the piece of wood?

    • Debate on iconoclasm happened at the same time as the rise of Islam, and the two were somewhat related

Black Death

Outbreak of plague (mostly bubonic) in the mid-14th century that killed from 25–50% of Europe’s population

Pogroms

Organized massacres of Jews

Renaissance

“Rebirth” of classical culture that occurred in Italy between ca. 1350–ca. 1550; also, the earlier revivals of Classical culture that occurred under Charlemagne and in the 12th century

Renaissance Humanism

Intellectual movement in Renaissance Italy based on the study of Greek and Roman classics

Taille

French tax on land or property, developed by King Louis XI in the 15th century as the financial basis of the monarchy. It was largely paid by the peasantry; the nobility and the clergy were exempt

Theodosian Walls

(c. 408–418)

Series of walls getting progressively taller with space in between to protect people from arrows and attacks; massive structures that are very difficult to infiltrate

Greek Fire

Napalm-like substance that is pumped through a hose to spray on people; ignites on contact (and even on water); becomes a major weapon in addition to the Theodosian Walls

Hippodrome

• “[…]” = Horse, “[…]” = Road; Entertainment center/structure built in Constantinople which mostly featured horse races and the occasional execution 

  • We are not as violent as Ancient Rome anymore

Justinian I

(c. 482–565 CE)

Emperor of Constantinople; one of the last born native Latin speakers; experienced controversy from marrying an actress (worse than a prostitute) 

• Theodora (c. 497–548 CE)

Theodora

(c. 497–548 CE)

Empress and wife of Justinian I; does not forget the way people treated her before Justinian I had her coronated “empress in her own right” (revenge); built a lot of hospitals and homes for girls who have had to turn to prostitution; seen as a co-ruler with Justinian I

Monophysitism

Thought process that Christ only had divine nature, not fully human and fully divine; this became a matter of life or death as people would die over this debate

• Theodora was a closet-physite and secretly hit […] priests so they could escape persecution

Nika Rebellion

Rioters were shouting “Nika” meaning victory; riot of the people against Justinian I and Theodora

Hagia Sophia

(c. 532–537 CE)

“Church of the Holy Wisdom”; Justinian I wanted the most beautiful, profound structure ever built, no matter the cost or if materials must be stolen from elsewhere; Greek mathematics were used; roughly 180 ft tall; can still be visited today

• Tallest building until the 1600s

• Largest church until the modern Vatican was constructed

Code of Justinian

(c. 529)

Justinian I felt that many of the old Roman laws were outdated (made a long time ago and before the implementation of Christianity), so he had the top legal scholars go through them and update them

Cyrillic

Byzantine based script used in modern-day Russia, Ukraine, and Poland

Seljuk Turks

Muslim people who moved into Jerusalem; reports that they were harassing people in the holy sites, so the emperor decides to write to the pope explaining the pressure felt from these people and asking for detachments from him, beginning the first Crusade in order to expel the Muslims from the holy land 

• The emperor got a lot more people than he expected, and a lot more rough, and he was very surprised 

  • Emperor’s daughter wrote an explanation of these people, saying they don’t have beards (the fashion at the time), and that one sat on her father’s throne; (she did end up becoming enamored with one of them though)

Riconquista

During this period of the first crusade, Spain begins slowly pushing out the Muslims

Manzikurt

(1071)

Crusade battle fought between the Byzantine Empire and the Seljuk Turks

4th Crusade

(1204)

Crusade where Christians attack each other and a lot is destroyed

Great Schism

(1054)

Great split, causing two major branches in Christianity that still exist today …

• Rome — Pope & Catholic

• Constantinople — Patriarch & Eastern Orthodox

Palaiologos

Last dynasty of Constantinople that came into power when much of the city was in peril or destruction 

• Constantine XI

Constantine XI

Emperor of the Palaiologos Dynasty in Constantinople

Ottoman Turks

New group of Turks that surrounded Constantinople; sultan of the Ottoman Turks was very young and ambitious, and made it his goal to take Constantinople

• Mehmet II (1432–1481)

Mehmet II

(1432–1481)

Young, ambitious sultan of the Ottoman Turks who made it his goal to take over Constantinople

29 May 1453

The day Constantinople fell. The last Christian service ever held there took place, and then a massive siege by the Ottoman Turks took place, massacring many people in the Hagia Sophia 

• Constantinople becomes an Islamic city, and the Hagia Sophia is turned to a Mosque on the spot