Bizantine

How did Constantine change the Eastern area when he moved the capital to Byzantium?

• Byzantium was established as a Greek colony early on. 

•  The city had actually already been founded by Emperor Hadrian.

  •  He had the city designed in a grid format and had many temples built there dedicated to Roman gods. 

•  Constantine had the city rebuilt and called it the center of the Christian world (so now it had religious significance).

•  Constantine had created one gold standard for the empire and this helped keep Byzantine areas strong.

Advantages of living under the Byzantine Empire

Eastern side = closer to silk roads and trade = better economic stability

What were the mediterranean sea complez?

Basically the silk roads but over water! (Martime) important trade routes

How was the civil service organized?

The civil service was organized intro the hierarchical system of complexity. Taxes were collected, justice was administered, armies were raised, and functions of the state. “Period of greatest power” Byzantine government = highly functional and organized

Advantages of Byzantium

• Advantages:
    

  •  Located on the Bosphorus strait.

  •  Many harbors exist in this area/surrounded by water.

  •  Had protective walls around the city→ many invaders avoided this area.

  •  Not located near many of the invading tribes.

  •  Had highly educated officials running the gov’t.

  •  Taxes collected regularly.

  •  Strong army/justice system created.

    How did this help the Byzantine to survive?
    

    •  Economy strengthened because they could control trade.  Anyone wanting to get in/out of the Black Sea HAD TO go through Byzantium and had to pay them.  As a result, Constantinople became one of the busiest centers of the trade in the world at this point.

    •  Walls→ protection from any invaders that did come close.

    •  Highly organized government and economy→ people could focus on cultural achievements and society (coming up tomorrow)

Why is the Bosporus strait of importance

Important strait becuase it was a trade route and military passage connecting Europe and Asia allowing control over access to the black and Mediterranean seas, and strategically positions Constantinople for defense.

Justinian

529 - 565 AD

-autocrat (sole rulers and complete authority)

-ruled over the government and the church

-Christ’s co-ruler on earth

Theodora

A prostitute that Justinian fell in love with, married, and elevated to empress

Served as his advisor and co-ruler

Byzantium as the “New Rome”

Justinians main goal was to establish the power and glory of Rome  

Those living in the eastern half considered themselves Roman (Byzantine will be a name given later in history).

•   Carrying on traditions of Rome will help keep people united and help ease the transition into a new empire that was similar to Rome, but also more Hellenistic in nature.

•  Like Rome, Byzantium will be ruled by emperors, who had absolute authority.
  

What aspects were copied from Rome

•  They will copy certain elements of Roman culture:  

  •  Gladiator games: “bread and circuses”.

  •  Architectural styles: domes.

  •  Art techniques: mosaics.

  •  Legal codes.

Why did the Byzantine people call themselves?

Empire of the Romans

Justinians Code (Corpus Jris Civilis)

“Body of Civil Law” was a 6th century AD codification of ancient Roman law compiled by order of Byzantine Emporer Justinian. Issued between 529 and 534, it’s considered a foundation of both civil and common law

-to live justice

-to injure no one

-to live honestly

-public and private law

-civil law

Helped unify the empire by:

Official faith:

Tolerance towards other beliefs:

Why does Justinian have a new law code created? How does it help unify the empire? Did he believe in religious tolerance? Does this help or hinder the unification of the Byzantine Empire?

Justinians Code

•  Justinian hired legal experts to gather, revise, and organize Roman law into a single text.

•  Included laws passed by Roman assemblies, decrees passed by Roman emperors, legal writings of Roman judges, and a handbook for students.

•  It is divided by theme and topic to make it easier to find and use the law code.

•  IMPACT → Churches & Monarchs in the West will model their law code on Justinian’s Code

Theodora’s reforms

• Helped Justinian craft a new constitution and make reforms to end political corruption

• Focused on women’s rights: Increased rights for divorce and property ownership, Mothers granted guardianship of children, Banned killing of women who committed adultery, etc 

Nika Riots - 532 AD

•  A revolt that occurred against Emperor Justinian in Constantinople.

•  Half of Constantinople was burned and destroyed and tens of thousands of people killed.

  •  Different factions (teams) formed to support various competitors in chariot racing which were differentiated by color (Blues, Greens, Reds, and Whites).

  •  These teams gained political and social influence and often held meetings to discuss these issues.

  •  One day at the games the Blue and Greens became unified and started besieging the palace → they were opposed to Justinian’s taxes, his lack of support of the nobility, and unfair convictions.

  •  Some Senators conspired to overthrow Justinian.

Why did some people think Justinian failed the people?

•  The Nika riots showed that instead of listening to their concerns, Justinian would choose to silence his people by killing them.

•  The chariot races had become an outlet for people to express political views and social concerns.

WAS IT REALLY JUSTINIAN THAT RULED AND MADE THESE CONTROVERSIAL DECISIONS?

•  Justinian’s wife, Theodora, is known as one of the most powerful women in history.

•  Theodora grew up with little money and when her father died, her mother put her in acting which evolved into a life of prostitution.

•  She was Justinian’s mistress and he was so captivated by her, that he had the law changed so that a patrician could marry a plebeian.  

•  Theodora was strong willed and loved her new found power.

•  During the Nika riots, Justinian wanted to flee and he went to his wife for advice.

•  Justinian consulted her on almost all matters.  So at the end of the day maybe our aim should be…Why is Theodora considered to be one of the most significant emperors?

Theodoras reforms

•  Theodora helped Justinian craft a new constitution
  and formulate reforms to end political corruption.

•  Focused on women’s rights:

  •  Increased rights for divorce and property ownership.

  •  Mothers granted guardianship of children.

  •  Banned killing of women who committed adultery.

  •  Closed brothels.

  •  Opened convents for ex-prostitutes.

What types of achievements are credited to Justinian?

• Crowned emperor in 525 A.D. Ruled as an autocrat.

• He was also the head of the Church.

• Ruled with his wife Theodora.  Almost a co-regency.

• Also known for expanding the empire, and he even controlled parts of the old Western Empire! 

• Reformed the old Roman legal code.

Hagi Sophia (What is it, who comissioned it, and short historical backround)

• Commissioned by Emperor Justinian following the Nika Riots

  • It was probably a form of propaganda!
    
    

• It started as a church, and was turned into a mosque in the 1400s and in 1932 it became a museum.  In 2021 it became a mosque again!

• Construction started in 532 and was done by 537!  

  It wasn’t easy to build!  Turkey is prone to earthquakes and no one knew how the Romans built the Pantheon.  No one knew how to keep the arches from collapsing either.  They needed a better solution than a keystone!

  Solution:  Pendentives to support the dome and extra half domes to support the arches!

  
  
  

Was Justinian a successful ruler

Icon

•  A religious work of art that is used for devotional purposes in Christianity.
  
  

•  Typically they are portraits of Jesus, Mary, or other religious figures, but they can also depict narrative scenes. 

THE CAUSES OF ICONOCLASM

• The use of icons could be conflated with the worship of idols….could one mistake the worship of Jesus with the worship of a depiction of Jesus?

•  Pictures and statues cannot adequately depict the divine nature of Jesus-- they can only show him as a man.  This is heresy!

•  By the 8^th century, Islam was influencing local customs in the Byzantine Empire. (Islam does not allow the depiction of any living creature.)

Who was emperor Leo III and what decree did he put out?

Emperor Leo III abolished ALL ICONS in 726 CE and another in 730 CE that called for the active destructuion of al icons

- Violent riots occurred & iconodules were eventually persecuted under his son, Leo IV.

WHAT WAS THE PRICE OF
BYZANTIUM’S UNIQUE CULTURE?

• Justinian’s wars to expand the empire and funding of the Hagia Sophia will cause the empire to go bankrupt!

• The empire and its people will feel the long-term effects of this!  

• The empire will shrink (but that’s also because of growing Muslim power) and it will be vulnerable to attack!    

Nika Riots - 532 A.D

• A revolt against Justinian in Constantinople 

• Half of Constantinople was burned & destroyed, tens of thousands of people killed

• Why? They were opposed to his taxes, lack of support towards nobility, and unfair convictions

Byzantine art/architecture

• Copied elements of Rome to provide connection to their heritage  

• More geometric and flat

• More religious art and made mosaics

Debate of Iconoclasm effects

• Drove a wedge between the 2 sects (Roman catholics and Eastern Orthodox)

• Resulted in the Great schism in 1054 A.D

  • East-West = separation of Catholic Church of the west from the orthodox churches of the east 

• The pope and Patriarch excommunicated till 1965