1.5 The Early Byzantine Civilization

Who laid the foundation for the Byzantine Empire?

Emperor Constantine

How did Constantine lay the foundation for the Byzantine Empire?

By establishing Constantinople as a “New Rome”

Where was the Byzantine strategically placed between?

Europe and Asia

When did the Byzantine civilization become the heart of the Roman imperial system?

476 AD with the collapse of the western empire

Under the Byzantine rulers, what was its civilization based on?

Trade and Roman law

How long did the Byzantine Civilization last?

Over 1100 years, from 330-1453

What was an accomplishment by the Byzantine civilization in terms of language and culture?

• It preserved the heritage of Greco-Roman civilization while the West was culturally stagnant.

• It spread civilization to all of eastern Europe.

What was an accomplishment by the Byzantine civilization in terms of law?

Codification of Roman Law (Justinian Code)

What were 2 accomplishments by the Byzantine civilization in terms of religion?

Eastern Church (Greek Orthodox) converted Slavic people to Christianity

Preserved the Eastern Orthodox Church.

What was an accomplishment by the Byzantine civilization in terms of art?

New focus for art; glorification of Christianity

With the ______ (A.D. 476), the ___________ became known as the Byzantine Empire.

fall of Rome

Eastern Roman Empire

Reasons for economic prosperity of the Byzantine Empire

• Domination of the commercial trade routes controlled by Constantinople

• Monopoly of the silk trade.

How did the Byzantines maintain its peace?

• Made excellent use of diplomacy to avoid invasions

• Geographically distant from the tribes who sacked Rome

How was the bureaucracy of Byzantine strengthened?

Through the codification of Roman law by Justinian

How did the Byzantine geography contribute to the decline of its Empire?

Its geographic proximity to the Arabs, Slavs, and Seljuk Turks, all of whom were becoming more powerful.

How did the economy contribute to the decline of the Byzantine empire?

Lost commercial dominance over the Italians (Italian expansion in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea)

How did religion play a role in the decline of the Byzantine empire?

Internal divisions among Christian sects and the external threat posed by the rise of Islam. As the empire lost territories and its subjects converted to Islam, its cultural unity weakened.

How did the sack of Constantinople during the 4th Crusade contribute to the decline of the Byzantine empire?

The Byzantine Empire was left poorer, smaller, and ultimately less able to defend itself against the Seljuk and Ottoman conquests that followed

The ________________ marked the end of the Byzantine Empire.

The fall of Constantinople (A.D. 1453) marked the end of the Byzantine Empire.