Unit 2: Byzantine Empire

Constantinople

A big and rich city that was the capital of the Byzantine Empire, where Europe and Asia meet. It was later called Istanbul.

Eastern Roman Empire

The part of the Roman Empire that stayed strong after the Western part fell. It became the Byzantine Empire.

Western Roman Empire

The part of the Roman Empire that collapsed in 476 AD due to invasions and weak leadership.

Bosporus Strait

A narrow waterway that separates Europe and Asia and made Constantinople a great place for trade and defense.

Justinian

A powerful Byzantine emperor who created new laws and built famous buildings like the Hagia Sophia.

Theodora

Justinian's wife and a strong leader who helped improve rights for women and the poor.

Justinian Code

A set of laws created by Justinian that organized old Roman laws and made them fairer.

Nika Riots

A violent protest in Constantinople where people fought against Justinian's rule. Many were killed, but Justinian kept his throne.

Hagia Sophia

A beautiful and famous church in Constantinople with a huge dome, built by Justinian.

Autocrat

A ruler who has total control over a country and does not share power with others.

Aqueduct

A system of bridges and tunnels used to carry fresh water to cities.

Orthodox Christianity

A branch of Christianity followed mostly in Eastern Europe and Russia, different from the Roman Catholic Church.

Icons

Religious pictures of Jesus, Mary, or saints used for prayer in churches and homes.

Mosaic

A type of art made by arranging tiny colored pieces of glass or stone to create a picture.

Patriarch

The leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church, like the Pope but for the Byzantine Empire.

Great Schism

The official split in 1054 AD between the Roman Catholic Church in the West and the Eastern Orthodox Church in the East.

Pope

The head of the Roman Catholic Church, based in Rome.

Iconoclasm

A time when Byzantine leaders banned and destroyed religious images (icons), thinking they were being worshiped like idols.

Excommunication

When someone is officially kicked out of the church, meaning they can't participate in religious services.

Eastern Orthodox Church

The Christian church that followed the Byzantine Empire's traditions and was led by the Patriarch.

Roman Catholic Church

The Christian church in Western Europe, led by the Pope.

Theme System

A way the Byzantines organized their army and land, giving soldiers land in exchange for protecting the empire.

Greek Fire

A secret Byzantine weapon that could burn on water, used to defend their navy.

Silk Road

A long trade route connecting China to Europe where goods like silk, spices, and gold were traded.

Mercenaries

Soldiers who fight for money instead of loyalty to a country.

Trade Networks

The system of roads and sea routes people used to buy and sell goods across different lands.

Bureaucracy

A system where trained government workers help run the empire and make decisions.

Crusades

Religious wars where European Christians tried to take back the Holy Land from Muslim rulers.

Sack of Constantinople (1204)

When Christian Crusaders attacked and looted Constantinople instead of helping it, weakening the empire.

Ottoman Turks

A powerful Muslim empire that conquered Constantinople in 1453 and ended the Byzantine Empire.

Sultan Mehmed II

The Ottoman ruler who conquered Constantinople in 1453 and renamed it Istanbul.

Fall of Constantinople (1453)

The year when the Ottoman Empire finally captured Constantinople, marking the end of the Byzantine Empire.

Plague of Justinian

A deadly disease that spread across the Byzantine Empire during Justinian's rule, killing many people.

Cyrillic Alphabet

A writing system created by Byzantine monks for Slavic people, still used in Russian and other Eastern European languages today.