Eastern Europe Overview

Byzantine Empire

  • Justinian

    • Byzantine emperop 572-565 CE

    • absolute ruler over empire and church

    • recaptured control of parts of western roman empire including rome, italy, and spain

    • closest any byzantine emperor came to ruling old roman empire

    • improved the city of constantinople

    • rebuilt protective walls

    • added hospitals, courts, baths, aqueducts

    • schools built

      • students studied greek and roman classics

  • Justinian Code

    • Gathered all roman laws into one document

    • updated and standardized the laws, eliminated contradictions

    • anyone who was not a christian was not a citizen

    • anyone present at a pagan sacrifice may be charged with murder

    • women charged with major crimes should be guarded by other women

    • influenced future european law codes

  • Hagia Sophia

    • huge church seen as most beautiful in the world

  • Byzantine Reconquest of Rome

    • The region's rich history and cultural heritage continue to impact modern legal systems and architectural styles today.

  • Empress Theodora

    • most powerful woman in the empire

    • helped her husband with his projects

    • gave him important advice

      • talked him out of constantinople during riots

  • Justinian Plague

    • killed around 40% of the population of the E. Mediterranean

    • possibly prevented justinian from reconquering the W. Roman Empire

  • Great Schism

    • in 1054, the christian church splits into 2

    • roman catholic church, based in rome

    • eastern orthodox church, based in constantiople

  • Orthodox Vs Catholic

    • Roman Catholic: The Roman Catholic Church emphasizes the authority of the Pope as the leader of the Church, while maintaining distinct doctrines and practices that unify its global followers.

    • Eastern Orthodox: The Eastern Orthodox Church prioritizes a collective leadership model, with various autocephalous (self-governing) churches, and emphasizes the importance of tradition and the seven ecumenical councils in shaping its beliefs.

  • Patriarch

    • In contrast to the Pope's singular authority, the Patriarchs in the Eastern Orthodox Church are considered as leaders of their respective jurisdictions, fostering a sense of shared governance and collaboration among the different Orthodox communities. Additionally, the role of the Patriarch often includes promoting the faith and ensuring the preservation of Orthodox traditions.

  • Mosaics

    • Art made by using many small tiles

    • often religious, or of leaders

    • gold and silver tiles used



Kievan Rus/Russia

  • Kiev

    • City located Dnieper River

    • trade routes were established between Constantiople and Kiev

  • Influence by the Byzantines

    • Eastern Slavs (Russians, Ukrainians, etc.) were influenced greatly by the Byzantines and desired their wealth

  • Rurik

    • Established a strong position along the Dnieper

    • wanrs to trade with constaniople, so developed trade routes from the black sea to the baltic sea

    • Kiev grows in power and wealth

    • creates area known as kievan rus

  • St. Cyril and Methodius

    • head into slavic territory by order of the byzantine emperor

    • goal was to spread religion and language

  • Cyrilic Alphabet

    • Developed by Cyril and Methodius, the Cyrillic alphabet became a key tool for translating the Bible into Slavic languages, thus fostering literacy and cultural identity among the Slavic peoples.

  • Vladimir the Great

    • played a crucial role in the Christianization of Kievan Rus, adopting Byzantine Christianity as the state religion, which significantly influenced the cultural and religious landscape of Eastern Europe.

  • Conversion to Christianity

    • led to the establishment of important religious institutions and the introduction of Byzantine art and architecture. This transformation not only united the diverse tribes under a common faith but also paved the way for a richer cultural exchange with the Byzantine Empire, strengthening ties that would last for centuries.

  • Ivan III

    • also known as Ivan the Great, was a significant figure in this context, as he expanded the territory of the Grand Duchy of Moscow and laid the foundations for the centralized Russian state. His marriage to Sophia Palaiologina, a Byzantine princess, further emphasized the connection to Byzantine heritage, reinforcing the cultural and religious influences from the east.

      • Defeat of Mongols

        • By defeating the Mongols at the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380, Ivan III significantly weakened their hold over Russia, which contributed to the rise of centralized power and the eventual establishment of a distinct Russian identity.

      • Rise of Moscow

        • As Moscow began to flourish politically and economically, it positioned itself as the heart of the emerging Russian state, uniting various principalities under its authority.


Vikings

  • Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, Sweden)

    • Scandinavia, comprising Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, became notable for its exploration and maritime prowess, contributing to the region's historical development and interactions with neighboring territories.

  • Viking Age (700’s-1066)

    • Norsemen known as Vikings undetook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America

      • Invasion of England

        • the vikings came to england only to raid, but eventually some vikings came to permanently conqueror the land

          • Great Heathen Army: a coalition of various viking armies which came to conquer England. they destroyed 4 kingdoms in england and set up a new capital at York

      • Danelaw

        • area of england that was controlled by the vikings

  • Viking Ships

    • incredibly fast and could carry a crew of 40-100 warriors

    • has a shallow draft which allowed them to sail in rivers deep inland

    • had 2 bows so they can reverse easily

    • advanced vessels that enabled the Vikings to navigate both open seas and shallow rivers, facilitating their raids and trade across Europe.

  • Iceland 

    • first discovered by sailors who were blown off course

    • permanently setteled in 870

    • some settelers moved to find rich farmland, valuable walrus tusks, or to avoid taxes

    • had no king, but was a commonwealth

    • A key part of the Viking expansion, Iceland served as an important stopover for journeys to Greenland and North America.

  • Greenland

    • Although harsh and uninhabitable in parts, Greenland was settled by the Vikings, notably by Erik the Red, who established the first Norse colonies around 986 AD, providing a foothold for further explorations into North America.

    • Norse settlements survived in greenland for about 500 years and then mysteriouly disappeared

  • Canada

    • vikings explored northern canada sand set up a colony at L’Anse Aux Meadows, which was occupied for 20 years

  • Sagas

    • prose (poetic) stories and histories

    • originally composed to be performed live, by a skald

    • vinland saga: story of the exploration and settlement of canada

    • beowulf: early english saga

  • Eirik the Red

    • exiled from iceland for 3 years

    • after exploring and discovering greenland he returned to iceland and convinced 25 shiploads of settelers to come with him and establish a new colony

  • Leif Erikson

    • son of Erik the Red

    • sailed west of greenland to explore land described by a sailor who got lost. the called the land Vinland

  • Rollo-Paris

    • Rollo: A Viking leader who settled in what is now France, becoming the first ruler of Normandy.

  • Normandy

    • A region in northern France that was established as a duchy in the 10th century, which played a significant role in medieval politics and the Norman Conquest of England.

  • Norse Mythology

    • Odin: Ruler of gods

    • Thor: Odin’s son, god of thunder

    • Loki: Shapeshifter, he sometimes assists the gods and sometimes behaves maliciously towards them

    • Valhalla: majectic hall located in asgard and presided over by the god Odin. Half of thosse who die in combat enter Valhalla, while the other half are chosen by the goddess Freyja

    • Ragnarok: a series of events, including a great abttle, foretelling the death of numerous great figures, natural disatsers, and the submersipn of the world in water. After there events, the world will rise again, cleansed and fertile, the surviving and retuening gods will meet and the world will be repopulated by two human survivors