Chapter 10, Section 1 September 7, 2010

 Reign- (n.) period of power of a ruler  Imperial-(adj.)of or related to a empire  Distinct-(adj.)not alike; different  Regain-(v.)to have again

 His reign was marked by 2 important changes:  First, he became a Christian and stopped the persecution of Christians.  In 330, he built a new imperial capital at Byzantium, later renamed Constantinople.

Reign 25 July 306 AD – 29 October 312

 Byzantine Empire  Was located in the eastern half of the Roman Empire  Had a large, strong military. (ships shot “Greek fire” at invaders)  Charged duties on trade goods and became rich  Had many excellent rulers

 Its capital was Constantinople, which  Was located at a major crossroads of land and sea trade routes  Connected two continents: Europe and Asia Constantinople

Map of the Byzantine Empire 565

 By 350, it was already in decline.  Roman armies had difficulty holding back invaders from Europe.  Germanic groups took over the city of Rome in 476.  The period from the fall of the Roman Empire in A.D. 476 to about 1500 is known as the Middle Ages.  This period is also called medieval, or existing during the Middle Ages.  In the Middle Ages, the Byzantine Empire remained strong.

Byzantine Empire in 476, after the fall of the western Roman Empire

 Came from a poor family  Lasting contribution was a system of laws called Justinian’s Code.  His code became the basis for legal system of most modern European countries

 Blended Greek, Roman, and Christian influences. Hagia Sophia was built during Justinian’s reign.

Interior view of the Hagia Sophia, edia.org/wiki/F ile:Hagia_Sop hia_BW.jpg

 From appx. 900-mid- 1000s, the Byzantine Empire experienced a final period of greatness.  The long reign of Basil II –from was the most exceptional period of Byzantine history since Justinian.

 After Justinian’s death, a series of wars with neighboring enemies caused a decline in trade.  The Byzantine Empire shrunk in size and power.

 In 1054, the Christian church split, forming the Roman Catholic church in the west and the Eastern (Greek) Orthodox church in the east Temple of Saint Sava Temple of Saint Sava (Belgrade, Serbia), the largest Eastern Orthodox church in the world.BelgradeSerbia

 Constantinople  was weakened by attacks from Muslim people from the east and Christian crusaders from the west.  finally fell to the Turks in  Was renamed Istanbul and became a great center of Muslim culture and capital of the Ottoman Empire.

Today, Istanbul, Turkey is where Constantinople once was.

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