Coach Parrish OMS Chapter 10, Section 1 – Part 2 The Byzantine Empire Coach Parrish OMS Chapter 10, Section 1 – Part 2

The Age of Justinian One of the greatest Byzantine emperors was Justinian. His rule began in 527 AD. One of Justinian’s most lasting contributions was a system of laws called Justinian’s Code. Justinian Code – organized collection and explanation of Roman laws for use by the Byzantine Empire.

Justinian

Byzantine Culture Byzantine scholars collected and copied the works of the ancient Greeks. At the height of the Byzantine Empire, the people blended Greek, Roman, and Christian influences. When the Byzantine Empire began to fade, scholars took the ancient manuscripts to the city-states of Italy. (Later sparked Renaissance)

Byzantine Empire’s Later Years After Justinian’s death in 565 AD, the Byzantine empire began to decline. Later emperors had to fight wars against the Persians and Turks to the east, Arabs to the south, and Germanic people to the north and west. The empire was shrinking in both size and power. Inner political and religious disputes started.

A Religious Dispute A dispute amongst Byzantines began over different Christian practices. There were some differences between the way Byzantines practiced Christianity and the way Western Europe did.

A Religious Dispute Many early Christians prayed to saints or holy people. In the 700s, a Byzantine emperor outlawed this form of prayer. The pope disagreed and banished the emperor from the church. Byzantines didn’t think the pope had this authority thus leading to a schism – split, in the Christian church in 1054.

A Second Golden Age From 900 AD to the mid – 1000s, the Byzantines experienced greatness again. As the economy grew, so did the government. The long reign of Basil II, was the most exceptional period of Byzantine history since Justinian.

Basil II

The Fall of Constantinople Constantinople began to be attacked by several groups. The Turks to the north and later by Christian crusaders. In 1453, a force of 70,000 Turks surrounded Constantinople. They attacked by both sea and land. The defending Byzantines, numbering 7000, held out for two months. Eventually the capital fell, after 1000 years of prosperity.