Byzantine Empire c CE c Diocletian divided the Roman Empire in half c Constantine built a new capital city in the eastern half Diocletian thought it would be easier to govern an eastern and a western half Constantine named his city Constantinople (modern- day Istanbul)

Byzantine Empire c CE 476 – fall of the Western Roman Empire Eastern Empire continued to grow and prosper became known as the Byzantine Empire capital city of the Byzantine Empire was Constantinople

Byzantine Empire c CE Byzantine Empire was geographically important Constantinople was located between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea located along trade routes between WE, EA, AF, and SWA Silk Road & Gold Road passed through the Byzantine Empire

Constantinople was located on a peninsula that stuck out into Bosporus Strait The Bosporus Strait connects the Black and Mediterranean Seas Due to this strategic location, the Byzantine became a very wealthy empire

Byzantine Empire c CE Christianity in the Eastern Empire was different than Christianity in the Western Empire Byzantines rejected the authority of the Pope in Rome Byz. priests had the right to marry Language of the Byz. Church was Greek, not Latin

Byzantine Empire c CE 1054-Great Schism: Byzantine Church broke away from the Roman Church (Schism =split) (Schism =split) First permanent split in the Christian Church Created two branches of Christianity: Created two branches of Christianity: Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox

Other splits occurred in Christianity Protestant Reformation Martin Luther-- German priest who broke away from the Catholic Church to form the Protestant Church

Importance of the Byzantine Empire When the Western Roman Empire fell in 476, libraries and places of learning were destroyed. knowledge gained from Greek and Roman civilizations was lost to WE Byzantine Empire preserved Greek and Roman achievements 1090’s--Crusading armies passing through Byz. Emp. brought Greek and Roman knowledge back to WE

Importance of the Byzantine Empire 530 CE Emperor Justinian, the Byzantine's greatest emperor Preserved and improved Roman laws and justice codes Justinian’s Code is the basis for modern law systems

Importance of the Byzantine Empire 530 CE Church of Hagia Sophia built in form of a cross huge dome rests on massive columns Byzantine architecture was a synthesis of Greek, Roman, and SWA architecture

minarets were added by Muslims who invaded Constantinople in 1453 Hagia Sophia was converted from a church to a mosque Minarets are used to call Muslims to prayer

What caused the fall of the Byzantine Empire? 1000 – migration of Seljuk Turks from SWA to EE Muslims began a massive out-migration from the Arabian Peninsula after Islam was established in the 630’s ACE

What caused the fall of the Byzantine Empire? 1200-attacks by Crusading armies marching from WE to SWA 1090’s- Crusades began Religious wars between Christians and Muslims over control of Jerusalem in the Holy Land

What caused the fall of the Byzantine Empire? 1453-invasion of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks under 24 year old Sultan Mehmet II The city was renamed Istanbul Hagia Sophia became a mosque Istanbul became a center of Muslim culture