Mrs. Hansen Medieval Times

Section 1: Byzantium  Constantinople: Byzantine Capital Located on the Bosporus strait ○ Ideal for trade because it connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara and is an area where Europe and Asia meet ○ Constantinople became rich from trade and charging taxes for trade items

 History of Constantinople First it was part of Greece Then part of the Roman Empire  Later Constantine (1 st Christian Emperor of Rome) moved the capitol He then renamed it Constantinople meaning the “City of Constantine”  Now it belongs to the country of Turkey and is called Istanbul Byzantium

 Rome Splits apart The western ½ was overrun by invaders The Eastern ½ survived in Byzantium ○ WHY?? Trade, A strong army who used “Greek Fire” among other weapons

 A great Byzantine emperor = Justinian An emperor from a poor background who married an actress ○ He was a good listener, hard worker, had a steady temper, but was very stubborn ○ He ruled for many years in part due to following his wife, Theodora’s, advice in politics.

 The fall of Byzantium There was a schism within the church ○ Some people prayed to saints or holy people represented on icons ○ Others thought people should only pray to God The debate reached the leaders of the church ○ The Patriarch in Constantinople ○ The Pope in Rome

 The church split ○ The Greek Orthodox in the East ○ The Roman Catholic in the West  After the split in the church The Byzantine Empire fell to invasion supported by the Roman Catholic church

 What the Byzantine Empire gave us!?! The Code of Justinian ○ Justinian ordered the laws to be organized and written down ○ This code became the backbone for many European Legal systems The Byzantines wrote down and kept much of the knowledge of ancient Greece and Rome safe while western Europe was in a chaotic state