1. The Byzantine Empire

2. Let’s Review: What happened to the Roman Empire?
284 C.E.: Emperor Diocletian first divided Roman Empire into 2 parts
Western Roman Empire and Eastern Roman Empire
Why did he do this?
Empire was too big for one ruler!
330 C.E.: Constantine ruled both parts of the empire; moves capital from Rome to Constantinople
395 C.E.: Roman Empire divided forever

3. Rome Splits!
Rome Splits

4. Let’s Review: What happened to the Roman Empire?
Eastern Roman Empire
Western Roman Empire
*Greek-speaking
*Capital (Constantinople) located here
*Trade
*Result: survives until 1453 C.E.
*Latin-speaking
*Unstable
*Political chaos
*Economic problems
*Germanic Invasions
*Result: falls in 476 C.E.

6. Constantinople: Capital of the Byzantine Empire
Look at the map on the previous slide. Why was Constantinople’s location so great?
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7. Justinian Rules the Empire
Takes power in 527 C.E.
Takes back/conquers most of the Western Roman Empire
Ruled with absolute power
In charge of the government and church

8. Justinian’s Accomplishments
Justinian Code:
Laws used throughout the Byzantine Empire
Included laws for marriage, slavery, property, women’s rights, etc.
Used for 900 years!!
Public building program
Hagia Sophia (church)
Walls around Constantinople
Preserved Greco-Roman Culture

9. Justinian’s Code Excerpt
Read the excerpt below from Justinian’s Code. Then, answer the question that follows. You may work with the person next to you.
Book I, Of Persons - VIII. Slaves
Slaves are in the power of masters, a power derived from the law of nations: for among all nations it may be remarked that masters have the power of life and death over their slaves, and that everything acquired by the slave is acquired for the master.
According to this law, what rights do slaves have?

10. Hagia Sophia

11. The Church Splits
Christianity developed differently in the Western and Eastern Roman Empires
Why?
Distance
Little contact between regions
Result: Christian Church splits in 1054
Roman Catholic Church
Eastern Orthodox Church

12. Christianity The Great Schism (1054) Roman Catholicism
Eastern Orthodox

13. Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Church Compete
Compete to convert others to their religion
This is done by missionaries (people who spread religion and convert others)
Eastern Orthodox converted many Slavs
Saint Methodius and Saint Cyril
Invented Cyrillic alphabet- written language created for Slavs
Goal: let them read the Bible in their own language

14. Why did the Byzantine Empire fall?
Plague during Justinian’s reigndecrease in population
Estimate: 10,000 people died per day during 542 C.E.
Foreign Invaders Attack
Slavs, Bulgars, Russians, Arabs attack the empire for many years
1453: Ottoman Turks take over Constantinople
End of Byzantine Empire