1. City of Constantinople
Government
Emperor’s Power
Ruled with absolute power; head of state & church, appointed & removed bishops.
Emperors still believed they were rulers of all of Rome
Relationship with Roman Empire
Still maintained Roman traditions even though most people spoke Greek instead of Latin.
Preserved great works of Greece & Rome
Law
Justinian’s Code: served 900 years.
single uniform code:4 parts
1. Code: 5000 Roman laws
2. Digest: Rulings
3. Institutes: law student text
4. Novellae: new laws after 534 AD
City of Constantinople
Geographic Advantage
*Crossroad for trade between the East & West.
*City had easy access to land & water trade routes.
*Location made it easier to defend from attacks. Also was fortified with huge wall.
Architecture & Buildings
Emperors built churches, aqueducts, law buildings, baths, schools, & hospitals.
Hagia Sophia *famous Christian church
Byzantine Empire
450 – 1453
Religion
Role of Pope: Conflict arose with Eastern emperors over power in the church and use of icons. Let to split. Pope was revered but not considered supreme authority after the split.
Icons/Iconoclasts: religious images used for devotion/ a destroyer of images used in religious worship.
Priests: could marry in the East but not in the West.
Patriarch: leading bishop of the East.
Final Break (1054): Pope vs. Patriarch disagreed about church doctrine. Led to excommunication. Became Roman Catholic (west) vs. Eastern Orthodox (east).
Today: 300 million members concentrated in Russia & eastern Europe. Second largest Christian religion behind RC.
Important People
Justinian (527 – 565)
*Regained Italy & part of Spain from Germanic tribes.
*Justinian’s Code: see above
*Rebuilt Constantinople
*Huge building program
*Hagia Sophia