1. Eastern Europe
Alexis Begnoche, Catherine Clarke, Katelyn Helton, Allyson Bridewell, Kiona Tenhundfeld

2. Social Class and Gender
Byzantine Empire
- Women could hold the throne and had more rights due to Empress Theodora.
ex. Divorce and Own Property
Emperor(Head of Church AND State) ^
Officials(Selected from all classes)
Military(Leaders develop Regional Power)
Provincial Governors
Merchants
Peasants
Kievan Rus
-Women had more freedom, but it decreased as cultural diffusion occurred with traders
Ruler ^
Priests
Merchants
Peasants
Jews

3. Political Byzantine Kievan Rus
-A spy system was produced to ensure loyalty
-Military organization defends
-Bureacracy regulates trade and food prices
-Roman Law introduced by Justinian
Famous Rulers
-Justinian-- Law Code, Rebuilt Constantinople
-Empress Theodora-- Pushed for women's rights.
Kievan Rus
- Pre-cultural diffusion government was centered in family tribes and villages
-Post-cultural diffusian government had a strong central ruler
-Formal Law Code
Famous Rulers
-Vladimir I-- Diffused Christianity
-Yaroslav-- Intermarriages, Law Code, Golden Age
-Ivan the Great-- Defeated the Mongols, Expanded Empire
-Ivan the Terrible-- Centralized Government, Terror-Tactics

4. Interactions Between Groups and/or Environment
Similarity- Both were strong trading partners > Similar Societies
Byzantine
-Bulgaria was a strong rival
-Permanent Muslim Threat-- Ototman-Turks seize Empire (Muslim people)
-Constantinople's control the countryside > Social and Economic Dependence
-Conquered some of the previous Old Roman Provinces
-Fall produces a loss of provinces-- Asia Minor>
Limited Food Resources
Kievan Rus
-Strong connections through intermarriges
-Rival princes established competing governments--Royal families quarreled
-Asian invaders seized control-- Fall from Mongols
-Scandinavians moven in for trade> Basis of Society> Strong Trade Contact with Slavs and Constantinople

5. Cultural
Similarity- Both focused on luxury and the Eastern Orthodox religion
Byzantine
- Domed buildings, COlored Mosiacs, painted icons focused on religion
-Hellenistic Traditions
-Art and Architecture-- Hagia Sophia
- Greek langauge
Kievan Rus
-Literature focused on royal events and religion
-Art was mainly icon paintings and religious manuscripts--Oral Legends
-Monastic, ornate churches
-Crylic Langauge

6. Economic Byzantine Kievan Rus -Large urban class
-Silk production technology from China> Luxury
-Expansive Trade with Asia, Russia, Scandinavia, and Africa
-Constantinople is a major trading center
Kievan Rus
-Prosperous commercial trading center with Constantinople and the Slavs
-Peasants = Free Farmers
-Iron and extended agriculture
-Prime location on river for trade
-Local trade has more of an impact, while maintaining cultural influence from other societies (Byzantine)

7. Religion Byzantine Kievan Rus -Eastern Orthodox Christianity
-Draws rituals from Greek and Latine versions of the Bible
-Priests maintains power under the ruler
-Weakened by Crusades
-Uses taxes for major religious building projects
Kievan Rus
-Pre-cultural diffusian-- Animistic Religion
-Post-cultural diffusion-- Russian Orthodox Religion
-Almsgiving-- Money to the poor
-Prince Vladimir encourages diffusipon through mass force baptisms