1. What are the advantages of building a major city here?

2. Advantages Peninsula Safe harbors for ships Provided natural defense water on 3 sides Trade Easy access to the Med. Sea Had important land route = linked Europe & Asia (Silk Road) MAP

3. Byzantine Empire 330 – 1455 AD

4. Founding of Constantinople 330 A.D. Constantine relocated capital to Greek city of Byzantium or Constantinople New capital modeled after Rome Byzantine Empire started w/fall of W. Rome by the Germans

5. Constantinople City was heavily fortified Water on 3 sides & wall to protect the 4 th side Multi-ethnic city Spoke Greek, but Latin = official language. 600,000 people Constantine convinced wealthy Romans to move to the city by offering to build them palaces.

6. The Rule of Justinian I

7. As Emperor (527): Was a general Chose who served under him based on ability not wealth Leader of military, Gov., & Church, laws, and was supreme judge Theodora (Justinian’s Wife) Passed Women’s Rights Dowry: could own land equal to wealth at marriage Held back a rebellion

8. Justinian’s Conquest Wanted to reunite E. & W. parts of the empire Belisarius lead the new strengthened armies Developed Greek fire (1 st secret chemical weapon) Took Italy, Spain & North Africa Most of the land was lost after his death

9. The Rule of Justinian I

10. Hagia Sophia Contribution: 12,000 workers to complete Major feature was its huge dome Very complex, wide uses of mosaics

14. Justinian Code Simplify current legal system Tribonian, combined Greek & Roman legal traditions Became the law of the land & basis of civil law in Western Civilizations Germany, Italy, South Africa, USA

15. The Church Patriarch (Leader of the Church) Metropolitans (Church officials) BishopsPriests Emperor was head of gov. & church

16. Byzantines used icons (religious images) to worship 726: Emperor Leo banned icons (thought honoring them was a form of idol worship forbidden by God) People in West couldn’t read so they used icons. Pope in the West said Leo and supporters no longer members of Church Patriarch would not recognize the Pope as Head of the Church Split called the schism Pope broke his ties with Byzantines and worked with Franks

17. Decline of the Empire Borders were safe so Gov. took away land from farmers (army) so had no reason to remain loyal to army Let Venetians do business tax-free Controlled most of empire’s trade Invaders Christians (West) & Muslims (East) 1453 – Turkish conquered