1. Byzantine Empire

2. The Roman Emperor Constantine started the Byzantine Empire when he moved the capital of Rome to Byzantium (Today the city is called Istanbul in Turkey) Christian Empire and religion was very important Name changed to Constantinople to honor Constantine and by 500 AD, 500,000 people lived there Huge city with markets, baths, paved roads, and a circus (just like Rome)

3. Byzantine Empire

4. Trade center: Crossroads for trade from Europe to Asia, Europe to Africa, and Asia to Africa It was the largest, greatest empire of the middle ages

5. Byzantine Empire Justinian was one of Byzantine’s greatest rulers Became emperor in 527 AD Wrote a code of law for all Byzantine people to understand The Justinian Code was not only the law of the empire, it was a blueprint for most modern law systems in Europe today Justinian law preserved Greek, Roman, and Christian culture and traditions People living in the Byzantine Empire called themselves Romans

6. Byzantine Empire

7. Byzantine Empire was constantly at war with Germanic tribes (Vandals, Goths), Persians, Arabs, and finally the Turks The Empire gained and lost and regained territory for 1000 years Byzantine emperors were the leaders of the government and the church In 1054, the church split into the Roman Catholic Church in the west and the Greek Orthodox Church in the east This split weakened the Empire In 1453, the Turks captured Constantinople, and the Byzantine Empire ended.