1. Byzantine Empire Cameron Muscha Rachell Beetler Leanne Burns James Bell

2. Post Roman Empire After the western Roman empire fell the government in Constantinople abandoned hope of re-conquering Italy. Instead learned lessons from the fall of Rome Brought about many social and economic reforms Reformed taxes in 425 A.D. Couldn’t support a large army due to lack of finances and resources from the west.

3. Map The Byzantine Empire arose from Roman territories after the Roman Empire fell.

4. Byzantium Founded by Greek colonists from megara in 667 b.c. In 330 A.D. emperor Constantine I refounded and rebuilt the city naming it “Nova Roma” or “New Rome”. After Constantine’s death the city was named Constantinople or “city of Constantine”.

5. Byzantium cont. The city was located in the Bosporus Strait. Surrounded on the 3 sides by water, the 4 th side was heavily fortified Provided it with natural defense from invaders. Could control trade routes between the orient and Europe and all sea routes between the Mediterranean sea and the Black sea.

6. The Byzantium Empire  The Empire of Byzantium was the eastern portion of the Roman Empire.  Fell in 395 A.D.  Empire was split by Emperor Diocletian.  Constantine sat on the throne of the eastern empire and announced Byzantium to be its capitol  Both were Roman civilizations but the Eastern empire began to evolve into a very different culture  Announced Greek as the official language and Latin influences started to fall away  Blended Greek, Indian, and Asian cultures and eventually Muslim influences after the 7 th century.

7. Symbol of the City Symbol of the city was the crescent and virgin Mary’s star. Crescent came from the moon goddess Hectare who was believed to have saved the city from Philip II of Macedon in 340 B.C. Constantine added the Virgin Mary’s star

8. Justinian Emperor Justinian Conquered North Africa, and temporarily retook Italy from the Goths and ostrogoths. Gothic war lead to the devastation of Italy economically. Little resources came from Italy and it plunged into a period of darkness where Italy became a drain on the empire. Created the Corpus Iuris Civilis Codified Roman law and “Christianized” it. Became the basis for all European legal systems except for England’s

9. Post Justinian 3 years after Justinian’s death Italy fell into the hands of the Lombards. Empire once again centered in the east. Emperor Heraclius was left with the task of saving the empire from financial ruin Persia threatened to overrun the area in Asia minor while slaves and Mongolian people threatened the west. Heraclius defeated and was credited with bringing about the end of the Persian empire.

10. The emergence of Islam The same year Heraclius assumed the throne, an Arab outside in Mecca started preaching and started the religion of Islam By the end of Heraclius’ reign, Muslim armies were raiding Byzantine territory in Syria and Persia. The Byzantine empire now began to focus their attention and resources into defending the southern half of the empire The old European provinces began to fade away and in the west the end of the Roman culture finally died.

11. Islam Muslim armies swept through and conquered Byzantine territories in Syria and Egypt. Never could conquer the city of Constantinople. Emperor Leo the Isaurian turned away a large muslim invasion and centralized Muslim leadership began to dissolve allowing for the Byzantines to reassert control over the empire. Became influential power again Empire stretched from Greece to Arabia. In 1071 Seljuk Turks conquered a Byzantine army at Manzikert in Asia Minor and took all Byzantine territory in the east.