1. Byzantine Empire and the Rise of Islam
Chapter 8

2. Essential Question- Section 1
Why was Constantinople a great city?

3. Constantinople Constantinople Made by Constantine in 330
Built on site of Greek seaport known as Byzantium
Intersection of major trade routes between Asia and Europe
Constantine called it New Rome
Remember has Rome split in west and then east? Eastern Roman Empire now= Byzantine Empire

4. Emperor- church and state
Rulers power Absolute= with complete, unrestrained authority
Religion closely linked with politics
One ruler tried to reconquer all of western Roman Empire- Justinian

5. Justinian Had official court historian- Procopius
Said Justinian a conscientious ruler
Justinian tried to reconquer lands in the west
Ordered Greek and Latin scholars to compile and simplify the laws
Was successful in reconquering – even took the city of Rome and parts of Africa
Rome went back and forth between rulers
When Byzantines finally controlled power Rome, the city was in ruins
Spread his empire through Spain
The destruction of Rome was caused by Justinian

6. Justinian’s Code of Laws
Body of Civil Law (Corpus Juris Civilis)- Code of Justinian
Codex Justinian- 5,000 laws from Roman Empire that were still relevant
Digest- quotes and summarized the opinions of Rome’s greatest legal writers
Institutes- textbook for law students on how to use new code
Novellae- new laws
Basis for Byzantine Empire for 900 years

7. Church Split
In Constantinople, icons used (objects depicting Jesus, Mary, etc.)
People in Constantinople did not like this- thought icon really an idol (these people are called iconoclasts)
Tension between people in Rome and people in Constantinople
Eventually, split the church:
Christianity in Rome= Roman Catholic Church
Christianity in Constantinople= Eastern Orthodox Church

8. Fight for Survival Byzantine Empire always fighting to stay alive
Just like Rome, constantly trying to stop invaders
Eventually Arabs, inspired by Prophet Muhammad, came into Byzantine Empire through the Arabian desert and threatened empire’s survival

9. Quick Write
What factors made Constantinople a great city? (consider geographic, historic, and cultural influences)

10. Section 3- The Empires Influences Slavs and Turks
Essential Question- Why were the Turks successful in taking over the Byzantine Empire and bringing it to an end?

11. Byzantine Culture Influences the Slavic Peoples
Byzantine Empire lost land to Muslims, but Constantinople still strong
Arabs attacking Constantinople from the South, Slavs attacking from the North
Slavs- nomads who migrated from eastern Europe into Asia

12. Conversion of Slavs The Russian Kingdom
Slavs persuaded to become Christian (unlike the Arahs)
The Russian Kingdom
Slavs in north called Russians
Princess Olga, ruled Kiev from ,was the first Russian ruler to be Christian
Hagia Sophia- built by Constantine, Cathedral
Russians looked to Constantinople rather than Rome as the religious leader- cutting ties from Western Europe

13. The Turks Struck from the East
Islamic Empire
Spain already broke from Islamic Empire by 756
Lost Egypt in 868- biggest loss
Sultan held all political power or Islamic Empire- not religious
Seljuk Turks
Baghdad fell to the Turks
Seljuk Turks= first group of migrating Turks, Sunni’s
Still fought with other Muslims
Once Baghdad fell, Turks replaced Arabs as the ruling class
1071- Seljuk Turks invaded Byzantine Empire and took over the eastern Byzantine Empire

14. The Ottomans posed a new Threat
New group of Turks- the Ottomans
Ottomans saw themselves as Ghazis- fierce Islamic warriors dedicated to fighting a holy war against non-believers
Ottomans took power from Seljuk Turks
Ottomans invaded the Byzantine Empire and by 1350, they controlled most of western Asia Minor
Only Constantinople remained unconquered

15. The Fall of Constantinople
If the city stayed under Byzantine rule, the Ottomans could not gain more power
Muhammad II- Ottoman Sultan- said “I want only one thing. Give me Constantinople!” 1451
April 6, Siege for Constantinople
Muhammad gained control of the Harbor
May 29- Ottoman Turks took over Constantinople
Muhammad changed the name to Istanbul
Hagia Sophia transformed into a Mosque

16. Quick Write
Why were the Turks successful in taking over the Byzantine Empire and bringing it to an end?