The Byzantine Empire

The Byzantine Empire

Lesson 3

The New Rome

The Eastern Roman Empire became known as the Byzantine Empire. It was at its most powerful in the a.d. 500s. The empire stretched east to Arabia, south to Egypt, and west to Italy.

Constantinople was the capital of the empire. The location of the city gave it special advantages. The city sat on a peninsula between the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea. It was surrounded on three sides by water. This made the city easy to defend. Because the city sat between Europe and Asia, it became a crossroads for trade. Merchants from far away did business there and trade grew. Constantinople became the wealthiest part of the Roman Empire.

Open Ended

What was one advantage of Constantinople's location?

The New Rome Cont...

People called Constantinople the “New Rome.” Many wealthy Romans moved there. The city had many Roman-style buildings, including an outdoor arena for sporting events. It was called the Hippodrome. Like Rome, officials gave free food and entertainment to the poor.

People from many lands settled in the Byzantine Empire. Their different customs blended together to form a new culture. Over time, the empire became less Roman and more Greek. Most Byzantines spoke Greek, so officials and emperors learned to speak Greek too. Between a.d. 500 and a.d. 1200, the Byzantines developed one of the most advanced civilizations in the world.

Hippodrome

Open Ended

What language did Byzantine officials and emperors learn to speak and why?

Open Ended

Why was Constantinople important to the Byzantine Empire?

Justinian’s Rule

Emperor Justinian ruled the Byzantine Empire when it was at its

most powerful. He was a skilled general and a strong leader. He

controlled the military and made the laws.

Justinian was married to Empress Theodora. She helped

Justinian rule the empire. Theodora helped her husband choose

government officials. She helped women gain more legal rights.

She urged Justinian to grant women the right to own land. This

reform helped widowed women earn money to take care of their children.

Justinian and Theodora

Open Ended

What qualities do you think Justinian had to be such a good ruler?

Justinian's Rule Cont..

When angry taxpayers rebelled in a.d. 532, Empress Theodora's wisdom helped stop the crisis. The people threatened the government. Justinian's advisers told him he should leave the city to be safe. Theodora told him he would not like his life if he ran away. She said he should stay and fight to protect the empire. He took her advice and stayed. Justinian's army stopped the riot and brought order back to the capital. This victory made him a more powerful ruler.

One of the most important things Justinian did was in the area of law. He ordered a group of scholars to organize the laws and make them simpler and better. The new laws were easier for people to understand and follow. The Justinian Code is still the basis of legal systems in many countries today.

Open Ended

Why was Theodora an imporant part of Justinian's rule?

Open Ended

Why do you think so many countries have used the Justinian Code as the basis of their laws?

Justinian's Rule Cont...

Many Byzantine emperors ordered workers to build forts, government buildings, and churches all over the empire. The emperors supported the work of artists and architects. Justinian ordered the building of a church called the Hagia Sophia. The Hagia Sophia has gold and silver decoration inside. It is also decorated with mosaics, pictures or patterns made from small pieces of colored glass or stone. This church became the religious center of the empire. It still stands today as a museum.

The Byzantines also became famous for their mosaics. This Byzantine art usually showed figures of saints. Saints are Christian holy people.

Hagia Sophia

Open Ended

Why did Justinian make his army stronger?

Justinian's Rule Cont...

Justinian knew the empire had once been much larger. He

wanted his army to be strong so they could take back the lands

that had once been part of the empire. He wanted his army to

protect the borders of the empire.

A general named Belisarius reorganized the Byzantine army

and made it stronger. He created cavalry—groups of soldiers on

horses. The cavalry wore armor and carried bows and long

spears.

Belisarius

Justinian's Rule Cont...

Justinian’s army fought in Italy, Spain, and northern Africa. It

conquered the invaders who had taken lands from the Western

Roman Empire. The army also defeated the Persians. It was able

to secure the eastern border again.

However, these conquests did not last long. A deadly disease,

known as "Justinian's Plague," moved through Asia and Europe. It

killed millions of people, including Roman soldiers. There were

not enough soldiers to protect the large empire. There also was

not enough money to pay them. After Justinian died, the empire

again lost control over most of the western lands.

Open Ended

How did "Justinian's Plague" effect the empire?

Open Ended

What do you think is Julian's greatest accomplishment and why?