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32a. Heirs of Classicism: Byzantium

32a. Heirs of Classicism:

Byzantium, A New Rome

“During its one-thousand-year existence, theByzantine Empire took its Roman heritage andbecame an autocratic, static entity in a world ofgreat upheaval . . .” MP, 184

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 The Eastern Roman Empire The name “Byzantine” is modern and comes from Byzantium,

the original name of Constantinople

Continuity

Maintained the Roman tradition of law and government

Throughout its history, subjects of the Eastern, or “Byzantine,”Empire thought of themselves as Rhomaioi , or Romans

Change

Greek speaking

Orthodox Christian

Increasingly “oriental” (eastern)

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Phases of Byzantine History  Almost 1000 years of history, from the Fall of the Western Roman Empire almost until

the time of Columbus (see MP, 184-186)

Revival of Empire (A.D. 476-641)

Withdrawal and Renewal (A.D. 641-867)

Golden Age (A.D. 867-1081)

Challenge from the West (A.D. 1081-1261)

Palaeologian Emperors (A.D. 1261-1453)

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Revival of Empire (A.D. 476–641) Justinian (r. 527–565)

Last emperor to speak Latin as his native language

Rigorously supported Orthodox Christianity and enforcedreligious conformity

Eastern borders with Persia secured

North Africa and Italy re-conquered 

Great period of architecture and culture 

Military expansion and building program were ultimatelytoo expensive

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Byzantine Empire under Justinian

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 Withdrawal and Renewal (A.D. 641–867)

Territorial losses

loss of western provinces

Syria and Egypt to Arabs

Slavs seize much of the Balkans

Byzantium militarized

Generals given both military and civil control of provinces

Great estates controlled by military aristocracy form a type of feudalism 

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Invasions by Slavs, Bulgars, and Arabs

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Golden Age (A.D. 867–1081) Basil I and the Bulgars

Bulgarians, who had conquered much of the Balkans,subjugated

Restored boundaries and economy 

Expansion into eastern Anatolia, northern Syria, and partsof southern Italy

medieval Byzantium

Religious and cultural expansion into eastern Europe 

Orthodox missionaries spread Christianity among Serbs,Ukrainians, Russians

Byzantine state becomes the model for new kingdoms andwould-be empires

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Byzantine Renewal under Basil I

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Challenges: the West and the Turks(A.D. 1081–1261)

Commeni dynasty

Byzantium again militarized and feudalized

Strife between West and East

Schism between Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy worsens 

Beginning of the Crusades

Enemies on all sides: Serbs, Bulgars, Turks, WesternEuropeans

1071: Southern Italy to Normans, Asia Minor to Turks(after Battle of Manzikert)

1204: Fourth Crusade, Western Christians captureConstantinople

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Byzantium, the Turks, and the Crusades

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Palaeologians (A.D. 1261–1453)

Byzantines succeed in retaking Constantinople fromFranks and Italians

Palaeologian Dynasty rules a small, weak Greek state

Slavs hold most of the Balkans

Turks seize most of Asia Minor and threaten Europe

In 1453 the Ottoman Turks capture Constantinople,ending the Eastern Roman Empire 

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Byzantine Society 

Unresolved conflict between Christian and Classicalideals

Religious forms—deeply spiritual, transcendentlyspiritual

Classical values of restraint, dignity, and serenity, butsomewhat suppressed humanism—autocratic government, man’s submission to divine 

Orthodox Church

State control of the Church

Iconoclast Controversy

Religious and cultural expansion into Eastern Europe and Russia 

Continued conflict with the West

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 The Spread of 

Eastern OrthodoxChristianity and theByzantine CulturalSphere

Byzantinemissionaries spreadEastern Orthodoxy toBulgars, Serbs,Romanians, andRussians

St. Methodius and St.Cyril devise a Slavicalphabet based onByzantine Greek

Byzantine cultural andgovernmental idealsadopted throughoutEastern Europe

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