Byzantine Empire Notes.docx
Name __________________________________Date ______________
Ancient Rome: Byzantine EmpireMs. Grey
Aim:
____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Do Now: Think back to yesterday. What were the potential issues
that came with Diocletian’s division of the Roman Empire?
Setting the Stage: 330 CE → 1453 CE
The Roman Empire had been divided since the reign of Diocletian
in the late A.D. 200s. As the Roman empire fell, Diocletian
controlled the Western half of the Roman empire and Constantine
controlled the Eastern half. By 330, Constantine had built a
splendid new capital in Constantinople, on the site of the Greek
city of Byzantium. The Byzantine empire, as it came to be called,
drew its name from this ancient city. At its height, the Byzantine
empire covered an area from Rome through south eastern Europe and
Asia Minor, down to Egypt and across North Africa. Even a portion
of southern Spain was once part of the empire.
According to the passage, how did the Byzantine Empire come to
exist?
Geography of Byzantine Empire
· Constantine built capital __________________________________
on Bosporus Strait
· allowed empire to respond to dangers of
___________________________
· allowed empire to
_____________________________________________
Building the “new” Rome… why “new” Rome?
· Roman Empire divided into ________________________________ in
395 C.E.
· Like old W. Roman emperors, Byzantine emperors ruled w/
________________________________________________
· ____________________________ (527-565) – Byzantine’s greatest
emperor
a. starting in 533, recovered almost all of Rome’s former
territory
b. created a single, uniform body of law
-_____________________________ - which became basis of law for
medieval rulers
c. launched most ambitious building program
1) churches, e.g. __________________, which had huge arched
domes
2) _______________________, e.g. fortifications, baths, schools,
etc
Byzantine Art & Culture
· preserved _____________________________ culture and
learning
· WHY?
· blended ancient ______________, _____________, &
____________________ influences within their art & culture
· created religious art using ________________ (holy images) and
______________ (pictures made from inlaid pieces)
· ________________________ many great works of Greece &
Rome
Christian Church Divides (1054) - Eastern Orthodox vs. Roman
Catholic
1. split began over church leadership:
___________________________ vs. _______
2. disputes over ______________ divided Christians
3. continued differences led to Christian schism (split):
Roman Catholic (West)
Eastern Orthodox (East)
· Services conducted in _________
· ________ was ultimate authority
· Priests cannot _____________
· Divorce ________________
· Services conducted in ____________
· ____________________ was ultimate
authority
· Priests can _________________
· Divorce _____________________
Decline & Fall of the Byzantine Empire
· height of empire under Justinian’s rule → empire lost land to
invaders and many people died of the plague after Justinian
· in 1193, during 4th Crusade (Christian v. Muslim Wars),
western Christians (Roman Catholics) took over Constantinople,
plundering and weakening it
· in 1453, Ottoman Turks conquered remaining Byzantine
Empire
