Byzantine/Moslem Byzantine/Moslem CivilizationsCivilizations

I. I. Fall of RomeFall of Rome a. Where did things go wrong?-After Constantine, Roman Empire declined rapidly-395, permanently split into two parts (east and west)

b. People were afraid of a group known as the Huns Huns came from central Asia (moved toward Hungary), everyone afraid of their reputation.

c. Barbarians started running from the Huns

-Visigoths>>>did not want to fight wanted to relocate to Rome Emperor Valens>>> let them in so Huns would be tired of fighting them first, ended up fighting them-Vandals>>> only barbarian group that learned to sail, vandalized-Burgundians >>>moved into southern France-Franks >>> Moved into northern France-Angles, Saxons, and the Jutes>>> Moved into Britain (Angleland or England)

d. All these problems and the Huns didn’t even attack yetTheir leader was Attila the Hun (Scourge of God) marched into Gaul and was defeated, later into Rome and was defeated. Roman Empire was all but gone.e. Last Emperor Romulus Augustus, German prince’s 12-year-old sonOdovacar or Odoacer, removes him and places himself, removing symbolic fall of EmpirePeriod of Middle Ages or the Dark ages begins

Fall of Rome

Ancient History Middle Ages

Renaissance

Modern Era

500 1500

f. Reasons for the Fall of Rome

1.No one reason

2. At the time, people would of blamed Christianity; Later was considered

one bright spot

3. Decline of Roman Economy

4. Large # of Slaves

5. High unemployment

6. Soil extorted

7. Failure of Government to control military

8. Decline of small farmer

9. Weak Emperors

10. Social Cast (Top became lazy)

II. Eastern Roman Empire & Justinian IOnly the western part of the Roman Empire fell in 476 AD. The Eastern Roman Empire or the Byzantine Empire lasted for about 1000 more years. Emperor Constantine started that empire and its capital was the famous city of Constantinople.

Western RomanEmpire

Eastern RomanEmpire

a. The fall leaves a bad taste in the East Roman Empires’ mouth

The idea that Italy & North Africa was lost was hard to accept for the ERE. A series of weak & incompetent rulers in the east (476-527) tried without any success to restore the west. However, it was all but impossible at this point.

b. Reign of Justinian I (527-565)When Justinian took over the throne of the ERE, the west was briefly restored to Rome.Known as “The last Roman Emperor and the first Byzantine Emperor.”Justinian managed to re-conquer the western part of the Empire.

c. What were the negative and positive results of Justinian I?

Negative: drained the empire of both resources and manpower damaged the economy ignored growing threat of Persian Power in the East West was also different then before the fall: Romans were now the minority among Germanic barbarian tribes.Despite his efforts, Rome was lost again.

Positive:Justinian Code- More on the long term Perfected the system of a strong monarchy &

central government. Revised the Roman law. organized all main laws of previous emperors handbook for laws students rulings of previous court cases of Rome

Why is this important?It became the basis of Byzantine law until it fell

in 1453 & influenced the development of later legal systems in both Western & Eastern Europe.

III.III. Eastern Roman Empire after Eastern Roman Empire after Justinian IJustinian I

Never have one ruler controlling both sides ----395-1453.

a. Christianity was changing in the East

Christianity was splitting between the East and West just like the empire. Language was different.

West (Rome)---Latin East (Constantinople)---Greek

The Church would be the strongest in the West because the Emperor is in the East. Emperor of the East saw the church as part of the government and paid their church officials. Emperor of the ERE really got involved in religious issues.

b. The spread of a new religion effects the ERE

The religion was known as Islam and it begins with Muhammad.

Origins of Islam

Muhammad was born around 570 and died in 632 on the Arabian Peninsula, Mecca. There are many desserts in Mecca and people believed in Polytheism. A black stone fell to the Earth and people thought it was God worshipping a black stone. Muhammad was born into this atmosphere.

Muhammad came to Syria, saw Judaism, Christianity. He became very confused and went back to Mecca. He married a wealthy widow, Khadijah (kha DEE jah), and it gave him free time to think.He had a vision: “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is to be his prophet”. He must spread his ideas.

He started to tell people about Allah w/ very little success and in 622 people drove him out of Mecca. He was hurting the tourist trade.He then went to a local area of Medina. The people did not know him, the Black Stone, and his teachings were accepted. Religion then spread.The year 622 then became Year 1 in Moslem time.Islam religion followers became known as Moslem

Pillars of Faith === have Five basic believes1. No God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet2. One should pray 5x a day facing Mecca3. Help the poor/sharing4. One must fast during the month of Ramadan. 5. One should make a pilgrimage to Mecca and kiss then Black Stone (symbol of the religion).

Mohammed died in 632 and those who followed him wrote down the beliefs in a book called the Quran.

The Spread of Islam

c. Leo III (714-741)

ERE emperor, that felt the spread Islam. He also looked at Christianity and saw two big weaknesses. Historians criticize him for doing or getting involved in the Pope’s job.

1. Growing wealth of MonasteriesIn the monasteries, the learning was preserved (writing down catholic teachings) and they worked on the land outside andgave food to the poor. They were asked to pray for children andgiven land to do so or willed it. This land originally went to the empire it was now given to the monks. With all this land, they had no time for their non-land duties (religious).

2. Increase of the worshipping of Icons (Statues)Leo III felt that the people thought the Icons were God or Saints. He wanted to get rid of the Icons. Leo III called his men and they destroyed the Icons. Someone who destroys Icons is known as an Iconoclast.

Iconoclast controversy: Pope did not want Leo III to destroy them and he kept doing it. The Pope then excommunicated Leo III. This split the Catholic religion into two groups.

East—Greek Orthodox

The whole East was now cut off from the Church in the West.

West—Roman Catholic

d. Basil II (976-1025)

1. The Bulgar Slayer

The Bulgars were giving him a hard time. The Bulgars captured a # of Greek soldiers and placed their heads a wall. Basil II then captured 15000 Bulgarians and had 14900 blinded. He then ordered then last 100 to have one eye blinded. He sent the 100 w/ an eye to lead the 14900 back home. The Tsar died of shock when shortly after he saw this. Hw was a very cruel individual.

2. Trade w/ Moscow

Exchanged cultures and ideas w/ Russia. He referred to Moscow as the third Rome. Basil II died in 1025 and the Empire went downhill ever since.