The+Byzantium

The Rise of the Byzantine Empire

The picture shows the sophistication of the Byzantine political system with church advisors, emperor and all these high ranking official that shows their relationship with Roman Empire.

Location of Constantinople



The Importance and significance of the capital Constantinople: It was the point where the water narrows between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. All trade from Asia, Northern Europe (Russia and the Balkans), Western Europe, and the Middle East would have to pass through the territory of whatever country possessed Constantinople in all ages. It was the far wealthiest and biggest place in the Middle Ages as a result of the emperor Constantine in the formation of the Byzantine also the great walls for protection and defense.

Byzantine Mosiac of Constantine The emperor that brought another life to the Roman Empire.

Outline:


 * Vladimir's kindom is growing in trade and military activity would be complemented by a religion that had a wide appeal than that of the traditional Russian gods.
 * He had knowledge about Islam, Judiasm, western catholicism, and Byzantine or Orthodox, and Christianity.
 * He rejected Judaism because it is not associated with a strong state.
 * He rejected Catholicism because he wanted no power from pope.
 * He rejected Islam because of its prohibition of alcohol, Russia is known for drinking.
 * But the byzantine empire was Russia's prosperous neighbor, a leading trade partner and military ally.
 * He married the sister of the Byzantine emperor, leading to a deep relationship with Byzantium.
 * His decision lead to a division between western and Eastern Europe maintaining high level of political, economic, and cultural activity.
 * The Byzantine kept Rome memory alive.
 * Constantinople was an important city adopted the branches of Christianity the Orthosox which dominated the eastern Europe.
 * It expanded to the Balkans, and Russia, new trading activities brought northern regions into contact with major centers of world commerce, artistic ideas and cultural inspiration.
 * The Eastern part was advanced in political sophistication, and economics ranges that were distict.
 * The Eastern emperor pushed back the invading huns and other intruders while enjoying a solid tax base from peasants agriculture.
 * Although latin was the court language of the empire, after emperor Justinian it became the official language enabeling them to read through Greek scholars knowledge.
 * Emperor Justinian pushed expansion and reconquered the old territories.
 * His wife Theodora influenced him, because she was eager for power.
 * He rebuilt Constantinople that was destroyed by early riots against high taxes. He extended the Roman architecture such as adding domes, and a new structure of a huge church called The Hagia Sophia.
 * His code summing up many old edicts and decisions a unified law reducing confusions and set up the organization of the state bureaucracy.
 * He wanted to recaptrure old Roman Empire with the aid of a brilliant general Belisarius gainig North Africa and Italy.
 * Justinian's forces made their temperary capital Ravenna, a key artistic center, the most beautiful Christian mosaics.
 * Persian forces attacked in the northern Middle East and new slavic groups into Balkans, but he managed to push those people back.
 * Furthermore, These wars created new tax pressures on the government, resulting into his death in 565C.E.

Justinian Code Mark up

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Summary:

Justinian coding was the result of Emperor Justinian's desire that existing Roman law be collected into a simple and clear system of laws, or "code." Tribonian, a legal minister under Justinian, lead a group of scholars in a 14-month effort to codify existing Roman law. The result was the first Justinian Code, completed in 529. The code is intense on marriages that of people must be married and no one can go against the law. Slavery is another idea the code goes through because they are treated as property and they are not equal to the citizens. Also that the law is divided into the civil and natural laws. Also the number one rules are to not hurt anyone, honesty and give everyone what is due. Most importantly is the justice is a constant and unavoidable wish. Roman law was the legal system used by the Romans from the eighth century B.C. until the fall of the Roman Empire around A.D. 476 in western Europe and in eastern Europe in 1453. Justinian I, also called Justinian the Great, ordered Roman judges and legal scholars to collect and compile the laws of the Roman Empire. Civil law, common law and natural law are mentioned a lot one is for the people and society, and one is for excepted by all law by precident decided by a judge, and natural law is laws that could happen to nature finders keepers.

Documant 2
 * Seacred building are owned by no one
 * If you finds a valuable thing you can keep it.
 * If they find in someone else's property you have to share it.
 * If somenone harvest in somenone a tree you keen keep it in someone else property.
 * If written stuff is written on another piece of paper the owner of the idea own the paper.

Document 3
 * An obligation is a tie of law, which binds us, according to the rules of our civil law
 * obligatio by word of mouth is contracted by means of a question and an answer.
 * The contract of sale is formed as soon as the price is agreed upon, although it has not yet been paid, nor even an earnest given.
 * A sale is void when a person knowingly purchases a sacred or religious place, or a public place.
 * they thought that exchange was one thing and sale another.
 * It can consist in anything else, as in a slave, a piece of land, or a toga//.//

ESPIRIT Chart: Page 198-202 Economy ﻿ Politics Culture Religion Interactions Intellectuals Technology
 * Constantinople control with the bureaucracy regulating trade and food prices.
 * the large peasant class supplies the goodsand provides the bulk of tax revenues.
 * Trading network with Asia to the east Russia and Scandanavia to the north.
 * Silk production expanded in the empire, luxury products, cloth, spices, and carpets.
 * Taxation, wars, resulted in a greater aristocratic estates and new power for the generals.
 * Emperor Basil II known as Bulgaroktonos used the empire's wealth to bribe many generals and nobles.
 * Bulgaria became part of the empire and its aritocracy settling in contantinople merged with leading Greek families.
 * Emperor was the most powerful monarch in the state as a god, head of the church.
 * He appointed church bishops and passed religious laws.
 * Officials close to the emperor were eunuchs.
 * Provincial governors were appointed from the center and were in charge of keeping tabs of military authorities.
 * elabrote system of spies helped preserve loyalty.
 * Military organization, hereditary recruiting people using the idea that they will recieve a piece of land.
 * One emperor Michael II was the product of such system.
 * Women were the imperial throne while maintaing the ceremonial power of the office, theoroda is the perfect example (981-1056)
 * Talents counted among this elite of highly educated scholars.
 * The merchant class didn't get that much power (in the west they have gained voice.)
 * Hellenism, education of bureaucrats and evolving tradition or Orthodox.
 * Preserving the past forms.
 * Peasant were more important for production of food and goods.
 * The kingdon fell apart as a result of the Turkish invaders who had converted to Islam, but through careful democracy survived for another two centuries. But after the Turkish sultan gathered a powerful army and conquered the Byzantine entirely.
 * Orthodox Christianity
 * Differents rituals, and version of Christianity lead to the split between Eastern ans western Europe.
 * In the west translated the Greek bible into latin in the 4th century, state church relation.
 * The East achnowledged th epope
 * different style and beliefs in religious art.
 * The bread quarrel what kind of bread to use.
 * Eastern Orthodox priest can marry. (split b/w Eastern Orthodox and Roman catholic.
 * The Muslims harassed the Byzantine shipping in the Mediterranean for several centuries.
 * Slavic kingdoms such as Bulgaria pressed Byzantine territory in the Balkans
 * Byzantine control over Bulgarian kingdom, while the kings took title of tsar a slavic version of word Caesar.
 * They fought against Persians, Arabs, and Turks.
 * Arabs, India, China, Europe and east Asia.
 * Rich Hellenestic culture, blend in with Roman advanced achievements
 * Military tactics, great emphasis on ary and navy.
 * Strong enough to withstand the threat of Arab Muslims.
 * Naval supremacy (constantinople)
 * Dome building elaborate Mosaics, a tradition of icon painting, saints and religious figures. (Icon in blue and gold background represent an unchanging brilliance of Heavon .)
 * Greek fire, a new weapon a kind of napalm that devastated Arab ships.

<span style="font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 150%; line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;">Reading page 204-208

<span style="font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Summary of the "Eastern and Western Europe, the problem of the Boundaries" p. 208
 * 1) In 864, The Byzantine government sent missionaries Cyril and Methodius to the territory that is now Czech and Slovak republics. They failed in their mission at first but they continued their efforts in Balkans and southern Russia where their ability to speak their language helped aid their effort. They devised a written script and were quite willing to have local languages be used in church. (to convert christianity) and accomplished a writing system.
 * 2) After the conversions to Christianity, the stretch of Eastern Europe north of the Balkans organized in series of monarchies and land-owning aristocracy. The kingdoms of Poland, Bohemia, and Lithuania easily exceeded the western kingdoms, resulting in active areas of trade and industry. Also Eastern Europe was receiving migrant Jews who were leaving the Middle East and fleeing intolerance because they were resented by Christian’s majority. Poland received many and they maintained emphasis and their own culture not only in Eastern Europe but from the rest of the world too. They contained active trade and accomplishments.
 * 3) The Slavs maintained a religion and extended agriculture in rich soils and developed regional kingdoms. Traders from Scandinavia began to work with Slavic lands, moving through the Norse traders they flourished trade with Arabs world, luxury products were traveling north in return for furs. The Scandinavian traders, military superior to the Slavs set up some government along their trade route in the city of Kiev. A monarchy emerged under Rurik who became the first prince of what came to be called the Kievan Rus’ in 855 C.E. Contacts between the Kiev and Byzantine extended, and the Kiev became a prosperous trading center and from there many Russians visited Constantinople. This led to the fact that Prince Vladimir I took the step to convert to Christianity. As kievan Rus’ became Christian it was the largest single state in Europe. Organized through alliances with nregional landed aristocrats.
 * 4) Vladimir organized mass baptisms for his subjects and forced conversions to Christianity using military pressure, helped literate Russian priesthood. He took the step to conversions of Christianity and that he was responsible to the separate Russian Orthodox from king responsibilities. He married the sister of the Byzantine emperor. He took the step to converting to christianity.
 * 5) The Keivan Rus borrowed a lot from the Byzantines but it was in no position to replicate major institutions such as the bureaucracy or elaborate educational systems. Churches were ornate and kings had a lot of power. The emphasis on almsgiving and charity log sensed the obligation felt by wealthy Russians. The Russian literature that developed which used Cyrillic alphabet featured description of religious and royal events. The art focused on icon paintings, orthodox churches built in the form of as domes similarly to the Byzantine models but they were often wood rather than stone. The Russians social and economic patterns took distinctive shape, they were free peasant farmers, and the aristocrats were called boyars had less power then the counterparts in Western Europe. They also based their fist code law and styles based on Byzantine. The princes fell in love with Byzantine luxury life.
 * 6) The Kievan Empire declined as result of rival princes that set up regional governments and the royal family that fought over succession. Invaders from Asia were attacking the Russian territory. The rapid decline of Byzantium reduced Russian trade and wealth and for they always counted on the greater prosperity of southern neighbors. Mongol invasions that easily captured the major Russian cities. Much of Russia remained under Tatars control it further separated them from Western Europe. Trade lapsed in western Russia and the prosperous trade that existed never returned. And even after asserting to bring their independence occurred the sense of eastern Christianity inspired the reemergence on a separate European civilization in the Slavic lands.

Political disputes fierced in the border territory of East central Europe during the past two centuries. The Eastern and Western Europe in the postclassical period divide logically according to Orthodox and catholic territories. In which (Poland, Kzech, aand areas in western Hungary) are catholic regions. Also loosen political organization much more so than feudal monarchies that were developing in the west. Large aristocrats in Poland were by western standards were being limited those states. Poland and Hungary were not united with western Europe in terms of trade shared more with Russia. Border can change as a result of Mongolians invasions that swept through Russia, part of Ukraine was free though. Divisions intensified since 1989 when many eastern countries achieved full indepedence from Russia. One single civilization in the east center of Europe has also been a victom of many conquest that result in different cultures. I think that the border countries are on the line of being affected by the eastern and western culture, economic and political structure, in addition to religion all intensify the division in Europe even more that it would be hard to unite it together. The border states, Russian expansion lead to the seperation of the west and east

<span style="font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Summary:

The Byzantine Empire was active in interregional trade; Constantinople was one of the world’s great trading cities, and the empire served as a link between northern Europe and the Mediterranean. Byzantine political patterns resembled the earlier Chinese system. An emperor, conveyed as a god and surrounded by elaborate court ritual, headed both church and state. Women occasionally held the throne. An elaborate bureaucracy supported the imperial authority. The officials, trained in Hellenistic knowledge in school system, could be recruited from all social classes, although, as in China, aristocrats predominated. Provincial governors were appointed from the center, and a spy system helped to preserve loyalty. A careful military organization defended the empire. Troops were recruited locally and given land in return for service. Outsiders, especially Slavs and Armenians, accepted similar terms. Over time, hereditary military leaders developed regional power and displaced aristocrats who were better educated. The empire socially and economically depended on Constantinople's control of the countryside. The bureaucracy regulated trade and food prices. Peasants supplied the food and provided most tax revenues. The large urban class was kept satisfied by low food prices. The Byzantine Empire, with territory in the Balkans, the Middle East, and the eastern Mediterranean, maintained very high levels of political, economic, and cultural life between 500 and 1450 C.E. The empire continued many Roman patterns and spread its Orthodox Christian civilization through most of eastern Europe, Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia. Catholic Christianity, without an imperial center, spread in western Europe. Two separate civilizations emerged from the differing Christian influences. The civilizations that expanded in the east and developed in the west operated seperately, they produced different versions of Christianity that were culturally and organizationally seperate. The Byzantine empire made many accomplishment by its emperor throughout such as Justinian, with a secure base in the east, attempted to reconquer Western territory but without lasting success in the sixth century. The empire declined beginning of the eleventh century. Muslim Turkish invaders seized almost all of the empire's Asian provinces, removing the most important sources of taxes and food, and chalenging their supremacy in naval and technological advances. The emergence of the Kiev's or slavic peoples from Asia migrated who from Russia and eastern Europe during the period of the Roman Empire mixed with other earlier populations. Political organization centered in family tribes and villages. Scandinavian traders during the sixth and seventh centuries moved into the region along its great rivers and established a rich trade between their homeland and Constantinople. The Russians claimed to be the successors to the Roman and Byzantine states, the "third Rome." Kievan's decline began in the twelfth century. Rival princes established competing governments while the royal family quarreled over the succession. Asian invaders seized territory as trade diminished because of Byzantine fall. The Mongol invasions of the thirteenth century incorporated Russian lands into their territories. With the Mongol invasions, the decline of Russia, and the collapse of Byzantium, eastern Europe entered a difficult period. Border territories, such as Poland, fell under Western influence, while the Balkans fell to the Islamic world of the Turks.

30 words summary of Chapter

The byzantine empire began as a result of constantinople's great geographic location. It had many advantages to the empire's trading networks. The Byzantine empire made many accomplishment under its emperor Justinian who attempted to regain all the lost Roman empire terrirories. Later the Kiev empire was establisher claiming their succession of the byzantine empire. Adoption of Orthodox into Chritian traditions example of syncretism.