Eastern Rome becomes the

Byzantine Empire
SOL 7
 Constantine’s Accomplishments
•  Capital moves from Rome to Constantinople.

Rome

Constantinople
 Why Constantinople?
•  Gateway between
Europe and Asia. Europe
Constantinople

Asia
 Why Constantinople?
•  Far away from Germanic Invasions.
 Why Constantinople?
•  Protected
by water on
3 sides!!
 Emperor Justinian
1.  Created Justinian Codes using Roman 12 Tablets
2.  Re-conquered lost Roman land
3.  Expanded Trade
Emperor Justinian
4.  Built Hagia Sophia (Domes)
5.  Continued the
Greco-Roman Traditions
6.  Expanded Trade
7.  Studied Latin,
but Spoke Greek
Byzantine Art and Architecture
•  Art: Imperial
Power + Christian
Religion
•  Icons: Religious
figures
 Placed Mosaics on Churches
Images created by small pieces of colored glass
 East | Orthodox Church
•  Centered in Constantinople.
•  Patriarch chosen by
the Emperor.
•  Emperor was head
of Church.
•  Priests could marry.
•  Greek language
 West | Roman Catholic Church
•  Centered in Rome
•  Independent of King
•  Pope as the leader
•  Priests were celibate
•  Used Latin language
in the liturgy.
Great Schism: Pope and Patriarch
excommunicate each other
1453 AD | Constantinople falls
to Ottoman Turks!
Called Istanbul Today
Byzantine Influence on Russia
•  Byzantine
Connected to Russia
through Black Sea
and Rivers
Russia | Borrowed Ideas from Byzantine

•  Architecture – Saint Basil’s Cathedral

onion shaped
domes
•  Greek Orthodox
Christianity
•  Cyrillic Alphabet
to read bible