The Commonwealth Of Byzantium

Fifth century, eastern half of empire remained intact while west crumbled. There where large and complex bureaucracy. Rebuilt Constantinople, including Hagia Sophia. Codified Roman law Corpus iuris civilis (The Body of the Civil law). Had sent Belisarius to reconquer the Western Roman Empire, which didn’t last. The emergence of the Islamic state, 17th century. Arab peoples conquer the Sasanid Empire and part of Byzantium. Prolonged sieges of Constantinople by Islamic armies. Byzantium survived partly because of the Greek fire. The Byzantine society reorganized provinces under generals. Armies of free peasants helped agricultural economy. Large agricultural base to support cities. Economy strongest when large class of free peasants existed. Economy weakened when large landholder consolidated and made peasants dependent. Constantinople was major site of crafts and industry. Byzantine crafts workers enjoyed a reputation especially for their glass, linen, textiles, gems, jewelry, gold, and silver. Silk developed into major industry in 16th century. Bezant was the standard currency of Mediterranean basin. Western anchor of trade route revived silk roads. Banks and partnerships had supported commercial economy. Chariot races were most popular in the Hippodrome. The official language went from Latin to Greek. State-organized school system trained workforce. Primary education was reading, writing, and grammar. Later education was classical Greek, literature, philosophy, and science. Higher education in Constantinople was law, medicine, and philosophy. Byzantine scholarship emphasized Greek tradition. Preserved and transmitted Greek thought to later cultures. Most distinctive feature was involvement of the emperor. Council of Nicaea (325 C.E.) in which Arianism was declared heresy. Monasticism origins in early Christian ascetics (hermits). There was tension between eastern and west Christianity. Constantinople and Rome: strains mirrored political tensions. Ritual and doctrinal differences, such as iconoclasm. The influence of Byzantium in Eastern Europe. Domestic problems and foreign pressures. Generals and local aristocrats allied; new elite class challenged imperial power. Western Europe took parts of Byzantium. Normans in southern Italy and Sicily. Crusaders carved out states and sacked Constantinople (1204).Muslim Saljuq Turks invaded Anatolia, defeated Byzantines at Manzikert, 1071.Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople in 1453, the end of the empire. Early relations between Byzantium and Slavic peoples. Byzantines began to influence Bulgarian politics and culture after the eighth century. Missions to the Slavs. Saints Cyril and Methodius, mid-ninth century. Cyrillic writing stimulated conversion to Orthodox Christianity. Education and religion tied together, led to more conversions. Mid-ninth century, Russians started to organize a large state: Kiev. The conversion of Prince Vladimir, 989.Kiev served as a conduit for spread of Byzantine culture and religion. Cyrillic writing and literature and Orthodox missions spread Byzantine culture. Byzantine art and architecture dominated Kiev: icons and onion domes. Princes established caesaropapist control of Russian