CONSTANTINOPLE

CONSTANTINOPLE

• Official Language- Greek• Traders and visitors spoke many languages because they

came from many cultures

• City Life was more comfortable than in Western Europe• New sewer system!!!• Social services in hospitals, orphanages, homes for the

elderly

CONSTANTINOPLE

• Many lived in poverty • Emperor gave bread to those who could not find work • In return, the unemployed served the city by sweeping

the streets and weeding public gardens

• Almost everyone went to chariot races in the stadium call Hippodrome

RACES AT HIPPODROME

• Two chariot teams , the blues and the greens

• Street fights between the two teams would erupt into street fights

• 532- Both the blues and the greens united in a rebellion that destroyed most of Constantinople

THE REIGN OF JUSTINIAN I

• Justinian the First- reign lasted 527-565• One of the greatest Byzantine Emperors

• Both Blue and Green teams were upset over arrests of some of their members• Both teams united in denouncing him• Escalated to a full scale rebellion

• Rioting continued for a week while Justinian hid in the palace• Much of the city was in flames• Official court historians report 30,000 people were killed

• Constantinople lay in ruins

THE REIGN OF JUSTINIAN I

• Justinian wanted to rebuild the city on a grand scale• Put huge amounts of money into public works• New bridges, public baths, parks, roads, and hospitals • New churches- the Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom)

• Also wanted to reclaim some lost Roman territory • Through military campaigns, reclaimed parts of North

Africa, Italy, and Spain

THE REIGN OF JUSTINIAN I

• Justinian’s most famous/important contribution:• Systematic Body of Law• Revised, updated, improved Roman laws • Extended women’s property rights

• Justinian’s Code- basis for many legal codes in the western world

THE REIGN OF JUSTINIAN I

• Procopuis- Official court historian• Wrote glowing accounts of Justinian• “Secret History”- called Justinian a treacherous enemy,

insane for murder and plunder

THE EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH

• Christianity was the very foundation of their empire• Emperor Constantine was the first Roman emperor to

profess Christianity • Edict of Milan- Empire toleration of Christians and

restoration of personal and private property during persecution

THE EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH

• Knowing what you now know about Constantine’s beliefs and that he moved to establish Constantinople-

• Was religion important to the founding of the Byzantine Empire?

THE EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH

• When Constantine moved the capital, he wanted it to be the religious center of the empire as well

• Constantine tried to settle disputes amongst the bishops

• Byzantine Church would separate from the Church in Rome

THE EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH

• The Byzantines viewed the emperor as the leader of the government, but also the living representative of God and Jesus Christ

• Combination of church and state into one all-powerful body

• United people in a common belief

• Religious institutions were supported by wealthy people and became quite powerful

THE EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH

• Church Hierarchy• Emperor had supreme authority in the Church• Patriarch of Constantinople- ranked just below • “First Among Equals”

• Priests were able to marry! • Bishops could only rise out of unmarried clergy

• Liturgy and Prayer• Both clergy and worshippers use songs and chants • Prayed to Saints • Saint Cyril- created the Cyrillic Alphabet- allowed

translation of the Bible

THE EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH

• Architecture and Art • Christian faith inspired • Hagia Sophia-

• Simple base= the earthly world• “Dome of Heaven- rich decorations to remind what it would be

like to enter God’s Kingdom

THE EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH

• Architecture and Art• Church used many images in worship• Icons• Believed sacred pictures brought them closer to God • Eventually became a source of disagreement

RUBLEV’S TRINITY ICON

• What do you see?

ORTHODOX CHURCH ICONS

CONFLICT BETWEEN THE EAST AND THE WEST

• Christianity united Medieval Europe and the Byzantine Empire

• Overtime, cultural, political, and religious differences brought what was the Western Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire into conflict• Would eventually lead to Crusades where Christians were

killing Christians

CONFLICT BETWEEN THE EAST AND THE WEST

• Many differences between the two regions:

• East-• Many cities, a lot of trade, great wealth• Largely shaped by Greek heritage

• West-• Mostly rural, agricultural, not as wealthy • Shaped by Frankish and Germanic cultures

CONFLICT BETWEEN THE EAST AND THE WEST

• After the Fall of Rome, Popes gradually gained more power in Western Europe• Claimed supreme religious authority over ALL Christians

• Patriarchs and Emperors of the East did not claim that power

CONFLICT BETWEEN THE EAST AND THE WEST

• Iconoclasm (icon smashing) • Medieval Christians would use images of Jesus, Mary and

the Saints in worship• Some in the East believed that some in the West were

wrongly worshiping the images as if they were divine• Caused a major split between the east and west

• What Happened:• Byzantine Emperor Leo III banned the use of religious

images• Roman church leaders were angry because the order

applied to parts of Italy under Byzantine control• Pope Gregory III excommunicated Leo III

CONFLICT BETWEEN THE EAST AND THE WEST

• Crowning of a Holy Roman Emperor- 800 CE• Byzantine Empress Irene• Pope Leo III did not think she could lead well• Also wanted protection of a stronger leader from the

Byzantine Empire to help defend the church in the West• The Pope crowned Charlemagne, the King of the Franks

• The Byzantines were upset- • The Pope was trying to control who their rightful leader was

THE FINAL BREAK

• Patriarch of Constantinople –Cerularius wanted to reassert Byzantine control over the Church- 1054• Closed all churches that worshipped like Western Europe • The Pope (Leo III) excommunicates Cerularius • Cerularius excommunicates the Cardinal who delivered

his excommunication- demonstrating the split was finalized

• After all of this, the Eastern Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church were now separate churches