Byzantine Empire

What were the three major disagreements that contributed to a complete split in the Christian Church and when did it happen?

Both churches split by 1054. The three events that contributed to the split to the Roman Empire were Iconoclasm, The crowning of a Holy Roman emperor, and The final break.

Reasons for moving the capital to Constantinople?

Easy to defend. It was surrounded by three sides of water. Crossroads of Europe and Asia. Linked East and West trade routes by land and sea. Ivory, silk, perfumes, furs and other luxury items flowed through its markets. Miles of wall, fortified by watchtowers, and gates discouraged invasion by land and sea. The city and some of its citizens became very wealthy.

What is Hagia Sophia?

Hagia Sophia served as a model for many Orthodox churches. The architecture of the church also reflects Orthodox views. The simple base represents the earthly world. Upon it rests the "dome of heaven." Rich decorations on the inside were meant to remind worshippers of what it would be like to enter God's kingdom.

What is the importance of Constantinople as a trading hub?

It gave lots of riches to the city.

identify reasons as to why Constantine moved the capital to Constantinople.

It was easy to defend, a convenient place for trading, surrounded by three bodies of water and miles of wall, Ivory, silk, perfumes, furs and other luxury items flowed through its markets, The city and some of its citizens became very wealthy.

explain the significance of Justinian's Code.

Justinian's Code was a systematic body of law That improved Roman laws. Made women have more rights.

What was the final break?

Matters between east and west came to a head in 1054. The patriarch of Constantinople, Cerularius, wanted to reassert Byzantine control of the Church. He closed all churches that worshipped with western rites. Pope Leo IX was furious. He sent Cardinal Humbert to Constantinople. The cardinal marched up to the altar of Hagia Sophia. In front of everyone, he laid down a bull (a proclamation by the pope) excommunicating Cerularius. Cerularius responded by excommunicating the cardinal. This was only a symbolic act, for the patriarch did not have that power. But it showed that the split, or schism, between east and west was complete. Despite future attempts to heal the division, the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church were now separate churches.

Describe the reign of Justinian I, including his contributions to public works and his creation of a code of law.

One of the greatest Byzantine emperors was Justinian I, whose long reign lasted from 527 to 565. But Justinian's reign nearly came to an abrupt end much sooner. In January 532, the emperor and his beautiful wife, Theodora, were attending chariot races at the Hippodrome. In the past, Blues and Greens among the spectators had often fought with each other. This time, however, both groups were upset over the arrests of some of their members. To Justinian's horror, they united in denouncing him. Fighting broke out, spilled into the streets, and escalated into a full-scale rebellion. The city layed in ruins. Justinian was determined to rebuild the city on a grand scale. He put huge sums of money into public works. Soon, Constantinople had new bridges, public baths, parks, roads, and hospitals. The emperor also built many grand churches, including the magnificent Hagia Sophia (AH-ee-yah SOH-fee-uh). Its name is Greek for "Holy Wisdom." Today, this great structure is one of the most famous buildings in the world. Besides rebuilding Constantinople, Justinian tried to reclaim some of the Roman Empire's lost territory. He launched military campaigns that, for a time, took back parts of North Africa, Italy, and Spain. Justinian is most famous, however, for creating a systematic body of law. Under his direction, a committee studied the thousands of laws the Byzantines had inherited from the Roman Empire. They revised outdated and confusing laws. They also made improvements, such as extending women's property rights. The result of their work is known as Justinian's Code. It became the basis for many legal codes in the western world.

what did Saint Cyril and Saint Basil represent?

St.Cyril helped to create the Cyrillic alphabet, which allowed scholars to translate the Bible for people in Eastern Europe. St.Basil promoted charity and reformed liturgy.

identify how the architecture of Hagia Sopia reflects Orthodox views.

The church reflects what it would be like if you entertained heaven.

What was iconoclasm?

The first major disagreement concerned religious icons. Many Christians in medieval times used images of Jesus, Mary, and the saints in worship and prayer. Some Christians in the east, however, believed that people were wrongly worshipping the icons as if they were divine. In 730 C.E., Byzantine emperor Leo III banned the use of religious images in all Christian churches and homes. This policy of iconoclasm ("icon smashing") led to the destruction of much religious art. Throughout Christian lands, people cried out in protest. In Rome, Roman Church leaders were angry because Leo's order applied to parts of Italy that were under Byzantine control. Pope Gregory III even excommunicated the emperor. The Byzantine Empire lifted its ban on icons in 843. But the dispute over iconoclasm had caused a major split between the east and west. It also helped drive popes in Rome to look for support and protection against enemies.

identify what event forced Justinian I to have to rebuild parts of Constantinople.

There was a rebellion that destroyed most of the city.

identify some of the improvements made to Constantinople as a result of Justinian's public works projects.

There were social services like hospitals, orphanages, care for the elderly. Public works were public baths, parks, new roads.

Trace the development of the Eastern Orthodox Church and its relations with the west.

There were three major disagreements. Iconoclasm, the crowning of a Holy Roman Emperor, and the final break.

Discuss the relationship between religion and government in the Byzantine Empire.

To the Byzantines, Christianity was more than a religion. It was the very foundation of their empire.

describe the relationship between religion and government in the Byzantine Empire.

To the Byzantines, Christianity was more than a religion. It was the very foundation of their empire.

describe what the streets of Constantinople were like.

Very wealthy people lived here. You would see lots of churches. You would see many crowded buildings around you. You would see people in poverty. You would see lots of trading.

What was the crowning of a Holy emperor?

major disagreement occurred in 800 C.E. At the time, Empress Irene was the ruler of the Byzantine Empire. Because she was a woman, Pope Leo III did not view her as true or strong enough to govern. He wanted the protection of a strong leader to help defend the Church in the west. Instead, Leo decided to crown Charlemagne, the king of the Franks, as Holy Roman emperor. The pope's action outraged the Byzantines, who felt that their empress was the rightful ruler of the remains of the Roman Empire.