Chapter 9 World History Outline

Civilization in Eastern Europe: Byzantine and Orthodox Europe

I. Vlad chooses Byzantium (Orthodox Christianity)

A. Trade and Military activity complemented by a religion with wider appeal.

B. A new religion would show authority and end internal strife

C. Byzantine was a close ally and he wanted to marry the sister of the emperor.

D. Byzantine Art and Literature affects Russia

E. Separation from Roman Catholic Europe

II. The Byzantine Empire

A. Political, economic, and cultural activity.

1. Roman politics

2. Constantinople was a major city that radiated one of the two major branches of Christianity.

3. New culture in Balkan and western Russia.

4. Christian missionaries cause northward expansion

5. Polytheism->Monotheism

6. Separation between Eastern and Western Europe

a. Trade from North to South

B. Origins of the Empire

1. Began in 4^th Century

a. Eastern Roman capital

b. Able to ward off attacks while West was falling.

c. Greek instead of Latin.

d. Egyptians and Syrians joined Byzantium.

C. Justinian’s Achievements

1. Fought off Sassanian and Germanic invaders.

2. Tried to take back the West.

3. Susceptible to his wife Theodora.

4. Rebuilding Constantinople

5. Systemizing the Roman legal code.

6. The Hagia Sophia

7. Over ambitious military caused tax pressures.

D. Arab Pressure and the Empire’s Defense

1. Hellenistic and Christian influence

2. Able to hold off Arab Muslims but not without taking heavy losses.

3. Held capital, partly because of Greek Fire.

4. Loss of farmers and free workers and tax payers.

5. Island of Crete lost in 9^th century.

6. Defeated Bulgarians in 1014.

E. Byzantine Society and Politics

1. Similar to China

a. Mandate of heaven

2. Theodora as empress

3. One of largest Bureaucracies ever

a. Included aristocrats and talented scholars.

b. Eunuchs were close to the emperor.

c. Governors and spies held loyalty.

4. Military recruited from within

a. Many given land

b. Many became leaders

c. Blocked road to Europe for Muslims, Persians, Arabs, and Turks.

5. Lots of trade and focus on food that kept the peasants out of power.

6. Hellenistic

7. New architecture and art.

F. The Split Between Eastern and Western Christianity

1. Western Church translated Greek->Latin

2. Eastern church recognized the Pope

3. Eastern priest could marry.

4. Mad patriarch excommunicates all Roman Catholics.

G. The Empire’s Decline

1. Turkish invaders in the East

a. Took Asiatic provinces and cut off the most prosperous sources of tax revenue and agriculture.

b. Lost battle of Manzikert in 1071.

2. New kingdoms such as Serbia arose.

3. Tried to get help from the West

a. Inspired Crusades to Holy Lands

b. Crusade turned against Byzantine and took Constantinople.

4. Turks take over in 1461.

a. Affects later the Ottoman Empire.