POD Quiz 2 Flashcards
Explain why Constantinople’s strategic location made it such an important city.
Easily Defensible
Constantinople was located on a peninsula bordered by water on three sides making it easily defensible from land attacks.
Control Over Passage
The city’s unique geography allowed it to control the passage between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. This control gave it significant influence over trade routes and military movements between Europe and Asia.
Center for Trade and Culture
Its location made it a central point for trade routes, leading to a flow of diverse goods, cultures, religions, ideas and, importantly, wealth into the city.
Explain how leaders solved Constantinople’s problem of providing fresh water for its residents.
Aqueducts
Constantinople’s leaders built a series of aqueducts, the most notable being the Aqueduct of Valens, to channel fresh water into the city from springs and reservoirs in surrounding areas.
The Aqueduct of Valens stretched over 250 kilometers (155 miles) in length.
Underground Storage
The city also had large underground cisterns (tanks), like the Basilica Cistern, to store water brought by the aqueducts. These cisterns served as reserve water supplies to help the city withstand long periods when fresh water may not have been available.
Describe the key features that made the walls such an effective defense system for Constantinople.
Multiple Layers
The Theodosian Walls were not just a single wall but a complex system
Height and Towers
The innermost wall was about 12 meters high with towers reaching up to 20 meters, making it difficult for attackers to scale.
Between the inner and outer walls towers where soldiers could move and assemble quickly, aiding in effective defense.
Advanced Materials
The walls were constructed using advanced materials like limestone mortar, designed to absorb and deflect the force of siege engines like battering rams and catapults and also withstand earthquakes.
Moats
Large, deep ditches filled with water or other obstacles surrounded the walls, adding another layer of protection against invaders.
Quick Mobility
The walls included horse paths that allowed for the quick movement of troops along the fortifications.
Who was Justinian and what were his major accomplishments as emperor of the Byzantine Empire?
Justinian I was the Byzantine Emperor from 527 to 565 CE. He is remembered as one of the most important emperors in Byzantine history.
Expansion of the Empire
Justinian aimed to restore the Roman Empire’s former glory by launching military campaigns to reclaim lost western territories, including North Africa, Italy, and parts of Spain.
Legal Reforms
Justinian ordered a comprehensive reform of legal codes that organized and standardized Roman laws which became known as the “Corpus Juris Civilis.” This body of civil law influenced European legal systems for centuries.
Architectural Achievements
Justinian was responsible for the construction of the Hagia Sophia, a massive cathedral in Constantinople, which became an architectural and cultural symbol of Byzantine greatness.
Religious Influence
Justinian played a key role in promoting and defending Christianity, establishing Christianity as the empire’s official faith.
What were the Nika Riots and what were the two main reasons for it?
The Nika Riots
Happened in 532 AD
Week-long violent uprising against Emperor Justinian leading to much of Constantinople being burned or destroyed.
Ended with an estimated 30,000 rioters being killed
Reasons for it
Heavy Taxation
To fund his military campaigns, Justinian imposed heavy taxes on citizens
Strict and Unpopular Policies
Justinian’s rule had very strict laws that often made people unhappy and caused problems in society. His laws also made social classes more unequal, which was unfair to the lower classes and minority groups, creating a divide between the rich and the poor.
Who was Procopius and why did he write two very different accounts of Justinian’s reign?
Who was Procopius:
Procopius was a Byzantine historian who served as a trusted advisor to Justinian and his generals.
Two Different Accounts:
He wrote “The Wars” and “The Buildings,” which praised Justinian’s accomplishments and victories, showing him as a great leader.
However, in “The Secret History,” written later, Procopius criticized Justinian and Empress Theodora, describing them as cruel and corrupt. He wrote this secretly to avoid punishment, showing the complex and conflicting views of Justinian’s reign.
“The Secret History” was discovered in the Vatican Library and published in the 17th century (over 1,000 years after it was written), revealing a completely different side of Justinian’s rule.
Explain the divide between east and west over the use of icons.
The divide between east and west over the use of icons.
This led to the split of the Christianity into two branches. This split is known as the Great Schism
Eastern View (Byzantine Empire): Against the use of icons
The Eastern Orthodox Church, many people became “iconoclasts,” they thought that using icons in church was wrong because it could lead to worshiping false gods, which goes against the Ten Commandments.
They wanted to destroy these icons.
Western View: Accepted the use of icons
The Roman Catholic Church thought icons were acceptable.
They said people weren’t worshiping the picture but using it to help think about God or saints.
Many people in the west could not read so, icons were helpful tools in understanding the religion.
Describe the architectural design of the Hagia Sophia.
Symbolic Contrast
Exterior (outside)
The simple brick and mortar exterior represents the everyday, ordinary life on earth
Interior (inside)
The decorative interior signifies the spiritual and ideal universe- life in heaven
Other Information
Dome: The Hagia Sophia features a remarkable dome that rises 180 feet above the floor and has a diameter of 107 feet.
Pendentive: The invention of the pendentive, a curved wall section above the four central arches, allowed this massive dome to be supported, revolutionizing Byzantine architecture.
Had to be rebuilt after the main dome collapsed
Built as a Christian cathedral- converted to an Islamic mosque after the conquest by the Ottoman Turks. Then it was turned into a museum and then back to a mosque today.
