The Commonwealth of Byzantium Flashcards
Diocletian
attempted to reform and save the Roman Empire by splitting it into East & West
Geographic location of Constantinople
located on the Bosporus Strait which connected the Mediterranean Sea with the Black Sea (and the Silk Roads/ Eastern Europe trade routes) also very protected from nomadic Germanic groups.
Caesaropapism
It combined the power of the Church and the state
Justinian and Theodora
most important and influential rulers of the byzantine empire. created a law code based on the old Roman law code, the Twelve Tables and Christian law. during the The Nika Revolt Justinian wanted to flee but his wife Theodora said they needed to stay. this decision allowed for them to remain in power.
Justinian Code
created a law code based on the old Roman law code, the Twelve Tables and Christian law. everyone was required to follow these last, this helped further unify them empire.
Theme system
Byzantine government set up themes which were provinces ruled by loyal generals (similar to Satrapies) basically just a strong bureaucracy.
Hippodrome and chariot racing
the hippodrome was a center for community where people of all classes would come for entertainment. there would be chariot races or dules where people would place bets. similar to Rome’s bread and circuses. this would distract people from real problems.
Iconoclasm
Emperor Leo III ordered the destruction of all icons and persecuted supporters of icons in the Byzantine empire because he believed that they were false idols, which are against the 10 Commandments. The Western Roman Church was against this so a greater divide between the 2 halves of the church formed.
Emperor Leo
second emperor of the byzantine empire.banned all icons.
Schism of 1054
Major issues continued between the Roman Papacy and the Patriarch of Constantinople. Both the Pope and the Patriarch excommunicated one another. this created 2 different types of Christianity with different practices.
4th Crusade
The crusade dealt an irrevocable blow to the Byzantine Empire, contributing to its decline and fall as all the unstable governments in the region, the Sack of Constantinople, and the thousands of deaths had left the region depleted of soldiers, resources, people, and money which left the region vulnerable to attack.
St. Cyril and St. Methodius
2 missionary’s that helped spread The Eastern Orthodox faith to Russia.
Cyrillic Alphabet
it is the alphabet used with any Slavic language (Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Bosnian)
Russia -Kiev; Byzantine influence
with many missionaries coming over from the byzantine empire, naturally some cultural diffusion t=began to take place. style of governments, architecture of more developed in Russia, was all very similar to that of the byzantine empire.
Vladimir, Yaroslav the Wise
chose the Eastern Orthodox religion and in 988, the “Baptism of Russia/Kiev”-a forced conversion- took place (and married to Byzantine emperor’s sister)
