N1: Oh Spirits, what happened when the Western Roman ...



WHICH10, Sec 1-BYZANTINE EMPIRE - SKIT

N1: Oh Spirits, what happened to the Eastern Roman Empire when the Western Roman Empire collapsed in 476AD?

SPIRIT1: While the lands of the Western Empire slipped into chaos and a dark age, the Eastern Roman Empire successfully fought off the Germanic invaders. Later, the Eastern Roman Empire became known as the Byzantine Empire. It lasted all the way to 1453AD!

SPIRIT 2: It is important to know that the Byzantine people themselves never called their empire the “Byzantine Empire”. That name came later. They called their empire the “Roman Empire”, and called themselves “Romans”, even though their empire did not include the city of Rome. They saw themselves as the continuation of the old Roman Empire. However, we will follow the tradition of calling it the Byzantine Empire, to distinguish it from the old Roman Empire.

N2: So when did the Byzantine Empire begin?

SPIRIT1: You recall that in 330AD, the Emperor Constantine took an older Greek city called Byzantium, built a lot of fine, new buildings, and made it the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. This city continued as the capital after the Western Roman Empire fell. Some scholars say the “Byzantine Empire” began when Constantinople was founded in 330AD. Some say it began in 476AD, when the last Western Emperor was deposed. Take your choice.

SPIRIT2: Let us fly high over the city, and look down at it. Take our hands, mortals, and we will fly! (Spirits and Narrators pretend to “fly”.)

N2: Look! I see a marvelous city located at the narrow strait of water where the Black Sea flows into the Mediterranean Sea!

N1: It’s amazing! The city is on a peninsula! On the land side, there are protective walls, and the outermost wall is actually a double wall! On the sides facing the water, there is a heavy sea wall!

N2: I see that there is an inlet of water on the north side of the city!

SPIRIT1: Yes, that inlet of water north of the city of Constantinople is called the Golden Horn. They had a mighty chain they could stretch across that inlet of water to protect it from enemy ships!

SPIRIT2: This city you see below you, the old city of Constantinople, was probably the most well protected city in the world. Besides water on 3 sides, the huge walls and the chain, they had a strong navy.

SPIRIT1: And their navy had a secret weapon, called “Greek fire”! It was a chemical that they sprayed on enemy ships. The ships would catch fire, and the fire was almost impossible to put out.

SPIRIT2: This Empire lasted until 1453AD, about 1000 years after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. It was finally taken by the Ottoman Turks, who were able to conquer it because by that time, cannons had been invented. The Ottomans were able to blast a hole in the great walls. They made Constantinople the capital of their Empire, and renamed it Istanbul.

N1: That’s amazing! Tell us about the emperors of the Byzantine Empire. Who was the first really important Emperor of the Byzantine Empire, after the fall of the Western Empire?

SPIRIT1: Emperor Justinian. He happens to be with us today! Emperor Justinian, please tell us about yourself!

JUSTINIAN: I ruled from 527AD-565AD. When I took over, the Eastern Roman Empire, or Byzantine Empire, had suffered from many of the same problems that troubled the Western Roman Empire, but had not fallen. I was determined to revive the glory of the “old” Roman Empire.

N2: What did you do, Emperor Justinian?

JUSTINIAN: I did 3 important things. First, because I recognized the importance of Roman law, I ordered my scholars to collect all the Roman Laws and organize them into a law code. They threw out the ones that were outdated or no longer useful. The name of this collection was “Corpus Juris Civilis”, and came to be called the Justinian Code. It was organized into 4 parts.

N1: What were the 4 parts?

JUSTINIAN: The first part, called the “Code”, contained the Roman laws themselves. The second part, called the “Digest”, contained legal opinions by judges. The third part, called the “Institutes” was a textbook for law students. The fourth part, called the “Novellae” contained new laws passed after 534 AD. This part of the Code was continually growing.

N1: Did people use this law code for a long time?

JUSTINIAN: Yes indeed! In fact, the laws of most of the countries of Europe are still based on the Justinian Code!

N2: What was the 2nd thing you did, Justinian?

JUSTINIAN: I initiated a huge building campaign in Constantinople, and built many new buildings. The most famous was the great church called “Hagia Sophia”, which means “Holy Wisdom”. It was, and is, magnificent! It was topped by the largest dome in the world. The outside looked rather plain, but the inside was magnificent! It was covered with gorgeous mosaics and frescoes, showing holy pictures of Christ and his saints. It was lit by thousands of chandeliers!

N1: And what was the 3rd thing you did, Justinian?

JUSTINIAN: I sent my trusted general, Belisarius, to try to re-conquer lands of the Western Roman Empire. I wanted to revive the full extent and glory of the old Roman Empire.

N2: Did you succeed? Belisarius, would you answer this for us, please?

BELASSARIUS: In the short-term, we partially succeeded. After 30 long years of bitter fighting, we managed to take Italy and part of North Africa back from the Germanic tribes. Our re-conquest was temporary, however.

SPIRIT 1: Within fifty years after the death of Justinian, the Germanic tribes had taken these areas back yet again.

N1: You were a mighty Emperor, Justinian! What was the secret of your strength?

JUSTINIAN: The greatest secret of my strength was my beautiful, intelligent wife, the Empress Theodora! Whenever my will was weak, she strengthened me!

N2: Let’s talk to Theodora. Theodora, tell us about yourself!

THEODORA: I was born into a very common family. My father trained bears to perform in a circus that put on a show before the chariot races in the great racecourse, the Hippodrome. My father died when I was very young. My mother, my older sisters and I had to support ourselves the best we could. My mother put us on the stage as dancers. I was very beautiful and vivacious, and I became a very popular performer and dancer. Not only was I a wonderful dancer, but I could be hysterically funny! I met a lot of powerful and influential men! Finally I met Justinian, when he was the Prince of the Empire!

JUSTINIAN: I fell in love with Theodora, and wanted to marry her! My family was shocked and said no. But after my father died and I became Emperor, I married her!

THEODORA: I was the power behind the throne! For example, do you remember the incident called the Nika Revolt, my dear?

JUSTINIAN: Yes, dear, I remember it! It actually started in the Hippodrome, the race-course, with an argument and fight between fans of the Blues and the Greens, two chariot-racing teams. This is what happened:

GREEN FANS: The Green team is the best! Down with the Blue Team!

BLUE FANS: You stupid Greens . . . . . .

GOVERNMENT GUARDS: Stop! You lowly people must cease and come with us at once!

GREEN FANS: We are sick and tired of the arrogant Government Guards! Come on, Blue Fans, let’s stop fighting each other, and let’s join together and fight the Guards!

BLUE FANS: Yes, we’ll fight the guards! (fight-fight-fight)

EMPEROR”S SERVANT: Help! The whole city is in a riot, and it is turning into a rebellion against the government!

JUSTINIAN: Alas, the city is rebelling against us! We are in great danger! We must flee, dearest Theodora!

THEODORA: No! You may flee if you wish, Justinian! I will stay. I am not afraid! I have been a commoner before, and do not wish to be a commoner again! I would rather die than give up being the Empress! “Purple” is the best color for a burial shroud!

JUSTINIAN: If you won’t go, dearest Theodora, I won’t go! Belisarius! You are my best and most trusted general. Go get the army and put down that rebellion!

BELISARIUS: Yes, Justinian! Right away!

THEODORA: Belisarius trapped the rioters in the Hippodrome, and slaughtered them, and that was the end of the revolt. But if I hadn’t refused to leave, maybe the Empire would have collapsed. You can clearly see that I am the strength behind Justinian!

PROCOPIUS: Wait, there’s more to the story of Justinian and Theodora than that!

N1: Who are you?

PROCOPIUS: My name is Procopius. I was the official historian of Justinian’s reign, and I wrote an official lengthy history of what happened during his reign called “The Wars of Justinian”, a huge work in 8 volumes. In my official history I praised Justinian. But I also wrote a “Secret History”, which I left in a monastery to be opened after my death. In my “Secret History” I told what I really thought of Justinian and Theodora!

N2: Would you read us a selection from the “Secret History”, so we can get an idea of what is in it?

PROCOPIUS: Since it is “secret”, Justinian and Theodora cannot listen. (Justinian and Theodora put their hands over their ears.): Here is a quote from my book:

“They were a pair of blood-thirsty demons . . . . For they plotted together to find the easiest and swiftest means of destroying all races of men and all their works. Justinian would order tens of thousands of quite innocent person to be put to death, cities to be razed to the ground, and all their possession to be confiscated for the Treasury. His ambition being to force everybody into one form of Christian belief he wantonly destroyed everyone who would not conform, and that while keeping up a pretense of piety. For he did not regard it as murder so long as those who died did not happen to share his beliefs.”

I also had a lot to say about Theodora. Before she married Justinian, she was a stripper and “exotic dancer”. She was shameless! If you want more details, you can read my book.

N1: So, spirits, which do we believe, Procopius’s “Official History”, or his “Secret History”?

SPIRIT I: My advice is, don’t completely believe either one. Both probably have some truth, and are valuable for understanding the past, but both could be exaggerated.

N2: I have one more question for the historian Procopius. Did anything else significant happen during the reign of Justinian?

PROCOPIUS: Yes, in 542 AD, in the 15th year of Justinian’s reign, a terrible plague, probably Bubonic Plague, hit Constantinople. Thousands died of plague each day during that period.

N1: Read us a little of what you wrote about the plague, please:

PROCOPIUS:

"It seemed to spread all over the world, this catastrophe was so overwhelming that the human race appeared close to annihilation. . . . . They had a sudden fever, some while sleeping, some while walking, and others while engaged without any regard of what they were doing." Soon after, the symptoms would escalate into a type of swelling. The abdomen, armpits, thighs, and ears were the most common body parts affected. The lymph glands were also commonly affected. They were called buboes and for this part of the body the illness was named. In some cases death came immediately, in others, after many days;

ANSWER:

1. What happened to the Eastern Roman Empire after the fall of the Western Roman Empire? What name is the Eastern Roman Empire usually called today? What did the people of this empire call themselves?

2. What was the capital of the Byzantine Empire? Where was it located? What were its natural and man made defenses?

3. Look at the map. Locate & circle Rome. Locate & circle Constantinople. What parts of the old Western Roman Empire were re-conquered during the reign of Justinian? What parts of the old Western Roman Empire were not reconquered by Justinian (and remained in the hands of the Germanic Tribes). [pic]

4.

Look at the map below:

a. Which wall do you think is the oldest? Which wall came next? Which wall came last?

b. The Byzantines could stretch a chain across the inlet called the Golden Horn. Why would this be advantageous?

c. What evidence do you see that the city grew over time?

d. What are the 4 For a of Constantinople (These are areas of fine, public buildings)? Which do you think is the oldest? Why?

e. What evidence do you see that this was an old Greek town before Constantine expanded it, renamed it, and made it the Eastern Capital?

f. Find the Hippodrome. Find the Royal Palace.

[pic]

5. Who was the most famous of the early Byzantine Emperors? What did he want to do? What 3 important things did he do?

1)

2)

3)

6. What was Justinian’s Code? What were its 4 parts? What influence does it still have today?

1)

2)

3)

4)

7. What does “Hagia Sophia” mean? Describe this amazing building.

8. Who was Justinian’s chief general? What areas did he re-conquer for the Byzantine Empire? Did the Byzantine keep control of this land for very long? Explain.

9. Who was Justinian’s wife and empress? What was unusual about her background?

10. What set off the famous Nika Revolt? How did Theodora strengthen Justinian during this revolt? What was the outcome of this revolt?

11. Who was Procopius? What two histories did he write? How were they different? Do you think the “Secret History” is reliable? Why or why not?

12. What terrible disease hit Constantinople during the reign of Justinian?

[pic] [pic]

13. Who is portrayed in this famous mosaic? 14. Who is portrayed in this mosaic?

What does this mosaic tell us about him? What does it tell us about her?

BYZANTINE EMPIRE, PART 2

N1: Oh Spirits, tell us more about the Byzantine Empire! What were the keys to its strength?

SPIRIT 1: The keys to its strength were its strong government, its strong defenses, and its strong economy. Let’s hear what the spirits of the Byzantines have to say.

BYZANTINE GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL: The Byzantine Empire had a strong central government, controlled by the Emperor. He was an autocrat (absolute ruler). The Emperor was aided by some of the cleverest officials in world history, who were experts at using intrigue, bribery, or any other means to insure the safety and property of the Byzantine Empire. It is because of these officials that the term “byzantine” in common speech means extremely complicated, or characterized by intrigue.

BYZANTINE MILITARY LEADER: The capital of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople, was protected by its natural position on a peninsula and by its strong walls. We had an effective military to protect our frontiers. Our military forces were well trained and had well designed weapons and armor. We also had a strong navy, with its secret weapon, Greek fire. When we sprayed this liquid chemical weapon on enemy ships, they burst into flames.

BYZANTINE MERCHANT: Perhaps our greatest strength was our economy. The east had always been the oldest and wealthiest part of the Roman Empire. The position of Constantinople on the Bosporus strait, where Europe meets Asia, made it a perfect place to control sea routes. Almost all trade between Asia and Europe flowed through the Byzantine Empire. The imperial tax policies raised huge government revenues, to pay soldiers and officials. Our gold coin, the bezant, was the most valued coin in Europe.

N2: Tell us more about the culture of the Byzantine Empire.

BYZANTINE SCHOLAR: While few people in Western Europe could even read and write, we preserved the rich heritage of ancient Greek literature and philosophy, including the works of Plato and Aristotle, as well as the ancient Latin classics. We Byzantine scholars added many works of our own, especially in the field of Christian theology (writings about religion and the nature of God). Our main language was Greek, though most of us knew Latin and Arabic as well.

BYZANTINE ARCHITECT: We had marvelous architecture! Our architecture was based on Roman architecture. Most of the finest examples are Churches. These Churches are almost always topped with great domes. The most famous Byzantine Church was the great Church of Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) in Constantinople, built by Justinian in 532AD, which was an engineering wonder and the largest building in the world for hundreds of years. This is what Procopius had to say about it

PROCOPIUS: “The Church is distinguished by indescribable beauty, excelling both in its size, and in the harmony of its measure; . . . .The church is singularly full of light and sunshine; you would declare that the place is not lighted by the sun from without, but that the rays are produced within itself, such an abundance of light is poured into this church.... The entire ceiling is covered with gold, which adds to its beauty . . who could tell of the beauty of the columns and marbles with which the church is adorned? One would think that one had come upon a meadow full of flowers in bloom. Whoever enters there to worship perceives at once that it is not by any human strength or skill, but by the will of God that this work has been perfected; his mind rises sublime to commune with God, feeling that God cannot be far away . . “

N1: What about Byzantine art?

BYZANTINE ARTIST: I am a Byzantine artist. Most Byzantine Art was Christian art, and included images of Christ and his saints. Some artists painted large murals on walls, some painted smaller pictures, and some created mosaics.

N1: What are mosaics?

BYZANTINE ARTIST: Mosaics are pictures made from pieces of polished colored stone or glass, sometimes backed by gold leaf. These mosaics reflect light, glitter and shine, and were intended to inspire worshipers to think of the greater beauty they would see in heaven.

N2: What were the murals like?

BYZANTINE ARTIST: Often they were large pictures of Christ and the saints. Over most altars in the churches, there was a large picture of Christ enthroned in glory.

N2: Did most people love this religious art?

BYZANTINE ARTIST: Yes, most people did. Many people were deeply devoted to icons, which is the term for holy pictures of Christ or the saints, meant to inspire the worshiper. Individuals had small icons in their homes, usually painted on wood, and there were large ones in churches. The icons were not intended to be realistic, but were intended to help the worshiper focus on God. Often they had large, expressive eyes and a gold background. This became very controversial during the 700s-800s AD. Let’s listen to an argument about icons:

ICONODULE (person who supports the use of icons in worship): I love icons! They make me feel close to God and the

saints. (the person clutches an icon)

ICONOCLAST (person who opposes the use of icons in worship): The use of icons has become idol worship! I oppose the

use of icons and think they should all be destroyed! Give me that icon!

ICONODULE: NO! Don’t take my beloved icon!

ICONOCLAST: It is idol worship! Give it to me! (person grabs the icon from the iconodule and rips it.)

BYZANTINE ARTIST: This disagreement between iconodules and iconoclasts became extremely intense, and nearly tore the Byzantine Empire apart. The Byzantine emperors and Roman Catholic Popes were involved. The year was 726AD.

BYZANTINE EMPEROR LEO III (year 726AD) : I intensely oppose the use of icons worship. I hereby order that all icons in the lands of the Byzantine Empire, where people follow Eastern Orthodox Christianity, must be destroyed:

SOLDIER: Give me the icon (he takes the icon and rips it).

CITIZEN OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE: No, no! Don’t destroy the icons!

BYZANTINE EMPEROR LEO III(year 730AD) : I also think that icons should be eliminated in the Roman Catholic Church. I will write a letter to the Pope. Dear Pope Gregory: I am convinced that icons should be eliminated. I therefore request that you order the destruction of all icons in the lands of the Roman Catholic Church.

POPE GREGORY III: The Byzantine Emperor has “requested” that I order the destruction of all icons in the Roman Catholic Church. Who does he think he is? I don’t take orders from him! I will consult my bishops . . . . What do you think, bishops?

BISHOPS: We think the use of icons is fine, and we don’t like being “bossed” by the Byzantine Emperor.

POPE GREGORY III: I agree. I will send a letter to Emperor Leo III: You are hereby excommunicated from the Church!

SPIRIT I: Luckily, the letter from Pope Gregory III never reached Emperor Leo III. He would have been furious, and the split between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches would have happened sooner than it did!

N1: What finally happened about the controversy? Who won?

SPIRIT II: The iconodules eventually won. It gets a little complicated. In 780AD Byzantine Empress Irene restored the use of icons in the E. Orthodox Church. Then the next Byzantine Emperor banned them again. Finally in 843AD, another Byzantine Empress restored the use of icons in the E. Orthodox Church, and that is how it remains to today.

SPIRIT I; Even though the use of icons was restored, the argument between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church helped drive the two branches of Christianity apart. However, the Churches didn’t officially split until much later, in 1054AD.

N1: So let me get this straight: the Byzantine Empire had the Eastern Orthodox Church, and lands that had been the old Western Roman Empire had the Roman Catholic Church. What were the differences between the two churches?

SPIRIT I: Let’s ask a Catholic Pope and an Orthodox Patriarch. What were the differences?

ROMAN CATHOLIC POPE: Most of our beliefs are the same, but there are a few differences. 1) I, the Pope, am the head of the Roman Catholic Church. 2) I have more power in my church than the Patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church has in his church, because there is no Emperor over me. Instead, in the west, we have a lot of local rulers. Therefore I am the most powerful person in Western Europe. 3) In the Catholic Church, priests do not marry. 4) We never rejected the use of icons. 5) Our favorite holiday is Christmas, and our way of calculating the date of Easter is slightly different from the one used by the E. Orthodox. (We are right and they are wrong! ) 6) We also have a slightly different view of the Trinity.

EASTERN ORTHODOX PATRIARCH: 1) I, the Patriarch, am the head of the Eastern Orthodox Church. 2) I don’t really have as much power over my church as the Pope does over his church, because I am under the Byzantine Emperor, who can tell me what to do, if he wants to. 3) Our priests can marry, though our bishops cannot. 4) In the Eastern Orthodox Church, at first we used icons, then we rejected them, and then we used them again. 5) Our favorite holiday is Easter, and we have a slightly different way of calculating the date of Easter from the Roman Catholic Church (we are right and they are wrong!). 6) And, we have a slightly different view of the nature of the Trinity.

ANSWER:

1. What were 3 keys to the strength of the Byzantine Empire?

2. Describe the Byzantine Government. Who headed it? What is an autocrat? Who helped him?

3. What does the adjective “byzantine” mean today?

4. Describe the military of the Byzantine Empire.

5. Describe the economy of the Byzantine Empire. Why was it able to control trade routes? How did the government get money?

6. How did Byzantine scholars contribute to learning?

7. What features are important in Byzantine architecture?

8. Describe the Church of Hagia Sophia? What is the roof like?

9. Describe Byzantine art. What did it focus on?

10. What is a mural? What kind of murals did churches have? What is a mosaic? Describe the mosaics.

11. What is an icon? What different kinds of icons were there? What was the purpose of icons? How did most people feel about the icons?

12. Explain the iconoclastic controversy. What was an iconodule? What was an iconoclast? What do we mean by the word “iconoclast” today?

13. What did Byzantine Emperor Leo III do? What did Pope Gregory III do?

14. What did Empress Irene do?

15. What was the difference between the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church (west) and the Eastern Orthodox Church (east)? What role did the Pope play in Western Europe? What role did the Patriarch play? What role did the Byzantine Emperor play?

16. Explain several differences between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE, PART 3:

N1: Now, spirits, tell us what eventually happened to the Byzantine Empire. It lasted a long time, but not forever.

SPIRIT 1: Yes, alas, it did not last forever. We usually say that Byzantine Empire began in 330AD, when Constantine established Constantinople as the Eastern capital of the Roman Empire. Or some say it began in 476AD, when the Western Roman Empire fell. Over the years it grew, shrank, grew again, shrank again, shrank, shrank, and finally it ended in 1453, when Constantinople felt to the Ottoman Turks.

SPIRIT 2: Let me explain in more detail. Recall that in the 500’s AD, the great Emperor Justinian temporarily re-conquered part of the Western Empire, including Italy and North Africa, but by 600AD, these Western parts had been re-conquered yet again by the Germanic tribes. Italy had been taken by a tribe called the Lombards. Other groups were also pressing in on the Byzantine Empire, including Persians, Slavs and Avars.

SPIRIT1: Then about 650AD, a new great power arose in Arabia. The Arabs had a new religion, Islam, inspired by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The Arabs quickly conquered much of southern part of the Byzantine Empire, including Egypt, Palestine and Syria. Now the Byzantine Empire consisted of only Greece and Asia Minor, but it was still economically strong and prosperous. Greece and Asia were the core lands of the Byzantine Empire for hundreds of years.

SPIRIT 2: An important event happened in 1054AD, when the Pope in Rome got very angry at the Byzantine Emperor & his Patriarch in Constantinople (and vice versa). They excommunicated each other (formally threw each other out of the church and damned each other to hell). This was the great split between Roman Catholics & Eastern Orthodox.

SPIRIT 1: Meanwhile, in about 1000sAD, a new group of people, the Turks, moved into the Middle East from central Asia. They settled there, converted to Islam, and began growing in power. They began taking over parts of Asia Minor, which had belonged to the Byzantine Empire for hundreds of years. The Byzantine Emperor became alarmed and frightened, and then he made a big mistake. In the year 1095, he asked his rival, the Pope in Rome, for help.

BYZANTINE EMPEROR ALEXIUS II: Please! Come and help us fight the Turks! They have taken Asia Minor from us! POPE URBAN II: Hmm. O.K. I will call on the knights of Europe to go on a Crusade to help you!

SPIRIT 2: So Pope Urban II launched the Crusades, the great series of wars by Western European Christians on the Muslims of the Middle East. The Crusades went on intermittently for 200 years. Crusaders were supposed to be helping the Byzantine Empire, but it turned out that a later group of Crusaders, who were wild and uncontrolled, damaged the Byzantine Empire much more than they helped it! Because of very series of crazy events that we will learn about later, in 1204AD, during the 4th Crusade, Crusaders from Western Europe “sacked” (captured, pillaged and looted) the city of Constantinople, the very city they were supposed to be helping! The Byzantines eventually took their capital city back from the crazy Crusaders, but this unfortunate and bizarre event greatly weakened the Byzantine Empire, and it never completely recovered.

SPIRIT 1: Finally about 1300AD, the Western Christians gave up trying to take the Holy Land away from the Muslims. The Ottoman Turks had already taken Asia Minor, and by now all that was left of the Byzantine Empire was the city of Constantinople and part of Greece. The Ottoman Turks turned their eyes to Constantinople, and wished to add it to their growing empire. Seeing the situation, many citizens began leaving Constantinople. Finally, there were only about 50,000 people left the city that had once had 500,000 people. In 1451, Mehmet II, a strong young leader, came to the throne of the Ottoman Empire.

MEHMET II: I wish to take the city of Constantinople and make it the capital of my empire! Although it has strong walls, I will find a way! First, I will obtain the best engineers and the very best cannons in the world. Then I will lay siege to the city! . .. . . . . I call on you, the people of Constantinople, to surrender!

BYZANTINE EMPEROR CONSTANTINE XI PALEOLOGUS: We will never surrender!

SPIRIT 2: After asking 3 times for the city to surrender, on April 6, 1453, Mehmet II began the siege. Day after day, the Turks blasted cannon balls at the great triple walls. He had ships hauled across land in order to get around the great chain that guarded the Golden Horn. By now, there were only a few thousand soldiers inside the city. The walls began to crack. On May 29, 1453, the Ottoman Turks entered the city. The last Byzantine Emperor died fighting. The Turks renamed the city Istanbul, and the Byzantine Empire came to end.

ANSWER

1. When did the Byzantine Empire begin, and who founded it? What change happened in 476AD?

2. How did the Emperor Justinian change the extent of the Eastern Roman Empire/Byzantine Empire in about 530AD?

3. What challenges did the Byzantine Empire face in about 600 AD?

4. What new challenge did the Byzantine Empire face around 650AD? How did this new challenge affect the extent of the Byzantine Empire?

5. What happened in 1054AD, between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church?

6. Who were the Turks? How did this new group affect the Byzantine Empire?

7. What were the Crusades and how did they affect the Byzantine Empire?

8. Who was Mehmet II, and what did he do? What happened on May 25, 1453?

FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE (Answer using the power point)

1. When the W. Roman Empire fell in 476AD, the E. Roman Empire, consisted of about_____ the old Roman Empire.

2. During the reign of Justinian re-took Italy and North Africa. In 550AD The Byzantine Empire was at its _________________.

3. In the 600-700s AD, the Byz Empire lost much of its land. a. ____________ took over most of Italy. _________ and _________ invaded the Balkan Peninsula and took much of Greece.

4. ______________of the expanding Muslim Empire conquered Syria, Palestine and North Africa. The Byzantine Empire had less than __________ its original area.

5. By the 800sAD, the Byz Empire had stabilized. It’s core area was ________ and ___________(Turkey) From the 800s-early 1000s, the Byzantine was strong and prosperous

6. Under the fighting Emperor ___________ II, the Empire expanded again, northward to the Danube River.

7. In the mid-1000s, the __________ ___________, a nomadic people from central Asia, moved in and by 1090AD, they had conquered much of Asia Minor (Turkey). Asia Minor was an important source of __________

8. The Turks prepared to attack Constantinople. The Emperor _____________ asked Pope ___________ for help. Pope Urban started the ________________, a series wars fought by Christians of Western Europe against the Muslims of the Middle East, including the T__________. The goals were to help the __________ Empire and take the Holy Land from the Muslims.

9. _________ ____________, daughter of Emperor Alexius, was the first female historian in world history. She wrote the story of her father’s reign, including the 1st ________________.

10. The “1st Crusade”, the Crusaders recaptured _______ _________ and returned it to the Byzantine Empire.

11. Then in the ___th Crusade, there was a terrible mix-up. Because of series of crazy circumstances, in 1204, these C____________ seized control of Constantinople & sacked the city (the very city they were supposed to be protecting.

12. The Crusaders _________________ Constantinople & stole enormous riches. They held it for almost 60 years. The sack of Constantinople destroyed its ____________ and ______________.

13. In 1261AD, the Byzantines re-took Constantinople from the Crusaders, and the Byzantine Empire lasted about 200 more years, but was never regained its former ________________

14. A new group of Turks, called the ___________________, entered Asia Minor in the 1300s and grew stronger. They began taking more and more land of the Byzantine Empire.

15. By 1400, the Byzantine Empire had shrunk down to only a little more than the city of _________________ itself.

16. Many people began leaving the city, fearing that the Ottoman Turks would take the city.

17. A great leader of the Ottoman Turks named _____________II wanted Constantinople to be the capital of the growing Ottoman Empire. He planned a great __________________.

18. He prepared many _________________, including the largest in the world, 29 feet long, made especially for this siege. To get his ships around the chain that guarded the Golden Horn, he had his ships dragged overland.

19. The city had very strong walls, but finally the __________________ aimed all their cannons at one section of the wall.

20. After a 52 day siege, ____________________, leader of the Ottoman Turks, captured Constantinople, and the Byzantine Empire came to an end. Constantinople was renamed Istanbul. May 29, 1453.

21. Many Byzantine _____________ fled to the west, bringing priceless manuscripts. This helped bring about a Renaissance of _________________ in Western Europe.

22. The fall of the Byzantine Empire cut off the main way that Western Europeans had traded with Asia. This made people of Western Europe determined to find a _______ ________ __________, and prompted the voyages westward across the Atlantic.

Fall of Constantinople:

Engineering an Empire-Byzantine Empire:

RUSSIA: LAND OF THE TSARS (first 45 minutes) -

RUSSIA: LAND OF THE TSARS 1st 6 parts: 5 facts each:













The Varangian Rus:

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