Constantinople became the new capital of the Eastern Roman Empire after the fall of Rome to Germanic tribes in the 5th century. Under the rule of Justinian in the 6th century, the Byzantine Empire reconquered much of the territory once held by Rome. Byzantine culture was influenced by Roman traditions but spoke Greek, and its legal code and architecture, such as the Hagia Sophia, had lasting influence. However, the empire gradually declined due to unrest, plague, and attacks from neighboring powers.

1. Byzantium Becomes
the New Rome
Chapter 11:1

2. • Main Idea: Constantinople
ruled an eastern empire that
survived for over a thousand
years
• Why it matters now?
Byzantine culture deeply
influenced Orthodox
Christianity, a major branch of
modern Christianity

3. Setting the Stage
• Western Roman Empire
crumbled by invading
Germanic tribes
• Capital was moved from
Rome  Byzantium 
changed to
Constantinople (by
Constantine)
• Byzantine became the
name of the Eastern
Empire, with
Constantinople as its
capital
• Constantinople carried on
the legacy of Rome, even
after it’s fall

4. Byzantium: The Lost Empire

5. A New Rome in a New
Setting
• Constantine planned
Constantinople as a new
capital of the empire- the
New Rome
• Center of power moved
EAST

6. Justinian: A New Line of
Caesars
• Justinian=
• Ruled the Eastern Empire
• Sent his best general to
recover North Africa &
Rome
• After many battles,
Justinian controlled almost
all of ancient Rome
• Ruled by absolute power
(over church & state)

7. Justinian

8. Life in New Rome
• Lived the Roman traditions, but
spoke Greek (not Latin)
• Justinian set a panel of legal
experts to comb through 400
years of Roman law 
JUSTINIAN CODE
(served as the code for 900
years)
• Code= 5,000 Roman laws still
considered useful
• Digest= Opinions from Rome’s
greatest legal thinkers
• Institutes= textbook for law
students
• Novellae (New Laws)

9. Creating the Imperial Capital
• Public Building
Programs by
Justinian:
• Rebuilt fortifications in
Constantinople (14 stone
wall)
• Hagia Sophia=
church destroyed during
riots
• Enlarged his palace
• Baths, aqueducts, law
courts, schools and
hospitals

10. Hagia Sophia

11. Constantinople’s Hectic Pace
• MESE= the “middle
way,” the main street
running through
Constantinople
• Merchants lined the
streets with products
from all over the world
• Hippodrome= chariot
races and performances

12. Hippodrome

13. Nika Rebellion
• = fan groups that started a
riot because of their hatred
for the government
• Shouted “Nika! ” (victory)
• Flooded the Hippodrome
and demanded Justinian’s
remove
• Troops brought in and
30,000 were slaughtered

14. Nika Revolt

15. The Empire Falls
• Justinian died in 565
• After…
• Street riots
• Religious quarrels
• Palace intrigues
• Foreign danger

16. Plague of Justinian
• Resembled the bubonic
plague
• Probably arrived from
Indian ships invested
with rats
• 10,000 killed everyday

17. Plague of Justinian

18. Attacks from East & West
• Enemies that
attacked…
• Lombards
• Avars, Slavs, and Bulgars
• Persians
• Arab armies

19. The Church Divides (1/2)
• Christianity grew and
started to differ in the east
and west
• East built on the works of
the early Church
• PATRIARCH= leading
bishop of Constantinople
(but even he bowed to the
emperor)

20. The Church Divides (2/2)
• First Controversy
• In the East, Emperor Leo 3
banned the use of ICONS
(religious images to aid in
devotion)
• Emperor viewed this as idol
worship
• In the West, the Pope ordered
the EXCOMMUNICATION
of a Byzantine emperor

21. Religious Icons

22. Byzantine Missionaries
Convert the Slavs
• The East and the West both
competed for CONVERTS
• Took Christianity to SLAVS
• Saints Cyril & Methodius created
an alphabet for the Slavs so they
could read the Bible in their own
tongue
• Many Slavic languages,
including Russian, are now
written in what is called
CYRILLIC ALPHABET

23. Saints Cyril & Methodius