...The Roman Empire deteriorated in the year 476 C.E. after suffering several invasions, poverty, different leaders, and political instability which lead to the split of the empire (Western and Eastern). The Eastern Empire was lead to be known as the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantine Empire, even though it became its own independent empire after the Roman fell, it can be considered a partial continuation of Rome. The Byzantine Empire kept most of the characteristics of the Roman Empire’s government with some slight modifications. It had a system of aristocracy (few people hold power) and bureaucracy (state officials that make important decisions, they aren’t elected). At the head of the government was the Emperor, just like in the Roman Empire, and beneath him were a multitude of officials and court officers. They helped the emperor administrate the vast empire. In addition, the emperor...
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... | | Byzantine Empire 330 C.E. to 1453 C.E. --- Only in the eastern Mediterranean did a classical empire survive. The eastern half of the Roman empire, known as the Byzantine empire, withstood the various problems that brought down other classical societies and survived for almost a millennium after the collapse of the western Roman empire in the fifth century C.E. --- The Byzantine empire was a political and economic powerhouse of the postclassical era. Until the twelfth century, Byzantine authority dominated the wealthy and productive eastern Mediterranean region. The Byzantine empire also deeply influenced the historical development of the Slavic peoples of eastern Europe and Russia. Byzantine missionaries and diplomats introduced writing, Christianity, codified law, and sophisticated political organization into lands settled by Slavic peoples. Because Byzantine political, economic, and cultural influence stretched so far, historians often refer to it as the “Byzantine commonwealth.” Just as Greek and Roman initiative brought Mediterranean lands into a larger integrated society, Byzantine policies led to the formation of a large, multicultural zone of trade, communication and interaction. --- The Byzantine empire takes its name from Byzantion - latinized as Byzantium – a modest market town and fishing village that occupied a site...
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...Two empires arose during the postclassical period, before 1450, the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic Caliphates. The Islamic Caliphate was influenced by Muhammad’s teachings and the Byzantine Empire was influenced by Christianity and each established their rule through their dominant religion. Christianity became the Byzantine Empire’s state religion as did Islam for the Islamic Caliphates. Both empires established their political leaders as their religious leaders so they would have more power over the citizens. They used religion to unite the people and to justify expansion for their government. However, these empires did not have similar legal systems. The laws of the Byzantine Empire were based off of Roman laws and the Islamic Caliphates centered their laws on the Quran. Neither empire failed to acknowledge the importance of religion in each society. Because of the importance, the leaders of both empires, the Emperor in the Byzantine and the Caliph in the Caliphates, were set as the head religious figures. This similarity between the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic Caliphates shows how they each empowered their leaders by relating them with the beliefs of the...
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...ARTISTIC IDEAS OF BYZANTINE Byzantine art is the artistic products of the Eastern Roman, or Byzantine, Empire, as well as the nations and states that inherited culturally from the empire. Though the empire itself emerged from Rome's decline and lasted until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, many Eastern Orthodox states in Eastern Europe, as well as to some degree the Muslim states of the eastern Mediterranean, preserved many aspects of the empire's culture and art for centuries afterward. A number of states contemporary with the Byzantine Empire were culturally influenced by it, without actually being part of it (the "Byzantine commonwealth"), such as Bulgaria, Serbia, and the Rus, as well as some non-Orthodox states the Republic of Venice and Kingdom of Sicily, which had close ties to the Byzantine Empire despite being in other respects part of western European culture. Art produced by Eastern Orthodox Christians living in the Ottoman Empire is often called "post-Byzantine." Certain artistic traditions that originated in the Byzantine Empire, particularly in regard to icon painting and church architecture, are maintained in Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Russia and other Eastern Orthodox countries to the present day. Byzantine Mosaics (c.500-843) Using early Christian adaptations of late Roman styles, the Byzantines developed a new visual language, expressing the ritual and dogma of the united Church and state. Early on variants flourished in Alexandria and Antioch...
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...blended together to create vast empires. These cultures relied upon each other in mutually beneficial interactions and exchanges. Sometimes, the refusal to accept diversity leads to conflict. Diversity of culture has impacted many of the past’s greatest empires. Among the empires, the Byzantine and the Mongol are perfect examples of diverse culture due to their capabilities of spreading ideas and trade internationally and in exchange for resulting achievements much more beneficial towards them. The Byzantine Empire, although, was deeply influenced by the Roman administration after being the eastern region of the Roman Empire before the split, it also contained Greek elements due to the majority of Greek speaking citizens. The Byzantine Empire served to preserve Roman and Greek culture, allowed the spread of new religion and achievements through cultural diffusion. When the western region of the Roman Empire collapsed in 475, libraries and places of literature were destroyed under the chaos and much of the records kept by the civilization were lost. The eastern half managed to become an independent empire of its own, known today as; The Byzantine Empire. As a result, the Byzantine alone served to preserve the Roman and Greek culture in place of the diminishing western region. Among the preservation saved by Emperor Justinian, the ones that became most significant were the Roman Laws. Justinian then expanded on the law code based on the original Roman Laws to create the Justinian’s...
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...The Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire is the eastern Greek portion of the Roman Empire, sometimes termed the Later or Eastern Roman Empire. The Byzantine Greeks presented themselves as Romans and their Empire as the Roman Empire. They perceived themselves as the prolongation of the Roman Empire and on no account utilized the term "Byzantine" to present themselves (Frucht, 2004). For the reason of administration, Diocletian (who ruled about 284-305) segmented the dominion of the empire among four emperors. He administered the eastern part of the empire (McMeans & Teacher Created Resources, 2010). The Empire was reunified in 324 when, conquered all his foes, and became the dominant authority of the entire empire. The Byzantine Empire may then be dated to Constantine's development of a second capital; that he modelled on Rome, at Byzantium (Frucht, 2004). So from the establishment of this city as a second Rome, the division of east from west was developed, and the east soon came out as the prevailing half. In 330, Constantine the Great relocated the capital of the Roman Empire to Constantinople. There were a few reasons for that; one was that the city was a splendid defensive position. Secondly it approached the wealthy Eastern cities of the Empire and was close to the Military outposts edge with the Empire's principal rival, Persia (Frucht, 2004). Constantine also endorsed the initiation of Christianity from Constantinople. The eastern section of the Empire talked Greek...
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...Introduction: Middle Ages began when Western Roman Empire collapsed. Byzantine and Islamic appeared before the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages is the middle period of three traditional division of Western history: early, the high, and the late Middle Ages. Middle Ages is an important part of Western Civilization. It through many different period of time of the Middle Ages helps Western Civilization development economy and political. Each period of Middle Ages affect to how Civilization changes and growth. Western Civilization had more strong and created many intellect men. Also, the last Pagan Europe was converted to Christianity with the Baltic people in the High Middle Ages, bringing them to Western Civilization as well. I. Byzantine and Islamic influence A. Byzantine influence In the textbook Humanities in the Western Tradition, First Edition Marvin Perry, Baruch College, City University of New York, Emeritus J. Wayne Baker, University of Akron Pamela Pfeiffer Hollinger, the University of Akron that discussion Byzantine and Islamic their cultural contribution to Western Civilization. * “The Byzantine and Islam have in common” by contributing writer that almost 700 years Byzantine and Islamic cultural fought the remains of the Roman Empire, but they also hared many cultural political and artistic that shape their societies in many ways. * Advantage: * Byzantine cultural contributions to Western Civilization Byzantine developed vital economy, sophisticated...
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...asked is what attributed to the fall of the Roman Empire? Was it the adoption of Christianity in 380 AD? Or the relentless barbarian hordes that plundered and sacked Roman cities only a few decades later? Or a combination of both? The facts are that Theodosius the Great, being the last true emperor of a unified Rome, officially made Christianity the state religion in 380 AD. He ordered the conversion of all roman temples be either converted into Christian churches or destroyed. Practicing any of the former pagan religions was considered an act of treason and punishable by death. He ordered this conversion in both the seat of the empire in the west and in the eastern capital Constantinople. Fifteen years after the adoption in 495 AD, Theodosius died and the Roman Empire split into two halves: The west, now controlled by Theodosius’ son Honorius and the east, controlled by his other son Arcadius. This begins the ultimate demise of the empire as it was currently known. 410 AD, after 800 years of security, Rome is conquered and sacked by the Visigoth’s lead by Alaric I. Being only 30 years after the adoption of Christianity as the state religion it is hard to argue the role it may have played in this destruction. However barbarians are by no means a new threat. Rome struggled for centuries before containing the threats of pagan tribes such as the Visigoths, Vandals, Alani, Allemanni, and even the Huns lead by the notorious Attila. The empire, at least the western half, has been in decline...
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...messenger runs towards the Ottoman camp. The mighty Byzantine Empire has fallen, the emperor is slain, Mehmed smiles; for he finally, after months of siege, conquered Constantinople and put an end to the Byzantine Empire. He sees the Ottoman colours waving in the city, the mighty three crescent flag flies over a destroyed empire and the beginning of a new age. The Byzantine Empire was an influential,fluctuating empire throughout history and it changed the world forever. In 285 CE ,after the death of Constantine I, the empire split into two,west and east. The west would collapse within 100 years but the east would survive for more than a thousand and became known as the Byzantine Empire. In the early years the empire usually did...
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...Laura Allen Brownworth, Lars. Lost to the West The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization. New York: Crown, 2009. Print. Lars Brownworth wrote Lost to the West The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization because he believed that many heroic Romans were not credited for their work throughout many historical books. Brownworth thinks that the people of the past should have writing about their accomplishments towards the Roman empire. Brownsworth also believes that no other history book has credited many historical figures up to this point. Lars Brownworth not only wrote the book Lost to the West The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization , but he also has several other accomplishments....
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...Samantha Fitzgerald HIST 110 Winter 2018 How Did Art Reflect the Byzantine Era? INTRO: Art reflects life. Art reflects society. Art reflects emotions. Whether a painting portrays a king, or a building reflects advancements within a society, all art communicates ideas and feelings. While looking at a piece of art, you look into the mind of the artist at that exact period in time. The artist has been influenced by a variety of beliefs, perceptions, and community, all leading up to the final product. During the Byzantine Empire, there was a drastic shift after the Byzantine had separated from, but was an extension of, the Roman Empire. Roman and Greek culture was prevalent in the Byzantine Empire, making this period unique on its own. The laws...
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...Western Roman Empire encompassed the western regions of the Roman Empire while the Eastern part was later renamed as the Byzantine Empire. It is noteworthy that the two were not separate as such, but rather had independent Imperial courts. Despite enjoying a period of growth, independence, and prosperity, the collective empire collapsed due to some reasons that include: military failures, natural disasters, and civil wars, among others. There are ranging debates that exist and un-conclusive arguments regarding the fall of the empire. However, the reasons for its fall are known with the two showing similarities and differences. The Western empire collapsed in the 5th century after about 500 years of its existence. Some historians argue that...
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...The Rise and Spread of Islam •The Post Classical Period: Faith and Commerce - Spread of major world religions o Budhism o Christianity o Islam 1. Spread through preaching, trade routes - Development of Systematic o Boat trade 2. Indian Trade spread disease, religion, ideas - Three Big Ideas o Trans-regional communication and exchange networks o Forms of state organize. Diversify o All societies increased productive capacity • Pre-Islamic Arabia - Bedoin culture based on Kin/clan/tribal networks o Survival dependent on loyalty to clan o Magnified by harsh environment - Shayks- clan/tribal leaders o Conflict was frequent o Society was fragmented - Fierce inter clan rivalries and struggles for resources o Emphasis on revenge, “male honor” - Towns and long distance trade----Mecca and Medina o Medina (Yathrib) (established on oasis) o Mecca more important – Umayyad (ruling clan) – Quraysh; (Ka’ba) - Status of women varied by clan o More respect vs. less respect - Little art/architechture (no big civs) o Focus on poetry 1. Gives glimpse into daily life - Bedovin religions- blend of animism and polytheism o Animism- nature worship - The life of Myhammad and Genesis of Islam o Born around 570 CE – Merchant, married Khadijah ...
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...The fall of the Sasanian Empire Introduction： The Sasanian empire （224-651 AD） was one of the most influential periods in Iran’s history. The centralized structure of the Sasanian dynasty created a very effective army, which was important for both defense and conquest. Dynasty background information： The Sasanian Empire was established in Estakhr by Ardashir the first around 224 AD. The beginning of the Sasanian Empire was glorious, and the empire had gradually become wealthy by spreading out the trade routes in all directions. As people got more wealthy, they received more power and a lot of internal conflicts formed over time. However, most of the emperors focused on the wars with the Byzantine and the Rome and had “ignored”...
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...Barbarians are often thought of as men who are like savages and only desire war and empowerment. After some research, however, one can see that, that is not the case. Most people were thought to be barbarian if they were a different group of people from a different place. In fact, the word barbarian is a Greek word that means “anyone who didn’t speak Greek” (Fascinate). This essay will examine how barbarians were interpreted in European art and how it influenced European Christian art. As the Roman Empire spread all through Europe and Northern Africa, they experienced different clans and groups of people. Some battled against the Roman armed forces, and kept striking after Roman triumph of their countries. The Romans, with their efficient...
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