l

The Roman Empire split in two in eo 395.

After
the collapse of the western half in eo 476,the
eastern part survived. Its capital was Byzantium
(now Istanbul inTurkey), a city founded by
the Greeks.

The Byzantine Empire

The Roman emperor Constantine gave the
city of
Byzantium a new name, Constantinople. It
became the
home of eastern orthodox christianity, and
Romcn Empire divides
the capital of
AD 395 the Byzantine emperors.
tnto East (Byzantium)
andWest (Rome).
Byzantiurn u,as "Rome in the East." Here,
artists and scho]ars carried on
Emperor Theodosius
AD 40B tlre traditions of ancient Greek and Rotnan
culture. The B1,71111ines loved
rEairs cad rebuijds music, poetry and art, and decorated their
the city wclls,
clrurclres r,r..itlr beautifully colored rvall
paintings, or frescoes, atrd mosaic
of
Fo]] AD 476
íhewestern pictures. Mosaics are pictures made
Romcn Empire, from smal] pieces of glass or .,

Stolle Set itr patterns,

Justiniarr ond AD 527_565
'wars
Theod,ora rule
Bytantine Empire.
and laws
Tllc B1 zatt[i tle FInpire tr as
Byzantina conqueí strongest in the .r,n 500s. T]re
soutieostern Spoin. Emperor Justiirian had a
rniglit1. general, Belisarius,
llirrs with Árcbs and r,vho r,von many battles. He
n0 700s
religious quorrels wecken
also lrad a clever r,r,.ife, dre
Byzantine power.
empress T]reodora. Justinian's
Byzantine Empire lar,r..s, u,hich gave rrer.v rights
no 900s
Iecoveís- to women and clrildren,
became the framer,vork íor
Deoth oí Basi] II is AD 1025 later legal systems irr many
lbllolved by further
countries in Europe.
yiod of weok rule.
A chariots raced ground, the trgck in the
A magnificent city Hippodrome.Enttance was free (the
Most of the people oí the Byzantine
emperors knewthct íhe races kept the
Empire were farmers. They came to
mob omused). As well os thrilling and
the city to sel] goods and to marvel.
often d,angerous roces, there werecnimal
Foreigners visiting Constantinople
fights, doncing girls, ond circus octs t0
were amazed by its magnificence. Its
entertgin the huge crowds.
 Eastern empire
The Byzantine Empire
,..,]
]

swallowed up Turkey, {, }{*"

the Balkans, parts of
I
Spain and North :l
Africa, Egypt,and the
western coasts of the
Mediterranean. The
Empire was at its
height under Justinian.

:_ 19th-century print oÍ the emperor

:_.on cnd his iníluentiol wife port \\ias packed rl',ítlr ships, its rnarkets srvarnred r,l,ith people of
:iro.Through wor and diplomacy, many nations. Richly dressed nobler,1.omen \\rere carried on litters
,:ton mode Byzcntium the greatest by servants along streets in nlrich slaves and soldiers jostled sailors
:: rn the easíern \,.{_e{]19rrcnean, and merclratrts.
Tlre city lvas dominated by the enormous church of Hagia
Sophia, to rvirich the emperor and his retinue paraded to celebrate
Cirrrstian festivals. Built in only 5i1 years, betweetr,u 532 and 53/,
b1.order of Justinian, tlre huge dorned building is one of the gems
of r,vorld architectrrre. Inside the vast Hippodrome, crou,ds of
60,000 roared rvitlr approval or scorn for tire chariot racels. Nobles
and rich merchants lil,ed in cornfortable lrouses rn-ith central
heating. Poor families cramrned rnto multi-story tenement blocks.

As strong as its emperor

The Byzantine enrpire needed strong ruiers. After
Jtlstinian's death in ,o,n 565, feu, rulers carne near

r
to matclring lris pow-er, and tlre empire w-as
: rveakened by r,vars. Only vigorous soldiers
w-ere able to rally its forces and maintain a
grip on its lands and trade.
Byzantium managed to figlrt off its
enemies and survive into the second
millennium. its errd came íinally in 1453,
lt hen the city oí Constantinople was captured
by tlre Ttrrks.

L Byzantine troders used

ihe e*nstant and perpetilal wish tc rend§r gold coins called bezonts.
."..' -, "- :" -,, :, These coins havebeen
found ocross Ásio cs for cs
EMPEROR JUSTlNlAN (c.482-565) chino and os for west os
the British Isles.

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