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Video goes over just general information of the Byzantine Empire and Justinian I. Good video to watch as a refresher.

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The Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire was the predominantly Greek-speaking continuation of the Roman Empire during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Its capital city was Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), originally known as Byzantium.

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Primary Source: Anna Comnena: The Alexiad

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Primary Source: Anna Comnena: The Alexiad

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https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/basis/AnnaComnena-Alexiad00.asp

"He decided that first of all it was necessary to summon quickly all the local governors in the East who were holding forts and cities, and making a valiant resistance against the Turks. So he immediately drafted letters to them all; to Dabatenus, temporary governor of Heraclea in Pontus and of Paphlagonia; to Burtzes, governor of Cappadocia and Coma, and to the other leaders. He first set forth the occurrences which by God's providence had raised him to the imperial throne, and saved him miraculously from imminent danger, and secondly he bade them make provision for their respective districts to ensure their safety and leave sufficient soldiers for this purpose, and with the rest to present themselves at Constantinople and also bring up as many newly-recruited men in the prime of life as possible."

Identify one governance that is illustrated by the source.

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The Byzantine Empire traded with Europe, Asia, and Africa, with Constantinople being the main center of trade. A lot of the items that were traded in this empire were named luxury goods which were very much sought after during that time. The Byzantine Empire was also responsible for shaping the Eastern Orthodox Church.

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Economics

Until it's Arab conquests Egypt was the main source of grain for the Empire.

After Arab conquests Anatolia and Danube were the  breadbasket of the Empire.

The economy was strongest when the class of free peasants owned small plots of land

Wealthy land owners would often hire or take over the land of peasants to cultivate their land and work on their own.

During the invasions of the sixth and seventh centuries however, these plots of land were broken and the theme system helped many peasants get back land.

Over time these large estates once again took over small plots of peasants.

Large estates would pass their taxes onto the peasants and make them pay, many would make small armies for their own needs, not the empires. This caused social and economic tensions.

Technology

The Counterweight trebuchet, which was far more powerful than the normal traction trebuchet. It was used by Emperor Alexios I Komnenos and it is said that it impressed his crusader allies during the siege of Nicaea.

The famous Greek Fire. Invented by Kallinikos, it was the flamethrower of the era. It was liquid fire used by the Byzantine navy to inflame the enemy ships. It played a crucial role in saving Constantinople from the Arab onslaught.

The cross-in-square architectural form appeared first in the late 8th century. It was used in the construction of churches

Governance

Byzantine Empire was an autocracy: the Emperor had complete control of all branches of government, administration and finance and armed forces and the judiciary.

Social Interactions

Interactions With Hostile Groups

After years of war with neighboring civilizations, including the loss of Syria to the Muslims, the Fourth Crusade seized Constantinople in 1204, which they would never be able to recover from.

Interactions With Friendly Groups

The Byzantine Empire had a difficult time dealing with who was considered foreign when forming alliances.

Cultural Developments

Constantinople was the center of Byzantine trade and culture and was incredibly diverse.

The Byzantine Empire had an important cultural legacy, both on the Orthodox Church and on the revival of Greek and Roman studies, which influenced the Renaissance.

The East-West Schism in 1054 divided the Christian world into the Orthodox Church—now the Eastern Orthodox Church—the Catholic Church—now the Roman Catholic Church.

Environment

Climate change had occurred at some point in the Byzantine time. Climate changes occurred about 914 years prior to the actual collapse. Rather than a collapse, the Byzantine people demonstrated resilience during these shifts.

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Connected 3 continents with a vast trade network of caravans, rivers, seaways, and roads

Constantinople became the center of religion and trade after the fall of the Roman Empire, until its own demise in 1453 at the hands of the Ottoman Turks

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Most influential emperor of the Byzantine Empire

Recaptured lost regions of the Roman territory and initiated significant construction projects and the rebuilding of Constantinople's Hagia Sophia

Compiled Roman law into the Corpus Juris Civilis

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The Byzantine Empire was the eastern half of Christianity

Byzantium continued traditions of Greco-Roman world

Byzantium formed Eastern Orthodoxy

Byzantine contained a political authority in Constantinople, where the emperor claimed to govern all creation as God’s worldly representative

Byzantine emperor was head of both the state and the church

Although Latin remained the language of the Church and of elite communication in the West, it was abandoned in the Byzantine Empire in favor of Greek, which remained the basis for Byzantine education

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The Rise and Fall of the Byzantine Empire

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The Rise and Fall of the Byzantine Empire

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The beginning of the Byzantine Empire occurred when Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Constantinople. Sharing continuity with the classical Roman empire gave the Byzantine empire a technological and artistic advantage over its neighbors. In their prime in the 9th century, visitors from beyond the frontier were astonished at the graceful stone arches and domes of the imperial palace in Constantinople. Working class Byzantines had similar lives to their Ancient Roman counterparts. Scholars, such as Anna Komnen and Leo the Mathematician created advantages for the Byzantine Empire.  Their downfall began in 1203, when an army of French and Venetian Crusaders made a deal with Alexios Angelos and destroyed countless works of ancient and medieval art and literature, leaving about one-third of the population homeless. Future emperors built up an end to the Roman Empire.

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The rise and fall of the Byzantine Empire - Leonora Neville