Byzantium and the spread of Christianity
After Rome's western half fell, the Eastern Roman Empire endured for another thousand years, while Christianity spread across Europe.
The Byzantine Empire
The Eastern Roman Empire, known to historians as the Byzantine Empire, was centred on Constantinople (modern Istanbul), a wealthy city controlling trade between Europe and Asia. Its people called themselves Romans. It lasted until 1453, when the Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople.
Justinian
Emperor Justinian (ruled 527-565) reconquered parts of the former Western Empire, including Italy and North Africa, and ordered the compilation of Roman law into the Corpus Juris Civilis, which became the foundation of many European legal systems. He also built the great church of Hagia Sophia. A devastating plague struck during his reign.
The Great Schism
Christianity developed differently in the Latin-speaking West, led by the pope in Rome, and the Greek-speaking East, led by the patriarch of Constantinople. Disputes over authority and practice culminated in the Great Schism of 1054, splitting the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.
Byzantine influence
Byzantine missionaries Cyril and Methodius developed an alphabet for Slavic languages, the ancestor of the Cyrillic alphabet. Kievan Rus adopted Orthodox Christianity in 988 under Prince Vladimir, shaping Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian culture.
Early medieval Europe
In Western Europe, Germanic kingdoms replaced Roman rule. The Frankish king Charlemagne built a large empire and was crowned emperor by the pope in 800, encouraging learning and Christianity. After his empire divided, Viking, Magyar, and Muslim raids pressured Europe in the 800s-900s.
Feudalism and manorialism
In much of medieval Europe, kings granted land (fiefs) to nobles in exchange for military service, a system historians often call feudalism, though it varied widely. Most people were peasants, many of them serfs bound to the land, working on manors owned by lords. The Catholic Church was the most powerful institution, owning vast lands.
The Crusades
In 1095, Pope Urban II called for a crusade to take Jerusalem from Muslim rule. Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099, but Muslim forces under Saladin retook it in 1187. Later crusades largely failed; the Fourth Crusade even sacked Christian Constantinople in 1204. The Crusades increased trade and contact but also bred lasting hostility and violence against Jews and others.
Worked example
In 1054, a Greek-speaking Christian in Constantinople and a Latin-speaking Christian in Rome shared many beliefs but disagreed about whether the pope held authority over all Christians, about the wording of the Nicene Creed, and about practices such as using leavened or unleavened bread in communion. These differences, along with politics, led to mutual excommunications and the Great Schism.
Key takeaways
The Byzantine Empire, centred on Constantinople, lasted until 1453. Justinian codified Roman law and built Hagia Sophia. The Great Schism of 1054 split Catholic and Orthodox churches. Byzantine missionaries spread Orthodox Christianity and the ancestor of Cyrillic to Slavic peoples. Charlemagne was crowned emperor in 800. Feudalism and manorialism structured Western European society. The Crusades (from 1095) brought conflict and contact.
Flashcard
Eastern Roman Empire
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What was the Great Schism of 1054?