CHAPTER 10: The Byzantine Empire and Russia

The Byzantine Empire

A. The Latin Phase

1. Constantinople had a perfect geographic setting

a. Defended by cliffs, water on three sides, walls on the fourth

b. Dominated East-West highways and north-south water access between Asia and Europe

2. City became political, financial center

3. Justinian (527-565), tried to restore old Empire

a. Aided by strong wife Theodora, barely survived Nike Rebellion, 532

b. Major legacies Justinian Code, Santa Sophia, last major Latin emperor in East

B. The Greek Phase: Heraclius and the Empire Redefined

1. Perilous situation when Heraclius arrived from North Africa, 610

2. Heraclius abandoned Diocletian state structure and established Theme (District) system

C. Iconoclasm and Schism

1. Started by Leo the Isaurian (717-741)

2. Iconoclasm ordered in 726, army to destroy icons

a. Eastern part of empire supported iconoclasm, Western part fought policy

3. Iconophiles made brief comeback under Empress Irene, deposed 802

D. Byzantium’s Golden Age: 842-1071

1. Cyril and Methodius converted Moravians, devised alphabet, grammar for Slavs

E. Decline

1. State declined, theme system fell, and inflation rose

2. Turks took Asia Minor, heartland of Byzantium, source of soldiers, leaders, taxes, food

3. Weakened state caught up in Crusades

4. Ottomans took Constantinople, 1453

The Rise of Russia

A. Geography

1. Geographic factors contributed to diversity of Eastern Europe

2. Russia history shaped by geography

a. River routes led to contact with Constantinople, Byzantine culture

b. Major activity in early Russian history occurs at conjunction of steppe and forest regions

B. Kiev Rus’

1. Rurik led Varangians (Vikings) imposed order on Slavic trading towns, established key seat at Kiev

2. Prince Oleg(870s-900s)

3. Vladimir (980-1015) most important ruler of Kiev

4. Yaroslav the Wise (1019-1054) exception to trend toward Kievan political fragmentation

a. Put in seniority system; Pravda Russkaia first law code

Russia and the Mongols

B. Novgorod, Moscow, and the Mongols

1. Genghis Khan united all Mongols, conquered Kiev by 1240, went on to Central Europe

a. Led to decline of Kiev, rise of Moscow

2. Novgorod and Alexander Nevsky

a. 977, self-government set up in the veche

3. Grand Duchy of Moscow

a. Obscure town, first mentioned 1147, protected by location

b. Moscow princes got right to collect taxes of khans, became center of Orthodox churches

4. Ivan the Great

a. Ivan III (1462-1505) established basis of modern Russian national state

b. Conquered Novgorod, no longer paid homage to Mongols, Moscow became Third Rome

c. Used title of tsar (caesar), adopted two-headed eagle as symbol of Russian throne

5. Ivan the Terrible or IV

a. was 3 when he took the throne, mother ruled for him until he was 8

c. boyars or nobility ran government for him

d. Oprichniki, and Zemschina