لخّصلي

 The Byzantine Empire was just the continuation of the Roman Empire after its fall and they even call themselves the Roman Empire.  What are the similarities and differences between them and what changed over time?  At around the year 400 it was considered one empire, and it was already being governed separately, the west being governed from Rome, the east being governed from Constantinople. The Byzantine Empire   Most historians mark the beginning of the Byzantine Empire with the rule of Constantine, who moves the capital to Byzantium, it gets renamed Constantinople.  In 476, the western Roman Empire fell and became fragmented into a bunch of various Germanic kingdoms, while the eastern Roman Empire with its capital at Constantinople, continued and they did not call themselves the Byzantines, they called themselves the Roman Empire and they considered themselves as Romans  After that, the historians tried to separate this period of the Roman Empire by calling it the Byzantine Empire.  The Byzantine Empire   Justinian was able to capture significant portions of the west including the Italian peninsula but then over time the Byzantine Empire got smaller, especially in the east, it has to compete with the spread of Islam.  In the second millennium, the Muslim Turks make further inroads into the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantine Empire under Justinian’s rule   In 1453 all what was left at the time of the Byzantine Empire or the eastern Roman Empire is Constantinople that also got sacked by the Ottomans and that's the official end of the Byzantine Empire.  The eastern Roman Empire continued on for another 1000 years after the fall of the western Roman Empire. The End of the Byzantine Empire  The center of power in the Roman Empire was named after its seat of power during the great majority of its history. The seat of power of the Roman Empire is Rome. The Seat of Power   Near the end of the western Roman Empire Ravenna (was the capital city of the Western Empire), Constantine (ruled in 324) changed the capital to Byzantium which eventually became Constantinople and that's the official start of at least the roots of the Byzantine Empire although Constantine was emperor of both.  The roots of the Byzantine Empire started when with Constantine changed the capital, the seat of power of the combined empire and moving it from Rome to Byzantium, which will eventually be called Constantinople. The Seat of Power   The language of the Roman Empire was Latin. In the early days of the Byzantine Empire, Latin is used in conjunction with Greek but over time, it became more Greek.  Heraclius (Byzantine emperor from 610 to 641) in the seventh century made Greek the official language of the Byzantine Empire. Language   In terms of religion, for most of Roman history, their religion was the Roman Pantheon, and near the end of what is called the Roman Empire, when Constantine came around in the early fourth century, Christianity gets legalized and Theodosius (347-395), who is the last emperor to rule over both east and west, he made Christianity the official religion.  Since the eastern Roman Empire's roots, the Byzantine empire's roots are considered to be with Constantine. Religion   Since the eastern Roman Empire's roots, the Byzantine empire's roots are considered to be with Constantine It had a Christian nature from the beginning and it only becomes more and more Christian over time.  After that, a spiritual split between east and west occurred, the Latin Christian church and the Greek Christian church and they diverge more and more until the year 1054 when there was the official Great Schism. Religion   In terms of law, the Roman Empire has a long tradition of law (the Roman law). It had a profound influence on western civilization that many of our legal terms today come from Latin.  What historians would consider the Byzantine Empire would continue Roman law, much of it written in Latin. Justinian would famously try to reform Roman law, make it more consistent, make it more clear. Justinian's code (the legal code of ancient Rome; codified under Justinian; the basis for many modern systems of civil law). Law   Emperor Leo III has the famous Ecloga (reformations of Byzantine law issued in 726 by Emperor Leo III in his name and that of his son Constantine).  These revisions and these reformations of Roman law, were more and more written in Greek than Latin and they did have more and more of a Christian influence. Emperor Leo III   In terms of governance, especially under the Roman Empire, the notion of a province was the main subdivision under which the empire was governed.  Diocletian redefined what a province is, so there were smaller provinces which then would went into diocese, which would then went into prefects, which would then went into a tetrarch. Governance   Constantine wasn't only the Byzantine emperor of the east, but also the emperor of both east and west.  He got rid of the tetrarchy, but he kept Diocletian's notions of these smaller provinces going into diocese, going into prefects, and in the mid seventh century, it was turned into more of a feudal-themed system in the Byzantine Empire, and once again, this was under Heraclius who also made Greek the official language.  This feudal, was comparable to the feudal system in western Europe at the time, as it provided land grants to local rulers in exchange for their military service and the ability for them to send resources up to the emperor. Governance   In terms of culture, there are many of the things that are associated with the Roman Empire, such as chariot racing, gladiator fights, imperial birthdays, the Olympics, which carries over from the Ancient Greeks that actually lasts over 1000 years as we go into the Roman Empire. Culture   Some of these continue and some of them don't. So for example, the notion of chariot racing does and famously Justinian is almost overthrown after a rowdy chariot race.  The Olympics, Theodosius felt that it wasn't in line with Christian tradition  Imperial celebrations and imperial birthdays, the Byzantine Empire continued some of the traditions but also eliminated others. Culture

 The Byzantine Empire was just the continuation of
the Roman Empire after its fall and they even call
themselves the Roman Empire.
 What are the similarities and differences between
them and what changed over time?
 At around the year 400 it was considered one
empire, and it was already being governed
separately, the west being governed from Rome, the
east being governed from Constantinople.
The Byzantine Empire

 Most historians mark the beginning of the Byzantine Empire
with the rule of Constantine, who moves the capital to
Byzantium, it gets renamed Constantinople.
 In 476, the western Roman Empire fell and became fragmented
into a bunch of various Germanic kingdoms, while the eastern
Roman Empire with its capital at Constantinople, continued and
they did not call themselves the Byzantines, they called
themselves the Roman Empire and they considered themselves
as Romans
 After that, the historians tried to separate this period of the
Roman Empire by calling it the Byzantine Empire.

The Byzantine Empire

 Justinian was able to capture significant portions of the west
including the Italian peninsula but then over time the Byzantine
Empire got smaller, especially in the east, it has to compete with
the spread of Islam.
 In the second millennium, the Muslim Turks make further
inroads into the Byzantine Empire.
The Byzantine Empire under Justinian’s rule

 In 1453 all what was left at the time of the Byzantine
Empire or the eastern Roman Empire is
Constantinople that also got sacked by the Ottomans
and that's the official end of the Byzantine Empire.
 The eastern Roman Empire continued on for another
1000 years after the fall of the western Roman
Empire.
The End of the Byzantine Empire

The center of power in the Roman Empire was
named after its seat of power during the great
majority of its history. The seat of power of the
Roman Empire is Rome.
The Seat of Power

 Near the end of the western Roman Empire Ravenna (was the
capital city of the Western Empire), Constantine (ruled in 324)
changed the capital to Byzantium which eventually became
Constantinople and that's the official start of at least the roots of
the Byzantine Empire although Constantine was emperor of
both.
 The roots of the Byzantine Empire started when with
Constantine changed the capital, the seat of power of the
combined empire and moving it from Rome to Byzantium,
which will eventually be called Constantinople.
The Seat of Power

 The language of the Roman Empire was Latin. In the early
days of the Byzantine Empire, Latin is used in conjunction with
Greek but over time, it became more Greek.
 Heraclius (Byzantine emperor from 610 to 641) in the seventh
century made Greek the official language of the Byzantine
Empire.
Language

 In terms of religion, for most of Roman history, their religion was
the Roman Pantheon, and near the end of what is called the
Roman Empire, when Constantine came around in the early
fourth century, Christianity gets legalized and Theodosius
(347-395), who is the last emperor to rule over both east and
west, he made Christianity the official religion.
 Since the eastern Roman Empire's roots, the Byzantine
empire's roots are considered to be with Constantine.
Religion

 Since the eastern Roman Empire's roots, the
Byzantine empire's roots are considered to be with
Constantine It had a Christian nature from the
beginning and it only becomes more and more
Christian over time.
 After that, a spiritual split between east and west
occurred, the Latin Christian church and the Greek
Christian church and they diverge more and more
until the year 1054 when there was the official Great
Schism.
Religion

 In terms of law, the Roman Empire has a long
tradition of law (the Roman law). It had a profound
influence on western civilization that many of our
legal terms today come from Latin.
 What historians would consider the Byzantine
Empire would continue Roman law, much of it written
in Latin. Justinian would famously try to reform
Roman law, make it more consistent, make it more
clear. Justinian's code (the legal code of ancient Rome;
codified under Justinian; the basis for many modern systems of civil
law).
Law

 Emperor Leo III has the famous Ecloga
(reformations of Byzantine law issued in 726 by
Emperor Leo III in his name and that of his son
Constantine).
 These revisions and these reformations of
Roman law, were more and more written in
Greek than Latin and they did have more and
more of a Christian influence.
Emperor Leo III

 In terms of governance, especially under the Roman
Empire, the notion of a province was the main subdivision
under which the empire was governed.
 Diocletian redefined what a province is, so there were
smaller provinces which then would went into diocese,
which would then went into prefects, which would then
went into a tetrarch.
Governance

 Constantine wasn't only the Byzantine emperor of the east, but
also the emperor of both east and west.
 He got rid of the tetrarchy, but he kept Diocletian's notions of
these smaller provinces going into diocese, going into prefects,
and in the mid seventh century, it was turned into more of a
feudal-themed system in the Byzantine Empire, and once again,
this was under Heraclius who also made Greek the official
language.
 This feudal, was comparable to the feudal system in western
Europe at the time, as it provided land grants to local rulers in
exchange for their military service and the ability for them to
send resources up to the emperor.
Governance

 In terms of culture, there are many of the things that
are associated with the Roman Empire, such as
chariot racing, gladiator fights, imperial birthdays, the
Olympics, which carries over from the Ancient
Greeks that actually lasts over 1000 years as we go
into the Roman Empire.
Culture

 Some of these continue and some of them don't. So for
example, the notion of chariot racing does and famously
Justinian is almost overthrown after a rowdy chariot race.
 The Olympics, Theodosius felt that it wasn't in line with
Christian tradition
 Imperial celebrations and imperial birthdays, the Byzantine
Empire continued some of the traditions but also eliminated
others.
Culture