Byzantine Empire Notes

Byzantine Empire 500-1453

1. Byzantine Survival and Thriving
   1. Constantinople
      1. Capital built on a strategic peninsula
         1. Easily defended
   2. Justinian I and Theodora
      1. re-conquered much of Western Rome
      2. Contributed to infrastructure
         1. Walled city
         2. Hagia Sophia
      3. Corpus juris civilis
         1. Legal code developed by Justinian
         2. The basis for most European laws today
   3. Intellectual Life
      1. Strong emphasis on education
      2. Mostly spoke Greek with some Latin
      3. Preference for studying history
      4. Adopted Greek study of Medicine, astronomy, and mathematics
         1. Passed on to the Arabs who developed further
      5. Major military accomplishments
         1. Greek fire, artillery, and siege weapons
      6. Publicly funded hospitals
   4. Center for trade
      1. Sat in between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East