Byzantine Empire

-Roman Empire Split ( 395 CE)
-East part (Byzantine) prospers
-West Europe fell

Constantinople
-New roman Empire Capital
-Strategic location for trade( cross roads)
-Location provides commercial/cultural connections

-Byzantine Empire preserves Christianity despite Muslim attacks)

Emperor Justinian
-Famous Emperor ( 500’s CE)
-Known; Architectural Buildings and LAW CODE (civil law)
-Key to Western Legal System

Culture
-Hagia Sophia ( Christian Church)now Islamic Mosque
-Religious Art
-Law Code

-Peak at 500’s
-Recapture the lands that Romans lost (North Africa)

Conflicts
A) Great Schism = church splits
B) Plague outbreaks


GREAT SCHISM
-Formal division between Latin ( West Europe ) and Ortho ( Byzantine ) church over church doctrine

Muslim invaders take roman lands , taken by Byzantine

“Dark Ages”
-Medieval ( middle ages) begin after fall of Rome (500-1500)
-Backwardness
-Barbarian Tribes=foreign attack on Europe ,German and Asia
-Groups settle in Europe form Kingdoms which later become Nations
-Germanic= Saxons, Anglos ,Goths
-Asiatic=Huns, Magyars
Bantu
- Most common Language based group
-migrate all over Africa(1,000 BCE )

Shaped Culture
a) spread knowledge / agriculture/Iron
b) Shift to farming community
c) cattle for economy and political systems