Hagia Sophia
Most famous example of Byzantine architecture, it was built under Justinian I and is considered one of the most perfect buildings in the world.
theocracy
A government ruled by or subject to religious authority.
patriarch
the male head of a family or tribe
monasteries
Religious community where Christians called monks gave up their possessions and devoted their lives to serving God.
Cyril
relating to the Slavic alphabet derived from the Greek and traditionally attributed to St. Cyril; in modified form still used in modern Slavic languages
schism
(n.) a formal split within a religious organization; any division or separation of a group or organization into hostile factions
Eastern Orthodox Church
Christian followers in the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire); split from Roman Catholic Church and shaped life in eastern Europe and western Asia
theme system
System of administration and defense perfected by Byzantine king Leo III that organized the empire into provinces, each under the command of a military governor
Cyrillic alphabet
an alphabet drived from the Greek alphabet and used for writing Slavic languages
illuminated manuscripts
a handwritten book decorated with bright colors and precious metals
Bulgars
Asiatic people who migrated Balkans and conquered large parts of Eastern empire along the Danube setting up a Bulgarian Kingdom
University of Constantinople
- established in AD 85
Hippodrome
Built by Justinian; A huge stadium; Held athletic events and games, especially chariot races. Seated 60,000 people located in Constantinople. Site of Nika Revolt.
Oleg
First Viking to settle in Kiev and the founder of the Russian state Kievan Rus
Dnieper River
river between the Black and Baltic Seas that was part of a Byzantine trade route
Kievan Rus
A monarchy established in present day Russia in the 6th and 7th centuries. It was ruled through loosely organized alliances with regional aristocrats from. The Scandinavians coined the term "Russia". It was greatly influenced by Byzantine
boyars
Russian landholding aristocrats; possessed less political power than their western European counterparts
Prince Vladimir
the prince of Kiev who made the entire city convert to Christianity in 988 AD
Yaroslav the Wise
He ruled Kiev (1019-1054), forged trading alliances with western Europe, and created a legal code
Russkaya Pravda
It was the "Russian Truth (justice or law)". It was their own law code. It showed signs of an advanced society, more so than Europe. There were crimes against property as well as interest rates implemented which was very sophisticated. It, like everything, was based off of Byzantium law. But was much more mild.
Byzantium
the civilization that developed from the eastern Roman Empire following the death of the emperor Justinian (C.E. 565) until the fall of Constantinople in 1453.
Corpus Juris Civilis
New code of the Roman Law decided by Justinian I in 529 CE that made Orthodox Christianity the law of the land. It means the "body of civil law".
Heraclius
Emperor who defeated the Persians and the Slavs and created the position of "theme"
Basil ii
Macedonian emperor who campaigned against the Bulgars and annexed Bulgaria, Crete, Cyprus, and Syria, expanding the empire to the Euphrates
Battle of Kleidion
Bulgars vs. Byzantium. Byzantium wins.
Byzantine Empire
Historians' name for the eastern portion of the Roman Empire from the fourth century until its downfall to the Ottomans in 1453. Famous for being a center of Orthodox Christianity and Greek-based culture.
Justinian
Byzantine emperor in the 6th century A.D. who reconquered much of the territory previously ruler by Rome, initiated an ambitious building program , including Hagia Sofia, as well as a new legal code
Battle of Manzikert
Battle between the Byzantines and Seljuk Turks; Byzantines destroyed and way paved for the Seljuk Turk invasion into present day Turkey
Crusades
A series of holy wars from 1096-1270 AD undertaken by European Christians to free the Holy Land from Muslim rule.
Fourth Crusade
Crusade called for by Pope Innocent III in 1204 in which crusaders went rogue and sacked Constantinople. The Byzantine Empire was eventually restored in 1261
Normans
A member of a Viking people who raided and then settled in the French province later known as Normandy, and who invaded England in 1066
Slavs
The ancestors of the Czechs, Slovaks, Croatians, Serbians, Bulgarians, Poles, and Russians
Vikings
Invaders of Europe that came from Scandinavia
Rus
This kingdom expanded its territory thousands of miles Eastward during the 19th century and also sought to take advantage of a weakened Ottoman Empire.