Byzantine Flashcards

Front 1

Seljuk Turks

Back 1

The Byzantine Empire's greatest external threat. After Byzantine forces defeated at Manzikert by Turkish army in 1071, Turks advanced into Anatolia, where many peasants accepted Turkish control.

Front 2

reign of Justinian

Back 2

He restored imperial Mediterranean world. The empire consisted of Italy, part of Spain, North Africa, Asia Minor, Palestine and Syria. Code of law created under his reign

Front 3

Alexius I

Back 3

under him, the Comneni were victorious on the Greek Adriatic coast against Normans, defeated Pechenegs in Balkans, and stopped Turks in Anatolia. Emperor Alexius I turned to the West for military assistance. Positive response to emperor’s request led to the Crusades.

Front 4

Corpus Iuris Civilis

Back 4

The name of the code of law (body of civil law)

Front 5

Hagia Sophia

Back 5

the church of holy wisdom. Justinian's greatest architectural achievement. Designed by a greek architect. Center of it consisted of four huge piers crowned by a dome.

Front 6

Iconoclastic controversy

Back 6

Roman popes were opposed to iconoclastic edicts. Late in 8th century, Byzantine rulers reversed their stand on use of images. Although final separation between Roman Catholicism and Greek Orthodoxy did not occur until 1054, iconoclastic controversy was important in moving both sides in that direction.

Front 7

Impact of the Crusades

Back 7

First Crusade, mostly French bands of crusading knights organized their own crusader states in Palestine. Venetian leaders of Fourth Crusade saw opportunity to neutralize commercial competitor, Byzantine Empire. Michael Paleologus recaptured Byzantine Empire