Fall of Constantinople

Sara Wittbold Araoz APAH P.2 Google Classroom READ & WATCH Response: BYZANTIUM & ISLAM Response 1: Hagia Sophia / Byzantine Empire From its grand beginnings, as the “seat of Christianity” at the start of Constantinople, the Hagia Sophia has seen many faiths, as well as tragedies. After the Hagia Sophia’s first mysterious destruction, it was rebuilt by Constantine’s son, Constantinius II in 360 CE to serve as magnificent cathedral for the city. Again in 532 CE the Haiga Sophia was destroyed,…

Christ’s symbol that can equate Justinian’s conquest of Ravenna to Constantine’s triumph that led to the founding of Constantinople. Justinian was an heir to the Constantinople court. A sculpture that was created during this time was The Archangel Michael. An ivory relief on the sculpture dates back to earlier classic ivories. The ivory was carved around 520-530 in Constantinople. Archangel Michael is a descendent of the deities of Greco-Roman, down to the rich drapery. At this time, classicism…

(Sherman 107) “History of Roman Law since Justinian” (Sherman 14) Flavius Anicus Justinian was one of the most famous emperors of all time, and ruled out of the great city of Constantinople. He was born in the small town of Illyria in 483, which is located in the Balkan peninsula. Justinian learned from the best in Constantinople, and most likely received legal training while there. After his education, Justinian spent six years constructing a codification of roman law that encompassed his…

Stories of princesses, or empresses, or even athletes, sometimes involve a “rags to riches” scenario. A story like Cinderella, a poor girl who eventually married Prince Charming, or even Michael Oher, an NFL offensive linemen, who had nothing and now is paid several millions, portray this concept. This type of life is also true for Theodora, Empress of the Byzantine Empire. Theodora had a tough childhood, but ended up marrying Justinian the Great and is recognized as one of the most important…

take back the Holy Lands from the evil Saracens’ hands. We worked diligently and efficiently to meet our objectives for the good of the crusaders, Greeks, and Christian world. Some may disagree with the crusaders’ second attack on Constantinople and fellow Christians,…

Justinian was the emperor of the Byzantine empire after the fall of the Roman empire. The roman empire, however, was not dead in his eyes. He considered himself the last vestige of the roman empire. Under Justinian’s rule, Christianity became the only lawful religion in the Byzantine empire and it was the start of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Justinian considered his rule both spiritual and temporal. Justinian’s artistic campaign was the most effective because he was the first leader to…

Throughout the long rule of the Roman empire, 100 C.E. to 600 C.E., there have been many changes and continuities in this classical era. These include both political and cultural impacts such as the formation of a centralized government, the spread of the Latin and Greek languages, and the transition of religion. A political continuity would be the fact that Roman laws were based on the Greek’s foundation of democracy. During the Roman Republic, a constitution was developed which characterized…

Inhabitants of the Byzantine Empire, also known as New Rome, valued religious cohesion, and the previous ideal of mos maiorum was now mirrored in Orthodox Christianity’s fundamental role in New Rome. Therefore, doctrinal disputes could cause significant problems. Subsequently, emperors took an active role in them, which succeeded in furthering the significance of these disputes. This eventually led to what is known as the Iconoclast, meaning ‘breaking of images,’ in the eighth century. The…

Justinian and Theodora both started out in the lower class of society, and slowly worked their way up to emperor and empress. Justinian was a Macedonian boy who was adopted by Justin I, the emperor of the Byzantine Empire. Theodora was initially an actor, a profession held in low esteem by most upper class Byzantines. When Justin I died, Justinian came to power and married Theodora who became empress. They ruled the Byzantine empire from 527-565 A.D. Among most historians, Justinian is…

Image 1: Theodora and Her Attendants is a beautiful mosaic that is located in San Vitale in Ravenna. Some believe that this piece is part of a religious and political statement. The mosaic was created in 547 ca. This piece is making a statement of power. Justinian regained control of Italy and Ravenna after many years of being under anothers power. Justinian immediately reinstated Christanity as the religion of the country. In this piece Theodora is standing in front of a group of her…