Module Overview
The Byzantine Empire and Eastern Europe

a Byzantine fresco
A Byzantine fresco in a Romanian church

In the latter days of the Roman Empire, the city of Rome began to decline in power. The Roman emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire farther east for protection. This new capital, Constantinople, became the center of the Eastern Roman Empire. In this module, you will explore the cultural advancements of the Byzantine Empire through which many Greco-Roman traditions were preserved. In addition, you will examine the disputes that led to the split of the Christian Church into the Roman Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church. Finally, you will learn how the advancements of the Byzantine Empire influenced trade and political developments in other areas like Russia and Eastern Europe.

Getting Started

getting started icon
"Merchants come from the Middle East, Egypt, and Eastern Europe. [Constantinople's] daily income, with rent from shops and markets and taxes levied on merchants coming by sea and by land, reaches 20,000 pieces."

Constantinople was the capital of the Byzantine Empire. According to the account above, Constantinople was a thriving city. As the Roman Empire was collapsing, people hoped Constantinople would become the "new Rome." What responsibilities would come with being the "new Rome?" To what extent would Constantinople live up to its expectations? You will discover answers to these questions as you continue through this module.

Key Vocabulary

glossary iconTo view the definitions for these key vocabulary terms, visit the course glossary.

Arianism
Baltic Sea
Black Sea
Bosporus Strait
Byzantine Empire
celibacy
clergy
codification
Constantinople
Cyrillic
Eastern Church
Golden Horde
Greco-Roman
Hagia Sophia
Holy Trinity
icon
Ivan III (Ivan the Great)
Justinian I
Justinian Code
Khan, Genghis
liturgy
Mongols
mosaic
Moscow
Ottoman Turks
patriarch
Pope
Scandinavia
schism
secular
Slavic language
St. Basil's Cathedral
St. Cyril
Vikings
Western Church