Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey

With the rise of Christianity and the fall of the Western Roman Empire, power shifted away from Rome and to Constantinople in the Eastern Roman Empire. A new culture emerged in the Byzantine Empire that would introduce new advancements, but also preserve the cultures of the Greeks and Romans. In this topic, you will explore the Byzantine Empire, including the rule of Justinian I, and important contributions made in art and architecture. In addition, you will learn about the unique geography of its capital city, Constantinople.

Essential Questions

• Why was Constantinople a strategic location for the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire?
• What were the contributions of the Byzantine Empire and Justinian I?

 

Warm-Up

In this topic, you will learn about Justinian I, the emperor of the Byzantine Empire from 527 to 565 A.D. (C.E.). Justinian is credited with transforming the empire by compiling all of the different sets of Roman laws into one collection. This made the legal code easier for common people to understand.

Take a moment to brainstorm a list of rules you have in your school. Then think about what problems may arise if one teacher allows students to do certain things that other teachers do not. How might a consistent set of rules make the school community stronger?