The Byzantine Empire and Russia
Read each paragraph below. Then underline the sentence that best describes the main idea of each paragraph.
1. From 527 to 565 C. E., Justinian was the ruler of the eastern empire. Justinian’s’ great dream was to restore the old Roman Empire to its former greatness. To accomplish this aim, he did several things. He conquered North Africa in 533. He also took back the Italian peninsula from the Ostrogoths and the southeastern part of the Iberian Peninsula from the Visigoths. He then reestablished the old Roman laws and taxes in these lands. He also tried to make his capital city, Constantinople, a showcase of beauty and greatness. He ordered the restoration and construction of roads, bridges, aqueducts, and theaters. Justinian’s’ greatest accomplishment was the Justinian Code of laws. He set up a special group of lawyers to summarize and organize the many parts of Roman law. The resulting code gave many later European countries their basic system of laws.
2. Eventually, the Eastern [Orthodox] Church and the Roman Catholic Church became permanently divided. A major point of disagreement was Rome’s claim to supreme authority. The Byzantines rejected this claim. The division grew deeper during the rule of Byzantine Emperor Leo III. He believed that icons [small religious paintings or statues] must be removed from churches. The pope believed that they should remain. The controversy lasted for more than a hundred years. In 1054, Pope Leo IX and Patriarch Michael Cerularius of Constantinople excommunicated each other. Many people view this as the final break between the Roman and Byzantine churches.
3. Byzantine people became known for their achievements in architecture and the decorative arts. One of the most famous examples of architecture is the Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. It was built by order of Emperor Justinian. This huge church is topped by one of the greatest domes ever built. Justinian himself said, “Glory be to God, who hath deemed me worthy to complete so great a work.” Byzantine artists were also noted for their fine ivory carvings, cloisonné pieces, and gold articles. And they made beautiful mosaics. These are colored bits of glass or stone made into pictures or fancy patterns. Mosaics were used to decorate the inside walls of palaces, churches, and other buildings.
4. The Byzantine Empire was weakened by the attack on Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. Then the empire suffered through civil wars among the leaders who wished to become emperors. Religious differences also caused problems. The Ottoman Turks took advantage of the situation and attacked. By 1445, only the city of Constantinople remained outside Turkish control. The Turks laid siege to Constantinople in 1453, and after several months, the city fell. One of those killed in the final battle was Constantine XI, the last of the Byzantine emperors. Thus Constantinople met the same fate as Rome as it declined and finally fell to foreign invaders.