Byzantine Empire and Local Tax Collector

Philip Sherrard, author of The Great Ages of Man: Byzantium, said, “The elaborate defense works that surrounded Constantinople made it in its day the best-fortified city in the world,” (Doc B). Even the massive castles in medieval manors could not compare to the strategic systems of the Byzantines. They had three walls surrounding their city that withstood Persian and Arab invaders from the East and Avar and Slav invaders from the North (Doc A). Their technology was so advanced and their techniques so secure that out of the twenty-four efforts made to capture the city during one thousand one hundred years, only two were successful. The Byzantines military technology was so far ahead of the rest of the world

The Medieval monastery was established during the middle Ages, this was a place where people got together (mostly monks, nuns and other spiritual beings) and they spent their time praying, studying and most of all helping

The Carolingians extended their rule over most Western and central Europe in much less than one 1/2 of a century and became seemed as the renewers of the Roman Empire after the Imperial coronation of Charlemagne in 800. The Carolingian Empire carried out its best territorial extent throughout the reign of Charlemagne (768-814) who added Lombardy, Saxony, Danubian simple and Spanish March to the realm of the Franks. but, Charlemagne’s empire began to say no already below his successor Louis the Pious (814-840) and collapsed via the stop of the ninth century.

People say that the Byzantine Empire is compared to an accordion. Well, it is. Comparing all of the civilizations and empires we learned about, I find that the Byzantine has a history, where people living in that empire rise at on time and fall inconsiderably during another time. The Byzantine Empire is an empire ruled by Emperor Justantine, and Constantinople was the imperial capital of the Byzantine world until it was invaded by the Turks in 1453. Now, how does the imperial capital, Constantinople, Hagia Sophia, Justinian, and the Crusaders involve in the Byzantine Empire? I find that geography and the achievements of the Empire can be two strong reasoning’s on how and why we should study the Byzantine Empire.

Last but not least, the crusades led to the decline of the Byzantine Empire by demolishing their economy. The Annales Herbipolenses demonstrates the Christians were so desperate for help, they took any and every person to fight, they did not require any person to be skilled. The crusades weakened the economy making people want to fight due to how poor they lived their lives especially those who held low social status such as serfs or peasants. The need for monetary support in the West left them vulnerable and ultimately led to the sacking of Constantinople (Doc 3.) This writer is anonymous but by the location of the writer, the writer must have had a Germanic nature, therefore the information must be valid because Germany was a Catholic nation,

main religions at the time. They did so by living in monasteries, in the monasteries help the less

The fall of the Roman Empire in 476 C.E resulted in many tragedies, as history “replays” itself, this fall led to starts, the land that was once known as Rome split into two pieces, the eastern part known as the Byzantine Empire and the western part known as medieval Western Europe. However, the empires wasn’t one that overtook Rome, the Byzantine Empire was rather known as a continuation of the Roman Empire, which was known to be more politically centralized than Western Europe, and the two empires were known to have different religious aspects as well, though there are differences in these empires, being both emerged from Rome led them to having similar aspects in many ways as well.

In Document B it states that in Constantinople the elaborate defense worked to create a surrounding wall around Constantinople. The walls were erected in the 5th century to protect the city against the Goths and Huns. The Goths and Huns, captured Rome. They served their purpose well, holding off invaders for nearly one thousand years, a single wall bounded the city’s seaward sides, which were defended by the Byzantine fleet. On the landside, the Byzantines constructed a moat and three walls that were 25 feet thick. Invaders were faced first with the moat some 60 feet wide and 22 feet deep that was normally dry but could be flooded by pipes. Behind the moat was a low wall to shield a line of archers. If the attackers could overcome this first defense, they were confronted by a second wall, 27 feet high, which sheltered more troops. Beyond the second the third and strongest bulwark. Its towers, some 70 feet high, housed more archers and missile throwers. Only the force of gunpowder finally demolished the protecting walls, bringing Constantinople down. During 1,100 year history of the Byzantine Empire, 24 efforts were made to capture the city of Constantinople. Only two were successful. The Crusaders entered the city in 1204 but were eventually thrown out a few decades later. The Turkish invasion in 1453 marked the end of the Byzantine Empire. A couple examples of architecture in the Byzantine Empire

know that the Byzantine changed the course of history. You should study the Byzantine Empire

6. How did Christianity become Rome’s main religion? How did this change the status and transform the Christian church?

When thinking about a medieval monastery the first thing that comes to mind is the origin of the word monastery which comes from the Greek monos, meaning alone. Monasticism in itself is a way of life that is devoted to God in seclusion. A large part of monasticism is isolation, not only from the neighbors but from family. When taking the vows to be a monk one not only completely devotes ones life to God but all friends, family and earthly possessions are left behind. Taking the vows of monasticism takes brutal dedication and severe strength. What pushed Guibert of Nogent into monasticism is that his mother withdrew from the world after his father’s death. During that time he was left alone and

The theories surrounding the decline of the Roman Empire is a widely- known historical debate. Endless questions have been proposed and

Due to a stable government and a properly managed economy, the Byzantine Empire was able to last for quite a while. Emperors used their power correctly and there was a centralized government that helped keep the empire functioning even during rough times. Constantinople’s bureaucracy made sure everything ran smoothly. They regulated prices and wages, had systems for licensing, controlled the trade, oversaw schools, churches, observation of holidays, and even controlled the military and courts. The

The beginning of Christian monasticism can be divided into two main types, the eremitical or solitary and the coenobitical or family type. St. Anthony may be called the founder of the purely eremitical system or hermit life style living out in the desert, while St. Pachomius was the founder of the second less solitary and more community based way of life. The rule of St. Anthony or the Antonian system left the monks way of life up to his own discretion. This contrasted the Rule of St. Pachomius who were almost all living as a community yet without the stability brought by the rule of St. Benedict. The two rules would rival each other in Egypt but wouldn’t become a model outside of Egypt. Then in the 4th century St. Basil changed and reordered Greek monasticism. He rejected the

continuity of some of the personnel, this period must have been very traumatic in the life