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The Bytazine Empire
The New Rome
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After Rome got divided, The Eastern half became the Byzantine Empire.When the Byzantine empire was at its height of power, it extended west to Italy, south to Egypt, and east to the Arabian border.a big variety of people made up the empire.Egyptians, Syrians, Arabs, Armenians, Jews, Persians, Slavs, and Turks all made up of the Byzantine Empire.But, the Greeks made up most of the population.And the emperor is a man viewed as the greatest Byzantine emperor, Justinian.
Justinian
Justinian was a skilled general and strong leader.He controlled the military, and made all the legal decisions within the empire.
.He ordered a group of legal scholars to create a better code of laws because he thought the empire's laws were disorganized.So he ordered a group of scholars called TribonianThe new code was called the Justinian code.The code helped officials and business people to better understand the emperors laws.
Byzantine Arts
Justinian was into art and architecture.He ordered the construction of churches, forts, and government buildings.Under Justinian's orders, almost 10,000 workers helped build the church.The dome shaped church became the religious center of the Byzantine Empire.The church also featured mosaics.Mosaics are pictures made out of glass.Mosaics usually have saints and Christian holy people.
Justinian was also concerned about education.In school, boys would study religion, medicine, law, arithmetic, grammar, and other subjects.Girls didn't attend school and received any teaching at home.
Theodora
Theodora, who was an intelligent and ambitious woman, was the empress of the Byzantine Empire.She was also Justinian's wife.She helped Justinian choose government officials and helped Byzantine women win more legal rights.At her urging him, Justinian changed Byzantine law so that a wife could own land.Theodora also had political wisdom.When angry taxpayers in Constantinople threatened the government, Justinian's advisors told him that they should flee the city.But, Theodora told Justinian "I would rather die as an empress than escape and live as an outlaw".Justinian then stayed in the city, and fought back and his army beat the rebels.
Military Conquests
Justinian wanted to bring back the glory of Rome.Led by a general named Belisarius, the army got stronger.Instead of having foot soldiers, he made them use cavalry.Cavalry are soldiers mounted on horses.They wore army and carried bows and long spears called lances.In A.D 533 through A.D. 555, the army conquered territories that used to be a part of the Roman Empire.These places they conquered were Italy, parts of Spain, and northern Africa.Sadly, the army died of a plague that killed millions.That plague was called by historians as "Justinian's Plague".This plague swept through Europe and Asia.The plague killed a lot of people in Justinian's army.The loss of that many soldiers weakened the army and the Byzantine Empire grew weak.Then when Justinian died, all the territories that he conquered, were all lost.
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