Dbq Byzantium Research Paper

From its beginning in 330 C.E. to its ruin in 1453 C.E., Byzantium, located in modern day Turkey, was a town like no other of its time. Characterized by its great leaders, resistance to outer threats, and advancements in aspects such as social etiquette and architecture, the empire’s timeline is full of fascinating events. After being put under pressure by many groups and recovering, Byzantium, by this time renamed Constantinople, collapsed to the hands of the Turks in 1453; however, the end of this empire was not able to get rid of its achievements and the impacts it made on features of life today. The primary reasons to study the Byzantines are because of their advanced governmental and defensive makeup, long lasting religious impact on the

The Great Ages of Man: Byzantine (Document B), provides a description of their defenses and their efficiency. The walls, moats, and towers were built meticulously and with purpose, which likely contributes to why their fortifications only faltered twice out of 24 attempts to infiltrate them. Also, A Short History of Byzantium (Document A) explains that their defenses from the Arabs “saved Western civilization”, because if they had lost, Europe and America would likely be Muslim today. From 525 to 565 C.E., the empire was under the rule of Justinian, and in this period he created laws known as Justinian’s Code. This code brought order into Byzantine society, and when comparing this code with later documents such as the Declaration of Independence (Document D), it’s clear that although there are differences, Justinian’s Code influenced modern day

Paired with Greece, some leaders in Eastern Orthodox populations include Russia, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Romania, and even the United States. From an event that took place in such a specific region so long ago, the impact it made on modern life is almost overwhelming. The Byzantine effect on world religion should be studied so that we can get to understand their points of view on life and how it potentially influences people’s beliefs today. The Byzantines' efficient preservation of Greek culture is an important subject of historical inquiry. The Revival of Learning by Cyril Mango (Document E) states that the Byzantine Empire safeguarded the intellectual and artistic culture of ancient Greece by hand copying it. As evidenced by a chart compiled of various sources, the Byzantines copied and translated classical Greek texts, ensuring their preservation for later use; in addition to the fact that many can now learn about Hellenistic culture due to these efforts, we can also see how these texts play crucial parts in modern day