1. Jake Alster

2.  The Division of Rome
 Parting Ways: East and West
 The Rise of Islam
 Implications of Byzantium

4.  Tetrachy
◦ New government system established by Diocletian
(284 – 305)
◦ This system allowed for four people to rule the
Roman Empire
 Both the east and the west would have an Augustus
and Caesar to control the area.
◦ This is system how both Maxentius and Constantine
gained power in the fourth century A.D.

5.  Maxentius and
Constantine start a
civil war.
 Constantine emerges
victorious in 312
A.D.
◦ Battle at Milvan Bridge
 Constantine then
moves capital to
Constantinople, in
the east.

6.  Constantinople marks a new beginning in
Roman history, the transition from Western
dominance, to Eastern dominance.

7.  Western Empire  Eastern Empire
◦ “Barbization of Rome” ◦ Tried to retain Roman
 When Rome was sacked by values.
the barbarians, the ◦ Throughout the fourth
western empire did not and fifth century, they
fall, but changed. were very prosperous
 Vistigoths became integral
◦ Began to divide due to
part of Roman politics
conflicts within
 Western empire would
Christianity
never be the same

9.  Capital city located
at Constantinople.
 Population consisted
of Hellenized people
of middle eastern
descent.
 Divided population
due to religious
beliefs.

10.  Wanted to return
Roman Empire to its
past prestige.
◦ Justinian actually
remade the Roman
Empire
 Recaptured North
Africa and Italy
◦ At very high costs
◦ Virtually left the
empire bankrupt

11.  Muhammad, in 610, reported he had a vision
that he was the messenger of God
 He began preaching openly and was forced
out of his hometown, Mecca
 He found residence in Medina, this journey
from Mecca to Medina is known as the Hirja
 On this march, Muhammad found many
followers, and in 629 returned to Mecca, and
took the city

12.  The fundamentals of
Islamic religion is
found in the Qur’an

14.  Islamic religion spread very quickly
throughout the area.
◦ Many tribes heard Muhammad’s message
 After Muhammad's death, his successors
conquered a vast empire
 But, Conquering was easier than governing
 The Islamic empire did not last long

15.  When most of Europe fell
to Islam, Byzantine
remained a Christian
stronghold
 When the Western Empire
fell to barbarian rule,
Byzantium remained to
Roman traditions
 Byzantium is also currently
the center of Hellenized
life.

16.  Kishlansky, Mark A., Patrick J. Geary, and
Patricia O'Brien. Civilization in the West. New
York: Longman, 2003. Print.
 Pictures
◦ Nihad Hamzic, Invasions of the Roman Empire, October 1st, 2006
◦ Flamarande, Western Eastern Roman Empire, December 28th, 2007, CC
◦ F.R. von Hubner, Byzantine Constantinople, October 25th, 2006, cc
◦ Justinian43, Byzantine 737, November 3rd, 2007, CC
◦ ARTE, Byzantine Empire Animated2, July 17th 2007, CC
◦ Stranger, Justinian, May 7th, 2007, CC
◦ NormanEinstein, Mecca, Saudi Arabia locator map, April 20th, 2007, CC
◦ Doctor Yuri, Qur’an, December 16th, 2009, CC
◦ Brian Szymanski, Age of Caliphs, September 19th, 2007, CC
◦ Evil Berry, Coin of Byzantium, July 16th, 2009, CC