Essays on Byzantine Empire

Physical Module: Venice

I have chosen the city, Venice for this assignment. As I mentioned in the introduction, I have been in Venice previous summer and I want to explore this site in more detail.

Geomorphology and Climatology

1) How did your selected city, town or village’s physical landscape form? i) What are the geological processes that contributed to the formation of your site? ii) What are the climatic processes that contributed to the formation of your site? The place, where Venice is located, is characterized by the transitional climate type between the continental and Mediterranean climate zones. The place of the city is ...

Three poems, which have been chosen for this paper: “Because I could not stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson, “A Supermarket in California” by Allen Ginsberg, and “Sailing to Byzantium” by W. B. Yeats, are all very different and belong to different literary trends. However, they all are focused on the subject of death, which they depict from different standpoints, systems of beliefs, and values. In the first poem, “Because I could not stop for Death”, Emily Dickinson describes death using the image of a gentleman, who takes her into his carriage: “He kindly stopped for me – The Carriage” ( ...

Physical Module: Venice

I have chosen the city, Venice for this assignment. As I mentioned in the introduction, I have been in Venice previous summer and I want to explore this site in more detail.

Geomorphology and Climatology

1) How did your selected city, town or village’s physical landscape form? i) What are the geological processes that contributed to the formation of your site? ii) What are the climatic processes that contributed to the formation of your site? The place, where Venice is located, is characterized by the transitional climate type between the continental and Mediterranean climate zones. The place of the city is ...

Introduction

The Gero Crucifix and Vladimir Madonna both have contention in portraying religious concepts and a drawing of Jesus. The so-called ‘Gero Crucifix’ ranks as one of the earliest preserved monumental carved crucifixes and the oldest image of the dead Christ on the cross, in contrast to earlier images of the crucified Savior, which presented him alive and glorious over death. The Gero Crucifix was displayed surrounded by golden rays as if visualizing the triumphal second coming of Messiah. In a similar connection, the “Vladimir Madonna” which is often cited as the icon of contemplatives teaches about the human condition ...

The First Crusade was organized in 1096 by the decision of Pope Urban II at the request of Byzantine Emperor Alexius I with the aim of helping the Eastern Christians in the defense of Anatolia (Asia Minor) from the onset of the Seljuks. During the campaign, further objective turned out to be the liberation of the holy city of Jerusalem and the Holy Land from the Muslims. Initially, the Pope`s appeal was addressed only to the French knights, but, later, the Crusade turned into a full-scale military campaign, and its idea spread to all the Christian states of ...

The western world looks at the city of Venice to be distinctly oriental. On the surface, the city fits an Italian profile, but it has always mainland an arm’s distance. The essential Moslem culture influenced the architecture of Venice unlike its chief competitors such as Genoa and Pisa. Another stream of thought claims that Byzantine artistic heritage influenced Venetian civilization and, therefore, those characteristics of Islamic architecture. The author of the essay argues on the subject of Islamic influence on the medieval architecture of Venice is indeed a complex and challenging one. The paper focuses on those characteristics ...

Justinian and Theodora came to the throne as Emperor and Empress in 527 after the death of Justinian’s uncle. The reign of Justinian and Theodora is significant in the Rome history because the two made an impact during their rule. According to Gascoigne, Emperor Justinian was able to restore much of the former glory of the Western empire. Emperor Justinian made reforms in the administrative and legal system of his kingdom. The Emperor was interested in seeing churches emphasize the imperial dignity of Christianity. As highlighted above, Emperor Justinian had an energetic program of reform at the beginning ...

The eighth and ninth Byzantium was one of the most unfortunate in the history of art and architecture. The growth of art and architecture was partially stunted due to the desire to attain political correctness. In that period, political correctness meant following the edicts issued by the emperor. During that time, the emperor issued an edict banning the use of icons. One of the icons that would have drawn a lot of controversy in the eighth and ninth-century Byzantium is the icon of the Virgin and Child Enthroned between Saints and Angels. The Icon is found in the Monastery ...

Introduction

The Byzantine Empire was one of the longest reigning empires that lasted for 12 centuries from 332 to 1453 AD. In their prime, Byzantine Empire was the envy of the western world and Eastern kingdoms due to their strong economy, architecture, politics and military. But over time, problems started to creep into the Byzantine Empire most of which was based on their weakening economy and military. The contraction of the Byzantine Empire was due to the continuous array of religious enemies and internal decay that destroyed the empire. Between the Fourth Crusade of 1204 and the last Ottoman Turkish ...

HUM1500 W3 Discussion Question: What major world events contributed to the founding of Rome? & What was significant about the Roman government that allowed it to flourish?

One of the major events that contributed to the founding of Rome is through a mythological account. In 753, Rome was named after its founder – Romulus, a historical figure that killed his half-god twin Remus . During the time of Romulus, the place has little interruptions. Another major event to the founding of Rome is the creation of the 12-month calendar by King Pompilius, emergence of the republics and empires, embracement of Christianity (specifically, Roman Catholicism), Roman alphabet and numerals, existence of huge variety of talented/gifted individuals, and so on. Moreover, other major events were associated with the Roman government. There ...

Introduction

The postclassical countries are the countries that have undergone the classical stage whereby they have developed in economical perspective. The postclassical countries, these countries include India, Greece/Rome and china. They are the countries s after the classical for example the countries that come after the classical were characterized by the technological advancement. Byzantium and Abbasid were among the postclassical countries, which are characterized by the modernization in the economical perspective, the use of machinery in production and a rather more advanced technology.

Greece followed Rome and Rome itself followed the Byzantium that latter changed and founded the Russia. China being ...

Introduction

There are three stages of Roman history including Kingdom that lasted between 753-509BC, Republic that lasted between 509 and 27BC and Empire that lasted between 27BC and 476BC (Dill 103). The Roman Kingdom was founded by Romulus after he murdered Remus his brother. Traditionally, the city had seven kings. It is just one of Italy’s many villages which again is divided among several different language groups. It is one of the cities of Latium area, where Latin is spoken. The Roman Republic was founded in 509 BC after the last king was expelled (103). It was founded on ...

Counterfactual History: What Ifs of the Gallipoli Campaign

Introduction Although counterfactual history is concerned with what didn’t happen, it acts as a manifestation of what did. Without a doubt, counterfactual history challenges the traditional academic ways of thinking with regards to risk management in the historical analysis. It explicitly inflates the range of plausible explanations by focusing on the number of possible outcomes. In doing so, there is a threat that a multiplicity of chaotic perspectives, each facilitated by chance and contingency might open up. In the case of the Gallipoli Campaign, the following questions may be asked if the Ottomans did not win at Gallipoli:

Would the Republic of Turkey still have been established?

Would the Russian ...

Byzantine Art Inspires a Fashion Designer

In February 2013, the attention of all the world's fashionistas and lovers of the beautiful shows was riveted to the show of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. The Byzantine Art inspired designers for the creation of such an impressive collection. The collection has received many rave reviews, and the hall was full of famous persons who visited the show. The muse of Dolce & Gabbana is a woman, which is destined to conquer the world. She knows how important a first impression, and her appearance in society always produces a sensation; she is ready to compete with men, but always remains a woman. Exactly ...

Theoretical Explanations of Two Prominent Pre-Industrial Civilizations: The Mayan Civilization and the Roman Empire from the Lens of Joseph Tainter and Arnold Toynbee

Introduction

Civilizations have characterized much of human history and have laid the groundwork for several innovations on human organization. As humans have learned to congregate in societies, they have developed their respective ways of living based on their understanding on the natural and social environment enveloping them within a given geographical area. Human organization inevitably comes into play, in which positions of authority are recognized and tasked to maintain and improve the political, economic and religious affairs of ...

Compare And Contrast Essay

Byzantine era placed a great importance on Christianity, and it is no wonder to see a lot of artwork produced related to the life that Christ. These painting were hung within the walls of the churches, and the viewers were given the chance to connect with the ideals they revered (Byzantine, 2011). The purpose of the essay is to compare the Lamentation over the Dead Christ and the Sinai Christ. Lamentation over the Dead Christ, wall painting, St. Pantaleimon, Macedonia, 1164. When Roman Empire was moved from Rome to Constantinople in 324, the Byzantine Empire came into existence as the " ...

13th December, 2014

This book was written by Procopius, an official raconteur who belonged to the Byzantine Empire. He was a trusted member of the kings. Procopius had written this text in Greek language, but this was later translated into English by G. A. Williamson for the first time. Further, Peter Sarris translated the book for the second time. The English translation of this book was published in the year 2007 y Penguin Classics. This work of Procopius is a lengthy and elongated account of indictments against Justinian and Theodora, Justinian’s wife as well as against another couple Belisarius and Antonina. It is ...

Introduction Begun with the cathedral complex at Pisa and expanded upon in the Basilica of San Marco in Venice, Italian architects of the 11th century were not only able to glorify their own Christian God and saints, but also asserted their dominance over eastern ‘heretics’ through the adaptation and outright theft of eastern architectural influences. These influences can be seen in everything from the bulbous form of the domes to the minor adornments of the cathedrals. The earliest Italian architects were priest and monks who used skilled craftsmen to carry out their ideas of communal Christian living. Italian buildings ...

Introduction

This paper analyzes the fall Europe into the dark ages (middle ages) after the collapse of the Roman Empire while the Islamic world entered into a golden age of learning and culture. In relation to the paper discusses the social, cultural, political and religious factors which accounted for the transformation of a largely Bedouin society into the center of the world learning while the collapse of the roman empire led to nearly a thousand years of backwardness among Europeans.

Analysis

Western medieval studies considered the beginning of the collapse of the Middle Ages the Western Roman Empire at the end of the 5th ...

Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire is one of the major forces that shaped the political, economic and the social arena of most of the countries in South Eastern Europe. Weidenfeld (1995) asserts that the might of the empire was not only felt in Europe but also in many parts of African Islamic states and in the Middle East (p.45). Osman I. was the founder of the Empire in 1299. It grew from a small state called Constantinople (now known as Istanbul) to the mighty Empire. From scratch to larger empire, Ottoman Empire was faced by numerous challenges during its rule. This article ...

Ancient Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, was located on the north-west of the present Turkey. It was captured by Turks of the Ottoman Empire that transformed it into Istanbul. Modern Istanbul renowned for two beautiful mosques towered up the sea. Hagia Sophia is more ancient of them. "Hagia" means "saint" translated from Greek. It was not built as a mosque. The most beautiful church of the Byzantine Empire was built to revive the glory of Rome. Originally on the place where later built Hagia Sophia was a small temple. It burned down in 404, restored in 416 and ...

Background of Islamic Faith

In the VII century BC most of Arabia was a desert inhabited by tribes of nomadic Bedouins. However, on the fertile lands along the shores of the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean were scattered permanent settlements, from where originated caravan routes across the sands to the cities of Syria and Mesopotamia (now Iraq). Due to the caravan trade, there flourished rare oases along the trade routes, including the small towns of Mecca and Medina, which in the history of Islam were destined to play a key role.

Prophet Mohammad was born in Mecca, in the family of camel driver. Upon ...

Sailing to Byzantium is one of the most famous poems of the stalwart literary artist, William Butler Yeats. The poem is one of the quintessential pieces in the history of English literature, and it lives on in the hearts of the avid readers transcending the effect of time. The poet utilizes his aesthetic excellence to reach out to the gazillion readers across the globe through this immortal work of literature. There are vivid imagery and other literary devices in the poem that bring out the central idea with clarity and quintessence. The poem is a vehement statement of the ...

Allows Expounding on Ancient Greek Ideas

Introduction Historically, from the time of Jesus’ crucifixion and the founding of Christianity, the treatment of Christians depended on who ruled Rome. The long-term significance of the Edict of Milan’s in 313 (Rosenwein 1) authoritarian pronouncement gave the right for Christians worshiping and conducting their faith in God on their own terms without fear of disquieting treatment and more importantly without persecution. This scholastic undertaking discusses how the Edict of Milan ensuring the safety of believers during the evolution of the first Christian church resulting in emerging theological ideas aligned to the human condition. In doing so, ...

Byzantine iconoclasm has numerously impenetrable membranes of conflicting attitudes and assumptions. Iconoclasm destructs a culture’s religion icon and monuments. The protesters of iconoclasm challenge the institutions since they have errors. Different religions can carry out iconoclasm that occurs due to disputes between factions in the religion. Christians work with the motivation of the Ten Commandments that forbid the worship of idols and images provided in iconoclasm. The intense use of Christian iconography originated from the gentiles after the religion of Christianity gained legitimacy from Constantine a Roman Empire in 312 AD (Morgan 45). A strong opposition rose with the misuse of ...

The Middle East is predominantly an Islamic society. Muslim art and architecture is heavily influenced by the religious attitudes. There is prejudice against pictorial representation of animal figure and human being due to the Prophet Mohammed teachings that are against idols and idol worship. This attitude influenced the development of geometric and stylized designs. Muslims have excelled mostly in the fields of architecture and decorative arts (Choueri 88: Ham 176: Graber 1). Islamic artists draw their inspiration from many sources: inspiration was drawn from Byzantine, Indian, Chinese and Persian models. These craftsmen then made their models in original and ...

Introduction

The notoriety of Roman Catholicism across Europe figured prominently throughout history - best manifested by the rise of the papacy, headed by the pope and traditionally based in Rome, Italy. The papacy, which stood as the main governing body of Roman Catholicism, has since become embroiled in key political issues throughout its leadership. Despite its limited role in recent times, the papacy was once a center of political authority in Europe, with its influence greatly sought by European powers beginning from the time of Roman Emperor Constantine I up to the Reformation. This study seeks to outline how the papacy ...

Introduction

Problem Statement Life in the cities in certain periods is depicted by their arts, music, and literature. The Cities of Constantinople and Nashville are different from each other in terms of geographical location and inhabitants. Despite these differences, the two cities have things in common too. Both cities represent key events in their respective time periods; religion for Constantinople while music for Nashville. Identifying the ways by which the cities’ conditions (political, social, spiritual), as reflected in the arts, music, and literature, would enable the readers to gain a better understanding about these cities and its people. Thus, this ...

The Code of Hammurabi – it is one of the oldest monuments in the sphere of ​​legislation. It is a black basalt pillar on which cuneiform inscriptions on the classic Babylonian dialect of Akkadian are located, which include two hundred eighty-two articles from various areas of law. The Code of Hammurabi was created by the king of Babylon Hammurabi, who reigned in round 1793-1750 years BC and made Babylon the biggest cultural, economic and political center of Asia Minor of those times. The Code of Hammurabi – is one of the most important sources of the ancient Babylonian law and of the ...

At the time of the reign of the Emperor Justinian, the once mighty Byzantine Empire was experiencing a period of decline and weakness. It was Justinian who as Emperor worked successfully to reenergize and rebuild the empire. Justinian’s efforts and plans laid out a new version of the Empire that allowed it to continue in existence and relevance for many centuries to come. This effort required military, political, legal and social changes. This paper will look at how he accomplished this. Born in 483 AD in a town called Tauresium (in what would later be known as the Balkans) Justinian ( ...

Battles of the Ottoman and the Safavid Empires

The Middle East has long been seen as one of the richest regions in the world, not just for its riches, but it was also rich of centuries-old traditions and history that has shaped mankind. The region became known as the epicenter of world trade with the establishment of the Silk Road and sea-lanes connecting Eurasia together. It was also in the Middle East wherein religions and ethnicities were created and diversified, transforming societies and cultures throughout the globe. Many nations have attempted to take this very diverse and rich land, however, the region was only controlled by a select ...

- What was the hijrah (emirgration/migration) that Muhammad and his followers made, and why was this such an important event in Muslim history? The “Hijrah” – is the Prophet Muhammad's and his supporters` flight from Mecca to Medina, where the first Muslim community was founded in 622 AD. Basically, “hijrah” in Arabic language has got a meaning of relocation from one place to another. As a religious term, the word "hijra" is used in cases of relocation of believers who are oppressed in their homeland and deprived of freedom of religion, to other regions where there are more favorable conditions for ...

Introduction

There is a civilization in human history that inspires wonder and admiration among its descendants, evokes envy and the desire to imitate - and that is Roman Empire. Roman Empire This collocation almost invariably conjures images of power and grandeur, of mighty armies and fearsome gladiators, of marble cities and far-flung roads. And it is not surprising, because few countries have left in the history of world civilization such a bright trail and bequeathed to the posterity a cultural heritage of such enormous size and of its greatest importance. The significance of the Roman Empire is truly prominent taking into account the ...

Compare the attempt to escape the miseries of the world in Keats' "Ode on a Grecian Urn" and Yeats' "Sailing to Byzantium."

Introduction

The different faces through which a person goes through makes them have a number of experiences. This is largely caused by internal and external expectations which could be contrary to what a person can deliver. It reaches a time when an individual feels lonely despite the numerous people they could be around them. After being in a world of their own and realizing that nobody seems to understand to understand their plight, people tend to find ways through which they can escape from ...

Q1. The Role of the Temple in Ancient Judaism

A temple is a structure put aside for spiritual and religious activities e.g. sacrifice, prayer or analogous sites. The Jews refer to call their place of worship as temples, shull or synagogues. It is a center of prayer, study and teachings as well as a social center. The temple is and was a household of entreaty. The prayers offered in the shrine were sacred since they interaction with God. It was also a dwelling of Torah and Halakha (legislation), offering of sacrifices, and devotions. Offering of sacrifices was a way of serving God and asking for forgiveness in one sins. The animal’s ...

When Worlds Collided: The Fall of Constantinople and the Byzantine Order

The conquest of Constantinople in 1453 by the Ottoman Turks brought the final curtain down on the Roman epoch, of which the Byzantine Empire was the final, glorious manifestation. When Constantine the Great established the city of Constantinople in 330 A.D., he re-constituted the old Roman order along a new East/West axis. Henceforth, the beleaguered empire would be administered from two capitals, but few could foresee that this arrangement would create a religious and political schism that would make rivals of the two great cities. Gradually, the Byzantines eclipsed Rome by virtue of Constantinople’s mighty walls and the city’s ...

1. The proximity of the Silk Road caravan routes allowed Indians to serve as “middlemen” for the East-West trade, and to travel to Southern Asia. In so doing, they imported religions that had long been established on the Indian sub-continent, namely Hinduism and Buddhism. Trade was integral to the spread of Hinduism to Sri Lanka and Borneo, while the ancient tradition of Buddhist merchants and monks carried their religious tradition as far as China; in fact Buddhist philosophy was being transmitted via the Silk Road as early as the 2nd century B.C. (John Carroll University, 2012). Trade was also ...

The Byzantine Empire was uniquely cosmopolitan and offered unique rights for women, especially those of the upper class. Many of the rights that women enjoyed in Byzantium were not only absent from other cultures such as the Romans, but also would not be attained again by women until much more modern times. Reading through various pieces of scholarship about women in Byzantium proves, as one scholar writes, “the story of women in Byzantium is not an uncontested one.”1 However contested, the information portrays a fascinating picture of a society that, for women, was in some ways ahead of its time. ...

The Causes to the Decline of the Ottoman Empire

In ancient history, two Empires can be considered the foundations of two of the most practiced religions in the globe – the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire. Both Empires dominated their respective domains, enlarged their empires, and supported their choice religion – Catholicism for the Byzantine Empire and Islam for the Ottoman Empire. While many are familiar with the history of the Byzantine Empire’s rise and fall, others only know the Ottoman Empire briefly as one of the prominent Empires in the Middle East. Like the Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Empire can be considered its Middle Eastern counterpart as ...

Explain with supporting details of actions and thoughts why conquering Constantinople was so important to Sultan Mehmet. In what ways did he demonstration his preoccupation and dedication to the task? What did he achieve he achieve for himself or for Islam after the victory? The magnificent city of Constantinople experienced great development due to its strategic position, which created a flourishing trade. It was with time becoming an international trade centre welcoming traders from all over the continent. The marvelous goods shipped from all over the world had introduced a peculiar flavor in the immensely upcoming attraction centre. The Ottoman ...

Introduction

Mosaic is a simple form of art and technique that mainly uses small tiles (tesserae) or/and pottery pieces to make large portraits on different flat forms which includes walls, frames and floors (Paul 12). Mosaic technique has been adopted by many cultures globally such as in Rome, Greece and in Middle East. The main form of art used in the areas is cladding. Cladding is preferred since its effective and the artwork formed by cladding is long lasting. History and Popular beliefs have it that, in the Middle Eastern architecture is heavily influenced by the middle ages Roman and Byzantium ...

Back in the early conquest period, the Ottoman Empire has made an impact over history as one of the recognized civilizations in the Middle East. From Middle East to the shores of Constantinople, the Ottoman Empire has managed to influence these locations and implement changes. However, one Sultan made a clear mark upon his ascendance to the Ottoman throne, and is still considered a hero due to his contributions to ancient history and to his homeland Turkey. This Sultan is none other than Mehmed II or the famous Conqueror, the known leader of the Ottoman forces in the famous Ottoman siege ...

The Byzantine and Islamic Empires are closely linked together, sharing similar influences in terms of technological advancements, their political systems, and their culture.

The Byzantine and Islamic Empires

Byzantium’s capital, Constantinople, was the empire’s core. It is where the trading takes place and it played a vital role during the Golden Ages of the empire during the 9th , 10th, and 11th centuries before the capital fell from the hands of Mohammed II, the Ottoman Turkish Sultan. During its Golden Ages under the rule of Justinian, Baths, churches and water supplies were built and city planning and social services were also established. Until now, ...

Introduction

In their publication (Jean Louis & Frederic Hitzel) indicates that a vast pan-Islamic state of the Turks started its expansion in the small Turkish emirate location within the boundaries of the present republic of Turkey. It extended to North Africa, some part of Middle East and southeast Europe. It had also gained temporal authority over secluded overseas lands in the mode declarations paying of allegiance to the Sultan and Caliph. The publication further indicates that the empire was the pivot of interactions connecting the Eastern and the Western world for six centuries. This Ottoman Empire was an Islamic successor to ...