Art History Week 7- Byzantine Art

Byzantine Art

-The Byzantine Empire was the Greek-speaking continuation of the eastern half of the Roman Empire.

-Its capital city was Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul).

Originally known as Byzantium

-Fall of the Western Roman Empire

-Continued to exist for an additional thousand years until it fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453.

The Polish forces, under John Sobieski, attacked, and defeated the Ottoman Turks under Kara Mustafa.

-Both "Byzantine Empire" and "Eastern Roman Empire" are historiographical terms created after the end of the realm.

-In 285, the emperor Diocletian (r. 284–305) partitioned the Roman Empire's administration into eastern and western halves.

 

Emperor Galerius

eastern and western halves

-Constantine I (r. 306–337) transferred the main capital from Rome to Byzantium.

-Under Theodosius I (r. 379–395), Christianity became the Empire's official state religion and others such as Roman polytheism were proscribed.

Theodosius I

-Under the reign of Heraclius(r. 610–641), the Empire's military and administration were restructured.

-The reign of Justinian I (r. 527–565), the Empire reached its greatest extent after reconquering much of the historically Roman western Mediterranean coast, including north Africa, Italy, and Rome itself.

Justinian I

-the reign of Maurice (r. 582–602), the Empire's eastern frontier was expanded and the north stabilised

Maurice

-His assassination caused a two-decade-long war with Sassanid Persia which exhausted the Empire's resources.

-During the Macedonian dynasty (10th-11th centuries), the Empire again expanded and experienced a two-century long renaissance

Macedonian dynasty

- The final centuries of the Empire exhibited a general trend of decline.

-It struggled to recover during the 12th century, but was delivered a mortal blow during the Fourth Crusade, when Constantinople was sacked and the Empire dissolved and divided into competing Byzantine Greek and Latin realms. 

-The Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman in 1453 finally ended the Empire

Early Byzantine art

Areobindus in his consular robes, from his ivory consular diptych

Age of Justinian I