Began after the collapse of Rome, the Middle Ages is the era between the collapse of classical societies and the "modern world"/"new world" - About 476 - 1492.

• Economic Productivity and Technology
  • Increases because people get smarter!
• Official Political Power
  • Men obviously take rule
• Artistic styles, religion, technology, diseases
  • Spread via trade networks
• Most powerful/Sophisticated civilizations at time
  • Western Europe/China/Islam
• Byzantine History = Rome #2?
  • 476 A.D.
    • Rome falls
    • Constantinople does not!
      • Came from the city called Byzantium
    • Roman empire survives in Eastern Mediterranean
• To mid 7th century
  • Byzantine empire competes with Sassanians (Persia)
• To mid 15th century
  • Byzantium competes with Islam, Slavic Kingdoms, W. Europe
• 1453 AD
  • Byzantium conquered by Turks
• Structure of Byzantium Society
  • Government
    • Emperor
      • Head of state
      • Military Leader
      • Also head of the Christian church
  • Bureaucracy (very similar to China)
    • Went to state-run schools
    • Usually aristocrats
    • Could come from any social class
      • Controlled military leaders
      • Controlled legal system
      • Spied
      • Regulated trade/food supply
  • Religion
    • The church
      • Christian (Greek Orthodox)
    • Caesaropapism (Caesar and Pope)
      • Church headed by the emperor
        • Passed religious edicts
        • Center of various ceremonies
      • Assisted by Church leaders
  • The empire
    • A giant city-state
    • Byzantium = Large
    • No other big cities (it's one big city)
  • Provinces
    • Provide food to the capital
    • Populated by free farmers, serfs
  • Economy
    • Imported
      • Silk (until ~1000 AD when they stole the technology)
      • Spices
    • Exports
      • Misc. Luxury Goods
    • Both?
      • Carpets
• Big Ideas
  • Influences Eastern Europe to today
  • Eastern 1/2 of Roman Empire
  • Imperial, bureaucratic government that resembled China
  • For a while the biggest hub of trade outside of China and India