Byzantine Empire Rise and Justinian

Notes

The fall of the Roman Empire did not happen overnight. When the western part of the empire faced serious challenges, the empire split. The Western Roman Empire, which covered Western Europe and North-Africa, was led from Rome, while the Eastern Roman -- or Byzantine Empire -- was led from Constantinople.. The Byzantine Empire covered the areas now known as Turkey, Greece, and Eastern Europe. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, it became the most powerful empire in Europe and the Near East and lasted for over a thousand years. The capital city of the Byzantine Empire was Constantinople (present-day Istanbul, Turkey). It was named after Constantine, Roman Emperor from 306-337, the first emperor to rule from the city While the Western Roman Empire was falling from attacks by foreign invaders, the Eastern or Byzantine Empire was just beginning its rise to power. Justinian I became emperor of Byzantium in 527 CE. Justinian worked with Important political leaders to write a new legal system that he used to govern all the citizens of the empire. The legal system is called the Justinian Code. He negotiated a peace with the rival empires, worked hard to protect his borders from atta...