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The Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire, which thrived from 395 to 1453, was a fascinating place. Its people thought of themselves as Romans, spoke Greek, and hailed from all across Europe and Asia. Centered in today's Istanbul, it was a Christian empire that preserved and developed Europe's intellectual heritage at a time when western Europe was in decline.
- GenresHistory
48 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 3, 2015
The Byzantine Empire
“Black smoke mingled with dust of crushed stone as cannonballs erupted through the city walls. The double walls of Constantinople had held strong for most of the past 1,000 years…”(Vanvoorst. 4) Constantinople, present day Istanbul is the thriving capital of the successful Byzantine Empire. The Ottomans have been bombarding the city walls for great time now, and the people were starving to death. Although, Constantinople is the heart of the empire, and if it were to fall the empire would sink with it. The rise of Byzantium starts with the decline of Rome. After the Roman Empire was divided into the western and the eastern side Constantine, the son of the deceased western emperor, spent the next eighteen years of his life fighting to regain control of the whole Empire. He then decided to discover a new capital for the Roman Empire he had wished to rebuild. So he set foot in the Greek city, Byzantium, and renamed it Constantinople or “City of Constantine”, also known as the New Rome. Situated between the black and Aegean sea, Constantinople was the ideal center of trade. Because of its ideal trade location, New Rome fast became a flourishing city. Since Byzantium was originally a Greek city, Constantinople was too, though Latin was still the official language until the sixth century. Though most of the citizens spoke Greek, they thought of themselves as Romans and it is only later on, that the east side of the Roman Empire became known as the Byzantine Empire.
The Byzantine Empire included 34 present day countries in Europe, the Middle East, as well as North Africa, so it was difficult to protect in its 1,000 years. Furthermore, because of its wealth and luxurious life Turks, Persians, Arabs, Bulgars, as well as Christian Crusaders wanted to conquer the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantine Empire was Christian based, but then became a Muslim Empire because of the Ottomans. Today Constantinople is now known as Istanbul and is located in Turkey, with Islam that replaced Christianity and the city is still a bridge between Asia and Europe. Though, in 1453 the Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople and what was left of the Byzantine Empire. With the astonishing achievements, the contributions to history, and the way it changed the world, Byzantium is one of the greatest empires ever known.
The Byzantine Empire may have been a center for trade and had a luxurious lifestyle, but it also accomplished achievements that are still used today. The Byzantine Empire not only conserved learning during the Middle Ages but also improved the law. During the rule of Justinian, his most important concern was to preserve the governmental knowledge inherited by the Romans. He then reassembled both old and new laws into one consistent of law known as Justinian Code, which is composed of more than 5,000 laws. He made sure that his laws improved the lifestyle of the powerless such as women, slaves, and debtors, but others were also punishments. Byzantines also wrote a lot, as an effect a lot of books were created such as encyclopedias, secular poetry, and fiction and nonfiction books. Most of the Byzantine music is religious in nature and sacred music was usually just voice. The best achievements for the Byzantine Empire were architecture. Their signatures were domes in their churches, such as the Agea Sophia, which later became a mosque and is now a Museum.
Afterwards the Byzantium is one of the most important empires in history because without its existence, the modern western world would not be. They preserved the old documents of the Roman Empire and used them to make Justinian Code. Furthermore, the Byzantine Empire had great defense and did not only protect themselves but western Europe too from invasions and devastation. Moreover, since they preserved the art of learning, they preserved as well old documents from ancient Greece and Rome. Not only did they preserve, but the Byzantine also improved their technologies and were inspired by the ancient Romans and Greeks. The Byzantine Empire changed the world. They Byzantine Empire also contributed to history because it conserved a lot of ancient Greek and Roman books as well as their traditions and beliefs. With the Agea Sophia and the blue mosque, Byzantium was able to leave some heritage and knowledge to the world. In conclusion, the Byzantine Empire conserved old books and was able to leave a trail of heritage and knowledge.
I recommend this book to students who like to learn about history. This book was able to tell a lot of information in a short amount of pages and in a fun way. The pictures are very detailed and accurate with the text. I also recommend this book to a history teacher who teaches the Byzantine Empire because it was able to give a lot of information and it is not difficult to understand. The timeline as well as the glossary are very helpful if writing a research paper. There is mostly everything their has to know about the Byzantine Empire and more. I recommend this book to middle school students because it is very easy to understand and has the information written directly on the paper. I don't recommend this book to people who want a challenging book because it is too easy to understand and read. I also would not recommend this book to lower school students because it would be too hard since it has a lot of information at once and hard to remember.
“Black smoke mingled with dust of crushed stone as cannonballs erupted through the city walls. The double walls of Constantinople had held strong for most of the past 1,000 years…”(Vanvoorst. 4) Constantinople, present day Istanbul is the thriving capital of the successful Byzantine Empire. The Ottomans have been bombarding the city walls for great time now, and the people were starving to death. Although, Constantinople is the heart of the empire, and if it were to fall the empire would sink with it. The rise of Byzantium starts with the decline of Rome. After the Roman Empire was divided into the western and the eastern side Constantine, the son of the deceased western emperor, spent the next eighteen years of his life fighting to regain control of the whole Empire. He then decided to discover a new capital for the Roman Empire he had wished to rebuild. So he set foot in the Greek city, Byzantium, and renamed it Constantinople or “City of Constantine”, also known as the New Rome. Situated between the black and Aegean sea, Constantinople was the ideal center of trade. Because of its ideal trade location, New Rome fast became a flourishing city. Since Byzantium was originally a Greek city, Constantinople was too, though Latin was still the official language until the sixth century. Though most of the citizens spoke Greek, they thought of themselves as Romans and it is only later on, that the east side of the Roman Empire became known as the Byzantine Empire.
The Byzantine Empire included 34 present day countries in Europe, the Middle East, as well as North Africa, so it was difficult to protect in its 1,000 years. Furthermore, because of its wealth and luxurious life Turks, Persians, Arabs, Bulgars, as well as Christian Crusaders wanted to conquer the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantine Empire was Christian based, but then became a Muslim Empire because of the Ottomans. Today Constantinople is now known as Istanbul and is located in Turkey, with Islam that replaced Christianity and the city is still a bridge between Asia and Europe. Though, in 1453 the Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople and what was left of the Byzantine Empire. With the astonishing achievements, the contributions to history, and the way it changed the world, Byzantium is one of the greatest empires ever known.
The Byzantine Empire may have been a center for trade and had a luxurious lifestyle, but it also accomplished achievements that are still used today. The Byzantine Empire not only conserved learning during the Middle Ages but also improved the law. During the rule of Justinian, his most important concern was to preserve the governmental knowledge inherited by the Romans. He then reassembled both old and new laws into one consistent of law known as Justinian Code, which is composed of more than 5,000 laws. He made sure that his laws improved the lifestyle of the powerless such as women, slaves, and debtors, but others were also punishments. Byzantines also wrote a lot, as an effect a lot of books were created such as encyclopedias, secular poetry, and fiction and nonfiction books. Most of the Byzantine music is religious in nature and sacred music was usually just voice. The best achievements for the Byzantine Empire were architecture. Their signatures were domes in their churches, such as the Agea Sophia, which later became a mosque and is now a Museum.
Afterwards the Byzantium is one of the most important empires in history because without its existence, the modern western world would not be. They preserved the old documents of the Roman Empire and used them to make Justinian Code. Furthermore, the Byzantine Empire had great defense and did not only protect themselves but western Europe too from invasions and devastation. Moreover, since they preserved the art of learning, they preserved as well old documents from ancient Greece and Rome. Not only did they preserve, but the Byzantine also improved their technologies and were inspired by the ancient Romans and Greeks. The Byzantine Empire changed the world. They Byzantine Empire also contributed to history because it conserved a lot of ancient Greek and Roman books as well as their traditions and beliefs. With the Agea Sophia and the blue mosque, Byzantium was able to leave some heritage and knowledge to the world. In conclusion, the Byzantine Empire conserved old books and was able to leave a trail of heritage and knowledge.
I recommend this book to students who like to learn about history. This book was able to tell a lot of information in a short amount of pages and in a fun way. The pictures are very detailed and accurate with the text. I also recommend this book to a history teacher who teaches the Byzantine Empire because it was able to give a lot of information and it is not difficult to understand. The timeline as well as the glossary are very helpful if writing a research paper. There is mostly everything their has to know about the Byzantine Empire and more. I recommend this book to middle school students because it is very easy to understand and has the information written directly on the paper. I don't recommend this book to people who want a challenging book because it is too easy to understand and read. I also would not recommend this book to lower school students because it would be too hard since it has a lot of information at once and hard to remember.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2023
Pre-reading for my children. It gave a good overview of the Byzantine empire.
December 6, 2016
The inventive non-fiction book, The Byzantine Empire, was written by the knowledgeable author, Jennifer Fretland Vanvoorst. The Byzantine Empire is a book that is mostly about the Byzantines, their history, their achievements, and their link to modern life. First and foremost, the Byzantine Empire is the evolution of the Roman Empire. Constantine, who was the last Roman emperor, had decided to move the capital of his empire because the previous capital, Rome, was located in Western Europe, which was constantly being attacked and raided by Germanic tribes. Therefore, he made Byzantium the capital, and the empire was renamed “The Byzantine Empire”. The western part of Constantine’s empire, which was withered by the Germanic tribes, fell, but the Eastern section was still intact, and it survived for another millennium. The Byzantine Empire was not only prosperous, but it also made a lot of achievements in education, law, art, architecture, and music. Byzantine art, music, and architecture, which was usually made for sacred purposes, was original, unique, and sophisticated. On the other hand, the achievements in the area of law were established by Emperor Justinian I, who made a solid set of rules known as “The Code of Justinian”. Although the Byzantine Empire was more stable than the Roman Empire, it was still an empire that expanded and contracted through history. Wars against the Persians, Muslims, Italians, Bulgarians, and Mongols caused the Byzantines to lose land and get weaker over the years. In 1453, the Ottomans (Muslims originating from Turkey) captured Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, which led to the end of the Byzantines. However, they are not completely gone, which is because the world has inherited a lot from the Byzantine Empire. “The Byzantine Empire played a vital role in shaping the course of history and culture in both the East and the West.” (Vanvoorst, 40) Not only have Eastern and Western civilizations inherited Christianity from Constantine, but they also inherited knowledge from the Byzantines. All in all, The Byzantine Empire was an informative and fascinating book professionally written by the author, Jennifer Fretland Vanvoorst.
The writer of the non-fiction book, The Byzantine Empire, has written this book in order to teach the reader about the Byzantines and their significance. First and foremost, The Byzantine Empire is non-fiction because it tells the reader about a real-life empire; the Byzantines. Furthermore, the book only contains photographs and valid information; it does not contain characters, conflicts, or a made up plot. Ron Miller purposefully made The Byzantine Empire non-fiction because his objective was to educate the audience about the Byzantines, their history, their culture, and their legacy. The reason why the author wrote this book is also to introduce the Byzantine Empire to the reader and make the reader understand its importance. In order to make the reader knowledgeable and interested in the topic, the author used intermediate vocabulary, in-depth explanations, and photographs. The empire of the Byzantines is relevant; however, people often overlook it. The Byzantine Empire was one of the biggest empires to this day, and it still influences modern people and beliefs. By comprehending The Byzantine Empire, the audience understands that the Byzantines were responsible for the determining spread of Christianity and they are also responsible for the scientific knowledge that we have today. On the other hand, even Byzantine culture is present nowadays; some countries adopted the art, architecture, and music of the Byzantines. As one can see, Jennifer Fretland Vanvoorst has written The Byzantine Empire in order to teach the reader about the significance of the Byzantines.
The Byzantine Empire is a resourceful, interesting, yet simple book, which is why I would recommend it. First of all, I wouldn’t advise The Byzantine Empire to students lower than grade 7, because the author uses professional vocabulary and complex sentence structure. On the other hand, I would recommend it to all students and adults, for it is interesting and it possesses a lot of valuable information. Second of all, I would only recommend The Byzantine Empire to average readers and lazy readers, which is because the author has cleverly made this non-fiction book dense, yet brief and compact. The Byzantine Empire's ideal size makes the reader captivated by the knowledge, and not bored by its size. I would not advise a bookworm to read this non-fiction book, however. The reason for that is because 40 pages isn’t long enough for a real reader to enjoy their book. Finally, I would only recommend The Byzantine Empire to students and adults who are into the subject of history. If the reader doesn’t like history, they will not be pleased to read and even worst, they will not learn anything about the Byzantines. Thus, The Byzantine Empire is engaging, resourceful, and interesting, which is why I advise to all those who are going to like it.
The writer of the non-fiction book, The Byzantine Empire, has written this book in order to teach the reader about the Byzantines and their significance. First and foremost, The Byzantine Empire is non-fiction because it tells the reader about a real-life empire; the Byzantines. Furthermore, the book only contains photographs and valid information; it does not contain characters, conflicts, or a made up plot. Ron Miller purposefully made The Byzantine Empire non-fiction because his objective was to educate the audience about the Byzantines, their history, their culture, and their legacy. The reason why the author wrote this book is also to introduce the Byzantine Empire to the reader and make the reader understand its importance. In order to make the reader knowledgeable and interested in the topic, the author used intermediate vocabulary, in-depth explanations, and photographs. The empire of the Byzantines is relevant; however, people often overlook it. The Byzantine Empire was one of the biggest empires to this day, and it still influences modern people and beliefs. By comprehending The Byzantine Empire, the audience understands that the Byzantines were responsible for the determining spread of Christianity and they are also responsible for the scientific knowledge that we have today. On the other hand, even Byzantine culture is present nowadays; some countries adopted the art, architecture, and music of the Byzantines. As one can see, Jennifer Fretland Vanvoorst has written The Byzantine Empire in order to teach the reader about the significance of the Byzantines.
The Byzantine Empire is a resourceful, interesting, yet simple book, which is why I would recommend it. First of all, I wouldn’t advise The Byzantine Empire to students lower than grade 7, because the author uses professional vocabulary and complex sentence structure. On the other hand, I would recommend it to all students and adults, for it is interesting and it possesses a lot of valuable information. Second of all, I would only recommend The Byzantine Empire to average readers and lazy readers, which is because the author has cleverly made this non-fiction book dense, yet brief and compact. The Byzantine Empire's ideal size makes the reader captivated by the knowledge, and not bored by its size. I would not advise a bookworm to read this non-fiction book, however. The reason for that is because 40 pages isn’t long enough for a real reader to enjoy their book. Finally, I would only recommend The Byzantine Empire to students and adults who are into the subject of history. If the reader doesn’t like history, they will not be pleased to read and even worst, they will not learn anything about the Byzantines. Thus, The Byzantine Empire is engaging, resourceful, and interesting, which is why I advise to all those who are going to like it.
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March 25, 2015Good read.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews