Western Civilizations Chapter 7 Review Question

Byzantine culture was distinctive in many ways. What are some of its important features?

One of the most distinctive features of the Byzantine culture was its stability. "Strong, self-perpetuating political institutions thus constituted a major source of stability in Byzantium and offer an explanation for the extraordinary longevity of the empire's core provinces: nearly a thousand years." (pg. 215) The leaders in Byzantium's capitol city, Constantinople, were highly educated men who supervised aspects of social and cultural life such as the educational systems, the Orthodox church, and the observances of religious services and festivals. The military, courts and diplomatic services were all strengthened by the bureaucracies appointed over them. Another area of strength was the economy as Constantinople was became a central area of trade.

Western Civilizations Chapter 6 Connections question

In your opinion, which phenomenon had a more profound impact on Rome: the overexension of imperial power or the mass migration of peoples from Rome's frontier. Why?

The mass migration of people from Rome's frontier had a greater impact on Rome because the more people there are, the more resources are needed. With the immense growth in Rome, the rulers had less control over the empire, and the armies had to spread out and separate in order to try and protect all of Rome. With the weakening of Rome's armies more people were able to migrate, expanding Rome's borders. Smaller Kingdoms began to emerge and tax revenues were lost, weakening Rome