What could the Byzantine Empire possibly have to do with us, today? Plenty — our form of government in the United States. The great paintings and sculptures of Europe. The science and technology we use every day. And more. The Byzantine Empire helped pass on much of the knowledge and art that shapes our world today.
In this Unit, kids take a thousand-year tour of the empire beginning with the fall of Rome in 476 CE and concluding with the fall of the empire in 1453 CE. En route, they stop in Constantinople to explore the biggest and richest city in Europe at the time. There, they find a bust of Constantine, the emperor essential to the early growth and spread of Christianity. They examine the Justinian Code, an organized set of Roman laws, which influenced the legal system in many countries. And they visit the market to find goods from Europe, China, India, and beyond.
Kids eager to explore life in the Middle Ages will find lots of details about the people of Constantinople. Kids interested in the rise and fall of power and governments will want to trace the main events taking place during this period and refer to the timeline of major events throughout the period. A group of detailed maps helps clarify information and will intrigue kids who enjoy geography. Plus, loads of primary source images provide kids with a feel for the period that couldn’t be more authentic.
7 Topics in this unit
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Crossroads of the World
Imagine it’s 540 CE, and you’re visiting a busy trading port in Constantinople ...
- 560L-740L
- 750L-890L
- 900L-1040L
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Justinian I and Theodora
It’s January of 532 CE in Constantinople. Earlier today, you were at the Hippodrome, ...
- 560L-740L
- 750L-890L
- 900L-1040L
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Constantine and the Growth of Christianity
You’ve always liked living in Byzantium, but lately, things here are becoming very e ...
- 560L-740L
- 750L-890L
- 900L-1040L
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Life in Constantinople
The city of Constantinople was the heart of the Roman Empire and then the Byzantine Empire ...
- 560L-740L
- 750L-890L
- 900L-1040L
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The Decline of Rome
When the emperor Marcus Aurelius came to power in 161 CE, the Roman Empire had enjoyed nea ...
- 560L-740L
- 750L-890L
- 900L-1040L
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Decline and Fall of the Byzantine Empire
By April of 1453 CE, the Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI knew that trouble was coming. Th ...
- 560L-740L
- 750L-890L
- 900L-1040L
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Legacy of the Byzantine Empire
To get a sense of how important the Byzantine Empire was, let’s imagine it had never ...
- 560L-740L
- 750L-890L
- 900L-1040L