Analyze the Byzantine Empire as Eastern Roman continuation (NOT 'Greek successor') — Justinian I (r. 527-565 CE), Theodora (c. 500-548 CE), Justinian's Code (Corpus Juris Civilis 529-534 CE), and Hagia Sophia (completed 537 CE) — per Judith Herrin and Anthony Kaldellis scholarship
Exercise Difficulty 4 ~8 min hist.g6.s.ex_12

Rubric Response

Prompt

Apply Anthony Kaldellis's 2015 argument that 'Byzantine' is a misleading label. Write 3-5 sentences with evidence.

How it's presented
mode text
Answer criteria
type rubric scored
rubric
Inhabitants called themselves Romaioi (Romans) for 977 years until 1453 CE. Called their state Romania. Considered themselves political-cultural continuation of Rome. 'Byzantine' label coined 1557 by German scholar Hieronymus Wolf and applied retrospectively. Calling them 'Greeks' rather than 'Romans' was Western-European political choice in medieval period to deny their legitimacy
Hints
  1. Anthony Kaldellis 2015 The Byzantine Republic.
  2. What did they call themselves vs what Western Europeans called them?
Misconceptions to watch
  • Treating 'Byzantine' as their own self-identification
Used in lessons