The Byzantine "medieval" (Lang, 1997), in fact, the Byzantium influence is considered to be critical to the development of the Greek music and the relative genius behind Greek music (Lang, 1997)
The quoted sovereign melody (Lang, 1997) is the oft punctuated contribution to the sovereign nature of today's music throughout the world. The Byzantium facilitated the sovereign method of music ostensibly from what would be the earlier influences to the Byzantine Empire. Lang continues to point to such influence as having its origins in the Orient (Lang, 1997).
Sports were a major part of the Byzantine Empire and are representative of the development of competition within the Roman Empire and subsequently to the importance of sporting events within all major empires that have since developed. After the fall of the Byzantine (Eastern Roman Empire) under Constantinople, a new age of sports and recreational activities was initiated (Schrodt, 1981).
In fact, Schrodt continues to argue that many of the Byzantium achievements were framed in contempt as many scholars concluded that the Byzantium did contribute not one iota to the "history, philosophy, or literature of the Roman civilization" (Schrodt, 1981). Therefore, many of the achievements brought to Western civilization after the Byzantium era, are not properly attributed to the Byzantine during the height of civilization.
Byzantine architecture and religious philosophy also are major components of the development of Western civilization. The architecture of Byzantine cathedrals, or religious ceremonial housing, have continued to influence the contemporary architecture of the Western world, as Catholics developed "neo-Byzantine churches" whilst the Presbyterians developed neo-Gothic churches. (Highet, 1976)
3. Economic Environment
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_economy
Background
The Byzantium system of economics was unrivaled at the height of its advancement and for centuries afterward. The relative dominance of Byzantium within the European and Mediterranean facilitated the capital city of Constantinople as the primary purveyor of trading network that enabled the nether regions of the European-Asiatic and North African regions. During the medieval period, Constantinople remained the nexus within the network of trade facilitated by the Byzantium. However, the decline of such an economic base was facilitated by the rise of the Arabs from a collective bodywork representation of Asia and subsequent invasion by the Arabs.
Trade
Indeed, the Byzantine Empire was built and had established itself on trade. The ability of the empire to generate its wealth via trade was a function of the empire's decision to control internal and external trade routes to the best of her ability. Additionally, the Constantinople nexus was able to increase trading traffic in all directions and therefore offered a convenient trade route for traders from all over to trade with one another at Constantinople. The tax levied on the trading at Constantinople facilitated the burgeoning economy of the empire.
The major trading commodities included grain and silk. Silk was a commodity cherished by all whom traded on the aforementioned trade routes. Diplomatic relations were facilitated with silk as it was also a means of currency for the empire. (Laiou, Exchange and Trade, 720) Grain was a tremendously high in demand as population increases would force the price of the raw supply of food to new heights. Additionally, the invasion by the Arabs did hinder the ability of the Byzantium to regulate its remaining supply of viable grain to the constituency of the empire. (Laiou, Exchange and Trade, 720)
Constantinople did facilitate trade of a large variety of goods. These goods would include oil, wine, salt fish, mean, vegetables, salt, timber and wax, ceramics, linen, and wooden cloth. Additionally, there were 'luxury items', such as silks, perfumes and spices. Trade in slaves was viewed with disdain by the state and ostensibly private individuals, which does point to the level of philosophic and moral development of the societal core. (Laiou, Exchange and Trade 723-746)
By the13th century, the Byzantium was in economic control of the Venetians and the Genoese. (Matschke, Commerce, Trade, Markets 771-772) This led to the relative decline of the Byzantium economy as the state was unable to establish control over the internal and external economic drivers. Eventually, Byzantium would lose control over all major internal processes that govern and regulate economic activity. (Matschke, Commerce, Trade, Markets 805-806)
Agriculture
As in many societies, Byzantium agrarian society favored the areas close to the sea as well as the interior of the Balkans and Asia Minor to further maintain the food supply. These aspects of agrarian society within the Byzantium assisted in establishing the Byzantine economy to facilitate its major economic engine, trade. The Byzantine society did work hard when considering the tools and...
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