How did the Byzantine Empire preserve Roman and Greek heritage, and how did it influence Russia and Eastern Europe?
Apply social science skills to understand the Byzantine Empire: the founding of Constantinople as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, the achievements of Justinian including Justinian's Code and Hagia Sophia, the spread of Orthodox Christianity and the Great Schism, and the empire's influence on Russia and Eastern Europe (WHI.7).
A standards-level answer on the Byzantine Empire for the Virginia World History SOL: Constantinople and the Eastern Roman Empire, Justinian's Code and Hagia Sophia, the spread of Orthodox Christianity and the Great Schism, and the influence on Russia and Eastern Europe, with worked exam questions.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
Have a quick question? Jump to the Q&A page
Jump to a section
What this topic is asking
Standard WHI.7 covers the Byzantine Empire, the eastern half of the Roman Empire that survived for a thousand years after the West fell. The standard asks you to explain the importance of its capital, Constantinople, the achievements of the emperor Justinian, the rise of Orthodox Christianity and its split from the Western (Catholic) church, and the empire's lasting influence on Russia and Eastern Europe. Byzantium matters because it preserved Greco-Roman heritage and carried Orthodox Christianity and a distinctive culture into Eastern Europe.
Constantinople and the survival of the East
Justinian's achievements
Orthodox Christianity and the Great Schism
Influence on Russia and Eastern Europe
Try this
Q1. Name two achievements of the emperor Justinian. [Recall]
- Cue. Justinian's Code (a codification of Roman law) and rebuilding the church of Hagia Sophia.
Q2. Explain how the Byzantine Empire influenced Russia. [Short explanation]
- Cue. It spread Orthodox Christianity, gave the Slavs the Cyrillic alphabet to write their languages, and passed on Byzantine art and architecture (domes and icons), shaping Russian civilization.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of VDOE exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
VA SOL WHI (MC)1 marksThe emperor Justinian is best known for (A) founding the Roman Republic; (B) codifying Roman law (Justinian's Code) and rebuilding the church of Hagia Sophia; (C) inventing the printing press; (D) leading the First Crusade.Show worked answer →
The correct answer is (B). The Byzantine emperor Justinian (ruled 527 to 565 A.D.) is famous for Justinian's Code, a careful codification of Roman law that preserved and organized legal principles for later European law, and for rebuilding the great church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.
Why the others are wrong: (A) the Roman Republic was founded centuries earlier in Italy; (C) the printing press came much later; (D) the Crusades began after Justinian's time. Markers reward identifying Justinian's Code and Hagia Sophia.
VA SOL WHI (MC)1 marksHow did the Byzantine Empire influence Russia and Eastern Europe? (A) it had no contact with them; (B) it spread Orthodox Christianity, the Cyrillic alphabet, and Byzantine art and architecture; (C) it conquered and ruled all of Russia directly; (D) it converted them to Islam.Show worked answer →
The correct answer is (B). The Byzantine Empire spread Orthodox Christianity to Russia and Eastern Europe, along with the Cyrillic alphabet (developed to write Slavic languages) and Byzantine art and architecture such as domed churches and icons. This cultural influence shaped Russian civilization for centuries.
Why the others are wrong: (A) there was extensive contact and influence; (C) Byzantium influenced rather than directly ruled Russia; (D) it spread Orthodox Christianity, not Islam. Markers reward naming Orthodox Christianity, the Cyrillic alphabet, and Byzantine culture.
Related dot points
- Apply social science skills to understand the decline and fall of the Western Roman Empire: the political, economic, social, and military causes of decline, the division of the empire into West and East, the traditional fall of the West in 476 A.D., and the survival of the Eastern (Byzantine) empire, setting up the medieval world (WHI.6).
A standards-level answer on the decline and fall of Rome for the Virginia World History SOL: the political, economic, social, and military causes, the division of the empire, the fall of the West in 476 A.D., and the survival of the Byzantine East, with worked exam questions.
- Apply social science skills to understand the origins, beliefs, and spread of Judaism and Christianity: Judaism as an early monotheistic faith with the Torah and the covenant, and Christianity arising in Roman Judea from the teachings of Jesus, spread by the apostles and Paul, and eventually made the official religion of the Roman Empire (WHI.6).
A standards-level answer on Judaism and Christianity for the Virginia World History SOL: the origins, beliefs, and spread of two monotheistic faiths, the Torah and the covenant in Judaism, the teachings of Jesus, and the spread of Christianity through the Roman Empire, with worked exam questions.
- Apply social science skills to understand the origin, beliefs, and spread of Islam: Muhammad and the rise of Islam in Mecca and Medina, the Five Pillars and the Qur'an, the expansion of Islam through the caliphates across the Middle East, North Africa, and Spain, and the Sunni-Shia split (WHI.8).
A standards-level answer on the origins and spread of Islam for the Virginia World History SOL: Muhammad and the rise of Islam, the Five Pillars and the Qur'an, the rapid expansion through the caliphates across three continents, and the Sunni-Shia split, with worked exam questions.
- Apply social science skills to understand the cultural and scientific achievements of Islamic civilization: the preservation and translation of Greek and Roman learning, advances in mathematics (algebra and Arabic numerals), medicine, astronomy, and geography, and the role of cities such as Baghdad and Cordoba as centers of learning during the Islamic Golden Age (WHI.8).
A standards-level answer on the achievements of Islamic civilization for the Virginia World History SOL: the preservation of Greek and Roman learning, advances in mathematics, medicine, astronomy, and geography, and centers of learning such as Baghdad and Cordoba during the Islamic Golden Age, with worked exam questions.
- Apply social science skills to understand medieval Europe from about 500 to 1500: the spread and influence of the Roman Catholic Church, the structure of feudal society and the manorial system, the rise of the Frankish kings and Charlemagne, and the development of feudal monarchies and early nation-states (WHI.9).
A standards-level answer on medieval Europe for the Virginia World History SOL: the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, the structure of feudalism and the manorial system, Charlemagne and the Frankish kings, and the rise of feudal monarchies, with worked exam questions.