The Emergence of Sibling Cultures (600-750) - Sources of Resiliency - Decline of urban centers and retrenchment in the countryside
5 important questions on The Emergence of Sibling Cultures (600-750) - Sources of Resiliency - Decline of urban centers and retrenchment in the countryside
What happened to Constantinople?
- As with other cities, its population shrank, and formerly inhabited areas right within the walls were abandoned or turned into farms.
- As the capital of both the Byzantine Church and State, however, Constantinople boasted an extraordinarily thriving upper class composed of people attached to both the imperial court and the clerical elite.
- Although Byzantium's economic life became increasingly rural in the seventh and eighth centuries, institutions vital to urban growth remained at Constantinople, ensuring a revival of commercial activity once the wars ended.
What came with the decline of the cities?
- With the decline of the cities came the rise of the countryside.
- Agriculture had all along been the backbone of the Byzantine economy. Apart from a few large landowners, including the state, the Church, and some wealthy individuals, most Byzantines were free or semi-free peasant farmers.
Who were the peasants subject to?
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What new values did the state adopt?
- The state adopted a thoroughgoing agenda "family values," narrowing the grounds for divorce, establishing new punishments for marital infidelity, and prohibiting abortions.
- New legislation gave mothers greater power over their offspring and made widows the legal guardians of their minor children.
- New family values coexisted with old community practices, but the Church increasingly tried to suppress traditions it associated with paganism.
What did the Quinisext forbid?
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