Life in Constantinople
In the 1000's, Constantinople was the cosmopolitan center of the Western world. Constantinople was an ideal trading center because of its location on the Bosporus and its fine port. Merchants there exported textiles along with carved ivory, enamel, glassware, and bronze church doors.
Constantinople also was the educational center of the Byzantine Empire. There, future government officials learned to read and write the language of ancient Greece. This language, which was used for official purposes, differed from a simpler form of Greek spoken by most Byzantines. The Byzantines produced noted works in history and wrote fine poetry, including religious poems. They also created much religious prose.
Most houses in Constantinople were made of wood. However, the rich lived in stone mansions, many of which had an enclosed courtyard. The upper classes in Constantinople included Armenians, Bulgarians, Greeks, Normans, and Turks. Working people of the empire wore short tunics (coatlike garments) of wool or linen. The upper classes dressed in long robes of heavy silk decorated with raised designs. Most of the people ate chiefly bread and cheese, together with vegetables cooked in olive oil. The wealthy enjoyed banquets of meat prepared in strong, garlic-flavored sauces and served with plenty of wine. Chariot races were a favorite form of entertainment.
Byzantine culture required women to live partly in seclusion, and large houses had separate sections for them. Most women spent their lives doing household tasks. However, some received an education, and women ruled the empire several times.
Excerpt adapted from the "Byzantine Empire" article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999