Week 11: Germanic Europe and the Vikings A Time of Darkness? Recap: Byzantine Empire grew out of the wreckage of the Roman Empire Centered at Constantinople Drew from the Greco-Roman tradition Hellenistic culture came from Greece Art, architecture, science, philosophy, literature Practical details of law and administration came from Rome Justinian best represented assimilation of Roman law through his Corpus Juris Civilis Christianity: great unifying agent at the end of the Roman Empire and into the Middle Ages Islamic civilizations started to expand throughout Europe and pushed itself into Spain and North Africa Benefited from Greco-Roman tradition Placed Aristotle on a pedestal due to his philosophy