Transcript Byzantine Empire

Byzantine Empire
Religious & Political Differences
Split Christianity, Decline of the
Empire
Religion
• Emperors were supported by the church
because was part of the government.
• It was a political and religious force.
• Constantine was the first Christian
emperor of the Roman Empire.
• Until the 5th century, the pope was the
head of all Catholic Churches.
• Numerous disagreements erupted from
the divide in the East(Orthodox) and
West(Catholic) church.
West – Roman Catholic Church
• The Roman Catholic Church was more
powerful than Western monarchs.
• It was not only a spiritual institution but a
strong political institution
• The pope was the centre of the Roman
Catholic Church – virtually all power
presided in the Pope and a hierarchy of
bishops existed below the Pope
East – Greek Orthodox Church
• Eastern Religious leaders (Patriarchs), refused
to recognize the Pope.
• Byzantine church leaders were consulted for
political decisions.
• Important political figures as well, this was seen
as a successful and wealthy career.
• Religion and the Byzantine Empire were
strongly intertwined
• The emperor was near divinity
• High degree of theological authority
First Religious Disagreement
• Nature of Jesus
• The pope:
▫ Jesus had 2 natures: human and divine
• The Monophysites:
▫ Jesus had one nature: divine
Council of Chalcedon
• 451 A.D. – Pope Leo I:
▫ Jesus, although one person, had two natures.
• This did not satisfy the Eastern Orthodox
Church.
• They also didn’t like that the Pope had made
the decision for them.
• Eastern religious leaders refused to recognize
this decision.
Second Religious Disagreement
• Question of whether or not images, or
pictures and statues, were to be allowed in the
church.
• Western church
▫ Images were essential in helping people to
imagine the divine.
• They saw opposition to religious icons as a
threat to traditional Christianity.
Eastern church opposed the use of
images
• Worship of images or icons was a pagan belief
• Anything made by humans should not be
worshiped
• They believed that only Gods should be
worshipped
• This philosophy was inspired in part of the
Islamic faith.
Religious Conflict
• 726 – Pope Leo III:
• Issued an edict forbidding the use of images or
icons of the sacred personages of Christianity
including Christ and all the Saints
• Rioting broke out in Constantinople
• Eastern religious leaders again refused to
recognize this decision
• 1054 A.D – Issue was the use of leavened bread
vs. unleavened bread in the communion service.
• This caused both sides to excommunicate each
other which led to an open schism.
• Churches permanently separated in 1054
The Great Schism of 1054
Map of the Religious Division
• This division between the two churches is known
as schism
Decline
• The decline of the Empire lasted from 10561453
• While emperors, such as Justinian, had tried to
expand the Byzantine Empire, their efforts were
unsuccessful.
• Severe economic problems prevented the empire
from developing a firm economic foundation.
Decline
• The empire faced some
significant opposition in the
form of the Seljuk and later
the Ottoman Turks.
• The Christians of Western
Europe succeeded in
capturing Constantinople for
a time
Battle fought during the decline
• 1071: Seljuk Turks defeat Byzantines at the Battle of
Manzikert
• 1081-1118: Alexius Comnenus
– 1096-1099: The First Crusade
• 1204: Constantinople falls to Crusaders during the
Fourth Crusade
• 1261: Constantinople is liberated from the Crusaders.
• 1453: Fall of Constantinople to Ottoman Turks "Ottoman
Empire" Chronology
Fall of Constantinople- Documentary