Byzantine Religion Video Research Page Source #1: "Byzantine Empire." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Livius, 28 Apr. 2011. Web. 6 Oct. 2015. .
In 330 A.D. a Roman emperor named Constantinople founded a city named Constantinople on the old Greek city of Byzantium. This city expanded into the Byzantine Empire, a continuation of the Roman Empire in Eastern Europe even after the Western Roman Empire fell. During the entire span of the Byzantine Empire, there were several emperors that influenced the empire, but one emperor, Justinian I, is widely acknowledged as the greatest Byzantine emperor. Very little is known about Justinian's early life, as he was born to a Latin-speaking peasant family in Tauresium, which is now the Republic of Macedonia. His mother was the sister of a Excubitor, (the Imperial Bodyguard) Justin.
After the Roman empire fell and Rome split into the Eastern and Western empires, each empire developed differently. The differences can be clearly seen when analyzing the churches which each empire produced. In the year 1054, the Christian church branched out in the Eastern and Western empires to Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholicism, respectively. The alienation between the Eastern and Western churches was deeply rooted in political and cultural differences. As Western culture evolved, largely due to the influx of Germanic peoples in the West, the Eastern culture stayed virtually the same, sustaining a tradition of Hellenistic Christianity.
After the Roman Empire had fallen, the region had split into two areas: the West just being Western Europe, and the East officially becoming the Byzantine Empire. Although Western Europe and Byzantine were similar in the way the populations of both regions had retained the similar daily lifestyles and material culture of the fallen Roman Empire, they had developed drastic contrasts over time; they differed in how each of their regions were politically organized, and each had their own dominant belief system. Even after the split of Rome, the regions were similar in the way that both of their populations had become so accustomed to the previous empire’s lifestyle and material culture, that it had not faded as time gradually passed into the Middle Ages. Farming continued to be a stable source of food for both Western Europe and Byzantine, the area and condition being able to supply beans during the spring, and wheat during the fall season. The preference of agriculture comes from the Byzantine Empire being wealthy
In holding off the various attacks, the Byzantines kept Western Civilization Christian instead of it being converted to Muslim. The Christian Church of Constantinople and the Christian Church of Rome also split due to an argument over some spiritual interpretations of the Bible. If it was not for the Byzantines most of Western Civilization would be Muslim and not Christian.
There were two major civilizations for Christianity, which was Byzantium and the Roman Empire, both splitting in a feud between several arguments. The Roman Empire eventually collapsed, yet the Byzantium with Orthodox Christianity survived and lived on. Byzantium spread their influence to places like the Balkans, and especially western Russia. The capital of Byzantium was Constantinople, built by a foundation of a town called Byzantium. This capital, at the times when both the Roman Empire and Byzantium were parts of each other, was where new, separate eastern emperors ruled.
The history book Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization by Lars Brownworth is about the Roman Empire from the time it was created to the time it fell. This book includes the main and important people and events that make up the history of the Roman empire. In the book Lars wrote “ This book is my small attempt to redress that situation, to give voice to a people who have remained voiceless far too long. It’s intended to whet the appetite, to expose the reader to the vast sweep of Byzantine history, and to put flesh and sinew on their understanding of the East and the West” (p. xviii). The author states that the purpose of the book is to expose the reader to Byzantine history, to give the reader a
They also had a powerful defense that keep christianity alive against muslims. In 1453, the turkish invasion marked the end of the Byzantine empire. My second reason is the influence from Justinian's code. Justinian's code was laws that were written in 50 book and all total of 4,652 laws.
The Byzantine Empire was very similar to the Western Roman Empire. Both empires endorsed the use of Greco-Roman culture. They practically lived in the same places, and had the same culture. For instance, both Empires focused not only on the value of regular life, but on an extravagant life. They would regularly attended chariot races,theatre, and buy art.
Both empires’ economies were very different. The Byzantine became one of the wealthiest empires ever, while the Western economy was an agricultural based with little trading with
The Byzantine Empire and the Muslim Kingdoms had similarities and differences when using religion to govern their respective states. When we analyze the Byzantine Empire, the church controlled great wealth. Christians were required to give as an offering or donate a part of their earning to the church and this would be used in some cases to pay for good works. Also Christian leaders were able to organize armies In large amounts to defend their religion. Furthermore, Icon painting started in the early Byzantine period as an aid to religious devotion.
It is believed that Constantine wanted to create a new city so that he can plant the seeds to the sprouting religion of christianity in a place of a more pleasant environment over the “corrupted capital Rome.” While the eastern empire mostly spoke Greek and worshiped Christ the western empire spoke Latin and worshipped Roman Catholic. For those reasons started the rise of the eastern empire while the western empire started to decline. If it wasn't for Constantine making these ground breaking decisions Byzantium as we know it today would have never
After, Christianity weakened their belief in their emperor. Constantine defeated the Empire, destroying yet another amazing culture.
Many buildings in the earlier days were built for the same reasons and by similar people, meaning the Hagia Sophia and Charlemagne’s Chapel don’t differ much in terms of being built. The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul was originally built under Constantine the Great until it was demolished and rebuilt between 532 and 537 under the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I (Hagia Sophia, Istanbul 1). Justinian’s Basilica is considered the perfect example of the Byzantine culture and the structures produced during its
Tensions developed between the Eastern and Western Churches over political, social and theological differences over beliefs and practices of religious. The Western theologians considered themselve as aids to devotion did not like the fact that the Byzantine did not agree. The Influence of Byzantium in Eastern Europe called themselves Romaioi, and was traced from their ancestors back to the Eastern Roman Empire. The Byzantines divided thenselves from the Mediterranean Society of Classical Rome.
