FROM ROMAN EMPIRE TO BYZANTINE EMPIRE Late Roman Empire Western half crumbled, eastern half remained...
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Transcript of FROM ROMAN EMPIRE TO BYZANTINE EMPIRE Late Roman Empire Western half crumbled, eastern half remained...
THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE
FROM ROMAN EMPIRE TO BYZANTINE EMPIRE
Late Roman Empire
Western half crumbled, eastern half remained intact
Eastern half also contained different Christian sects
Early Byzantine State
Tightly centralized rule of a highly exalted emperor
Caesaropapism: Emperor is both “Caesar” and pope, combination of
Church and State
Emperors also stood above the law
The Byzantine emperors faced different challenges
○ Conflict with Persia
○ Invasions of migratory peoples from the north and east
BYZANTIUM & WESTERN EUROPETensions between East and West
Constantinople (East)
○ Greek was religious language
○ Caesaropapist emperors
Rome (West)
○ Latin was chief language
○ Autonomy from imperial authorities
Rivalry for conversion of Slavs
Political Grievances
Byzantines held the majority of the wealth and
therefore thought they should be the only
legitimate rulers
Rivalry over Southern Italy and Sicily
BYZANTINE ECONOMYThe Agricultural Economy
The Peasantry
○ The backbone of the Byzantine army and economy
○ Since 11th century free peasants declined
Consequences of the peasantry's decline
○ Landowners raised armed forces on estates
○ Pool of military recruits shrank
Industry and Trade
Manufacturing enterprises-> High-quality silk became important industry; imperial
monopoly
Trade – Byzantine Empire became enormously wealthy though foreign trade
○ Sat at crossroads between Mediterranean, Asian, and Middle Eastern trade
○ Had a standard currency for the Mediterranean basin
Banks and partnerships supported commercial economy
BYZANTINE CHURCHIconoclasm
Controversy over use of icons in religious services
○ Old Testament prohibition on false images, Islamic influences
○ Iconoclasts wanted to purge all churches of icons
Ban lasted from 726-842 AD
○ Opposed by Western Christians (further evidence of divide between the East
and Western Church)
○ Regular destruction of image, symbol, and statue representations
Greek Philosophy and Byzantine Theology
Debate about Jesus's nature, a philosophical issue
○ Arian Heresy- denied that Father and Son were equal and coeternal
○ Monophysite Controversy- taught that Jesus had only one nature, a
composite divine-human one
THE GREAT SCHISM Constantinople and Rome
Political rivalry in Central Europe, Balkans, Southern Italy
○ Iconoclastic movement in the east criticized by the west
○ Emperors vs. Popes
○ Who is head of the church? – Pope or Emperor
Ritual and Doctrinal Differences
○ Leavened vs. unleavened bread
○ Marriage of priests
○ Liturgy in the vernacular
○ Relationship of the Father and Son
Schism
Power struggle between Pope (West) and Patriarch (East) led to mutual
excommunication in 1054
Origins of Eastern Orthodox & Roman Catholic churches
THREAT OF ISLAM The emergence of the Islamic state weakened
the Byzantine Empire
Arab peoples conquered part of Byzantium
Prolonged sieges of Constantinople by Islamic
armies
Imperial organization
Government run by trained bureaucracy,
professional army
The theme system strengthened Byzantine society
○ Under rule of general, who ran army, civil bureaucracy
○ Provinces organized on a military basis
Aristocrats limited by army, emperor, bureaucracy