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The Byzantine Church As the Christian faith evolved, its spread was facilitated greatly by both the Roman and Byzantine Empires. Emperors of these powerful nations not only practiced Christianity, but eventually made it the official religion of their states. The result was that the affairs of the church became closely tied to the political affairs of the empire. Leaders of these empires exerted great control and influence over the developing religion. In Rome, the Bishop known as the Pope gradually grew in authority, until he was recognized throughout the western world as the highest authority in the Church. The Patriarch of Constantinople did not however recognize this authority. The Byzantines felt that their Patriarch was an equal to the Pope, and looked to their own patriarch for leadership. The Byzantine emperor also held a great deal of authority in matters of the church, and often settled doctrinal conflicts. One of these conflicts was the use of icons in the worship of God. An icon was a statue, or image, which believers worshiped, or used as they worshiped. Many believers felt that icons helped them visualize holy beings. They felt that these icons represented the sacred, and were an important part of their worship. Opponents to icons felt that they violated the Ten Commandments, which stated that there should be no graven images. Those who opposed the use of icons had powerful supporters in the church, and in the government. In A.D. 726 Emperor Leo III ordered that all icons be destroyed. Those who supported the destruction of all icons became known as Iconoclasts. The ban on icons was ultimately not successful, due in large part to the influence of the church in Rome. Many of the Byzantines felt that Rome had meddled in things that were none of their business, which helped to further divide the church in Rome from the church in Constantinople. During the A.D. 700s the church in Rome faced serious challenges. The Roman Empire had fallen, and with it, went the protection that the powerful emperors had given the Catholic Church. The region was now under constant attack from the Germanic tribes of the North. The Pope in Rome sought help from the emperor in Byzantine. When the emperor refused to provide the needed help, the Pope was forced to look to a Germanic tribe that had been converted to Christianity. The lack of help from the Byzantines created resentment in the hearts of those in the West who practiced Roman Christianity, that would last for centuries. In A.D. 1054 the division of the church in the East from the church in the West had become so deep that the two churches were essentially functioning as separate organizations. A conflict between the Pope in Rome and leaders of the church in Constantinople was the last straw. The Pope excommunicated members of the church in the East, while leaders of the church in the East excommunicated the Pope, and members of the church in the West. Both churches claimed to have the authority of God behind them, and to be the original church of Christ. The church in the West became the Holy Roman Catholic Church, while the church in the East became the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Emperor Justinian, who ruled Byzantium during much of the A.D. 700s brought prosperity to the empire, and expanded its borders. However, this success came at a great cost. The treasuries of the Byzantines were emptied, and the economy of the empire was weakened. For the next 700 years after the death of Justinian, the empire would see a long slow period of decline. Throughout these centuries, neighboring empires and nomadic tribes would attack Byzantium, conquering their lands, and further weakening them. By A.D. 1453 the once mighty Byzantium Empire was nothing more than a city in decline, surrounded by a few smaller villages. The city of Constantinople was in serious decline. No longer a center of wealth, Constantinople was now home to legions of poor. However, the city still held an important strategic location, which had allowed them to hold off Islamic invaders from reaching the Christian nations in the North. In their weakened state, the Byzantines were attacked by the Ottoman Turks. The Turks besieged the city of Constantinople for six weeks before finally breaking through the city walls, ending over a thousand years of Byzantine culture, and rule. Icons