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11.1 The Byzantine Empire
After Rome split, the Eastern
Empire, known as Byzantium,
flourishes for a thousand years.
330 A.D. Constantine moves
capital to Byzantium– change
name to Constantinople
A.D. 395: Roman Empire divided
into East and West
A.D. 476: Western Roman Empire
“falls”
A.D. 1054: Christian Church splits
Roman Catholicism (West)
 Eastern Orthodox (East)
 Page 306

Eastern Orthodox View of the Equality of
Patriarchs [Bishops]
Patriarch of
Rome
“primacy”
Patriarch
of
Constantinople
Patriarch of
Alexandria
Patriarch
of Antioch
Patriarch
of
Jerusalem
First Among
Equals
“First among equals” merely meant that the Pope’s opinion was the one
that was asked first. As noted above, the distance of Rome from the east
could imply impartiality. But the Eastern Orthodox did not hold that the
Pope’s opinion was law for the entire Church. In the ancient “pentarchy”
(the five “sees” listed below) he would preside as the “chair” in an
ecumenical council. This did not give him any authority over other
jurisdictions however.
Roman Catholic View
of “Papal Supremacy”
Pope of
Rome
Supreme
above other
provinces
Patriarch
of
Patriarch
of
Constantinople
Alexandria
Patriarch
of
Antioch
Patriarch
of
Jerusalem
A New Rome in a New Setting

The Eastern Roman Empire
• Roman Empire officially divides into East and
West in 395.
• Eastern Empire flourishes; becomes known as
Byzantium
• Justinian becomes emperor of Byzantium in
527.
• His armies reconquer much of the former
Roman territory.
• Byzantine emperors head state and church,
use brutal politics
Life in the New Rome

New Laws for the Empire
• Justinian seeks to revise and update
laws for governing the empire
• Justinian Code—new set of laws
consisting of four main parts
• Code regulates much of Byzantine life;
lasts for 900 years.

Creating the Imperial Capital
• Justinian launches a program to
beautify the capital, Constantinople.
• Constructs new buildings; builds
magnificent church, Hagia Sophia.
• Byzantines preserve Greco-Roman
culture and learning.

Constantine’s Hectic Pace
• City becomes trading hub with major
marketplace.
• Giant Hippodrome offers chariot races
and other entertainment.
• Racing fans start riots in 532; the
government restores order violently.
• Empress Theodora is the powerful wife
and adviser to Justinian.
The Empire Falls

Years of Turmoil
• Justinian dies in 565; the empire faces
many crises after his death.

Attacks from East and West
• Byzantium faces attacks from many
different groups.
• Empire survives through bribery,
diplomacy, and military power.
• Constantinople falls in 1453; brings an
end to the Byzantine Empire.
The Church Divides

A Religious Split
• Christianity develops differently in Eastern and
Western Roman Empires.
• Two churches disagree over many issues,
including the use of icons.
• Icons are two-dimensional religious images
used to aid in prayer.
• Leading bishop of Eastern Christianity is known
as a Patriarch.
• In the West, the pope excommunicates the
emperor, banishing him from the church over
the iconoclast controversy.
The Primary Causes of the East-West
Schism of 1054*
Cause
Eastern Church
Western Church
POLITICAL RIVALRY
Byzantine Empire
Holy Roman Empire
CLAIMS OF PAPACY
Patriarch of Constantinople was
considered second in primacy to
the bishop of Rome.
Bishop of Rome claimed
supremacy over entire
church.
THEOLOGICAL
DEVELOPMENT
Stagnated after Council of
Chalcedon.
Continued to change and
grow through controversies
and expansion.
FILIOQUE
CONTROVERSEY
Declared that the Holy Spirit
proceeds from the Father.
Declared that the Holy
Spirit proceeds from the
Father and the Son.
ICONOCLASTIC
CONTROVERSY
Engaged in 120-year dispute
over the use of icons in
worship; finally concluded they
could be used (statues
prohibited).
Made constant attempts to
interfere in what was purely
an Eastern dispute (statues
permitted).
*from Robert C. Walton. Chronological and Background
Charts of Church History. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986.
The Primary Causes of the East-West
Schism of 1054*
Cause
Eastern Church
Western Church
DIFFERENCES IN
LANGUAGE AND
CULTURE
Greek/Oriental
Latin/Occidental
CLERICAL
CELIBACY
Lower clergy were
permitted to marry.
All clergy were
required to be celibate.
OUTSIDE
PRESSURES
Muslims constricted and
put continual pressure on
Eastern Church.
Western Barbarians
were Christianized and
assimilated by Western
church.
MUTUAL
EXCOMMUNICATIO
N OF 1054
Michael Cerularius
anathematized Pope Leo
IX after having been
excommunicated by him.
Leo IX
excommunicated
Patriarch Michael
Cerularius of
Constantinople.
*from Robert C. Walton. Chronological and Background
Charts of Church History. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986.
Four Original Provinces within Christianity
Recognized by the Council of Nicaea (325 C.E.)
Rome
Antioch
Alexandria
Jerusalem
In 325, the Council of Nicaea recognized only four major jurisdictions within the church. Due to the Jewish revolts
of the 1st and 2nd Centuries, a shift in the influence of Christianity had taken place away from Jerusalem. Antioch
and Alexandria became major jurisdictions, but because of conflicting schools of interpretation and theology often
disputed with one another. After its founding by Constantine, Constantinople was rising in importance and later its
Patriarch also disputed with Alexandria over theology (e.g. Nestorius who held to the Nestorian heresy of a twoperson Christology). Rome, being the original seat of the Roman Empire was given Primacy as “first among equals.”
This meant that the opinion of the pope of Rome was canvassed in theological disputes. He was given some
jurisdiction outside of Rome, but it did not mean he had jurisdiction over the other three provinces. It was implied
that the distance of Rome from the other provinces gave the Pope some level of impartiality as to theological
“Pentarchy”: Five Provinces Recognized
by the Council of Chalcedon (451 C.E.)
Constantinople
Rome
Antioch
Alexandria
Jerusalem
In 381 the Council of Constantinople elevated Constantinople to a Patriarchate (major
province) because the seat of the Roman government was moved there. Constantine
had called Constantinople “Nova Roma” (New Rome). Theodosius the Great, who died
in 395, was the last emperor to rule a unified Roman Empire. In 410 Germanic tribes
(Visogoths) had sacked Rome, and by the middle of the 5th century the western Roman
Empire had fallen. In 451 the Council of Chalcedon—which settled the Christological
Effect of Islamic Conquests
Constantinople
Rome
Antioch
Alexandria
Jerusalem
The Islamic conquests of the 7th and 8th Centuries effectively eliminate any influence of
the patriarchates of Jerusalem, Antioch, and Alexandria in the Christian world.
Constantinople had already been given second place in “primacy” to Rome, therefore
the two main “rival” patriarchates are Rome and Constantinople. This sets up the
political conflict that was to come and be exacerbated by the linguistic, liturgical, and
theological differences between Rome and Constantinople.
Linguistic Disunity




West—dominant language Latin
East—dominant language Greek
Decline in bilingualism after the fall
of the western empire
Linguistic disunity develops into
cultural disunity
• Different religious rites and liturgy
develop
• Different approaches to Christian
doctrine emerge
Papal Supremacy and the
Nicene Creed



Pope Leo IX claimed he held authority over the four
eastern patriarchs.
The Pope in 1014 inserted the “Filioque clause” (the
words “and the son” in regards to the procession of
the Holy Spirit) into the Latin version of the Nicene
Creed. (This was not allowed by the Roman church in
the Greek version). Leo IX asserted the papacy’s right
to do so. The Eastern Orthodox believed this to be a
violation of the 7th canon of the Council of Ephesus,
and viewed this clause as a western innovation and
heresy.
The Eastern Orthodox today state that the 28th Canon
of the Council of Chalcedon established the equality of
the Bishops of Rome and Constantinople, therefore,
the Roman pontiff could not claim authority over
Constantinople.
Iconoclast Controversy



The Byzantine Emperor Leo III outlawed the veneration
of icons in the 8th century. Some believe this to be a result
of the pressures of Islam. Those who were against the use
of icons in the church were called “iconoclasts.” The first
period of iconoclasm occurred from 730-787 C.E. A second
period of iconoclasm occurred from 814-842 C.E.
Arguments usually surrounded the understanding of how to
depict the two natures of Jesus Christ in Christian
theological teaching. “Iconodules” (supporters of the use
of icons) believed that to disallow depicting Jesus
artistically denied the incarnation.
The western church rejected iconoclasm. However, icons,
which are generally two dimensional works of art were
generally not used. Instead, statues were allowed in the
western church .
Different Church/State Relations
• Caesaropapism in the east subordinated
the church to the religious claims of the
dominant political state. In the Byzantine
Empire, the emperor had supreme
authority over the church.
• In the west the church was relatively
independent of the state due to the fall of
the western empire and a lack of imperial
authority. Later, when strong kingdoms
emerge in Western Europe, the
investiture controversy surfaces
creating church/state conflicts.
• Pope and patriarch excommunicate each
other over religious doctrines and
disputes over jurisdiction.
• Eastern and Western churches officially
split in 1054.
• West—Roman Catholic Church
• East—Orthodox Church

Byzantine Missionaries Convert the
Slavs
• Eastern Orthodox missionaries seek to
convert the northern peoples known as
the Slavs.
• Missionaries create the Cyrillic
alphabet—the basis for many Slavic
languages.
• Alphabet enables many groups to read
the Bible.