The Byzantine Empire

300 AD - 1500 AD

In 395, the Roman Empire was split by warfare and barbarian attacks. The eastern portion was centered around Constantinople between the Black and

Mediterranean Seas.

The Byzantine Empire was a true international empire, joining the Balkans, Asia Minor, North Africa, Syria and had Arabs, Jews, Christians, Slavs, and Turks. It was a

“multi-ethnicChristian state.”

The Byzantine Empire had:

1. The Eastern Orthodox Church

2. Greek as a language

3. A strong military

4. A diverse population

Constantinople itself was highly defensible.

1. Sat on a peninsula with water on 3 sides.

2. Only one land access. Build several large walls.

3. Good access to resources in a siege.

Byzantine religion was complex and a part of everyone’s daily life. Several religious controversies were a source of great

debate in the empire.

In the 700’s, John of Damascus led a movement called Iconoclasm. This was a belief that Icons (pictures and images of Jesus and Saints) could be

worshiped, venerated, and held as a source of holy power.

Icon of Mary and Jesus

Many theologians disagreed. Emperor Leo III declared that Iconoclasm was not legal in 726.

Icon of the Crucifixion of Jesus.

Ad Sanctos burial was debated, too.

This is “burial with the Saints.” There was a belief that if you were

buried near a Saint, then you would get to heaven first (go when they do.)

This created a market demand for Saints relics and bones (ick!). Many churches put a Saint’s bone in the altar.

The Byzantine emperors were active in sending missionaries throughout the world. Oddly, this was the work of the emperors, not the Church.

Sometimes, a foreign ruler would ask the Byzantines for a missionary! Ratislav of Moravia asked Michael III of Constantinople to send one, but the Moravians had no alphabet, so how could they use the Bible?

Cyril was sent to solve this problem and came up with the Cyrillic alphabet, which most Slavic

countries still use today.

Why the Emperor, not the Church?

1. Control contact with foreigners.

2. Control the content of the message.

3. Pick the missionaries.

4. Expression of power over the Church.

As time has passed, we see that the Byzantine Empire was:

1. A major world culture.

2. The medieval continuation of the Greek and Roman states.

3. Culturally diverse.

4. Religiously active.

5. Strategically important.