Roman Empire Essay Example for Free

roman letters imperium EssayThe Roman Empire had stretched so large by the fourth century CE that it had several provincial capitals. The two most central semipolitical centers were capital of Italy in the West and Constantinople in the East, which had formerly been called Byzantium. The emperor butterfly, Constantine the Great, rebuilt Byzantium to resemble Old Rome, and so this political center became known as the New Rome. Although those who lived in Constantinople link upred to themselves as Romans and were part of the Roman Empire, historians now refer to the peoples of the Eastern Roman Empire as mireds. Though the knotty Empire no desireer remains, register from the era exists across Southern Europe, North Africa, Southwest Asia, and beyond. The convolutes are famous for their intricate mosaics, like the well up-disposed ones here inside a church in Istanbul, Turkey, which was once known as Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. How Did the Byzantin es Continue the Roman Empire?By the end of the fourth century CE, the Roman Empire was for good split into East and West. While the Byzantine Empire in the East thrived, the Western Roman Empire experienced a series of invasions, a declining economy, and poor leadinghip. In 476 CE, the last Roman emperor of the West, Romulus Augustulus, was overthrown by a Germanic prince named Odovacar. After the fall of Rome, Germanic kingdoms claimed former Roman lands. Roads and other common structures fell into disrepair. Likewise, trade and commerce in the West declined. Without a powerful Western Roman Empire, the Roman Catholic Church became a unifying and powerful force in western Europe. In contrast, Byzantine emperors in the East were successful in keeping a powerful army that they could send long aloofnesss. While the West was repeatedly invaded after the fourth century CE, the East succeeded in defending itself well enough that Constantinople survived nearly 1,000 years after the fa ll of Rome. Byzantine leaders continued Roman equity and traditions. The Byzantine emperor Justinian is well known for codifying Roman laws. In the process, the authors removed conflicting, duplicated, and outdated Roman laws. withal during Justinians reign, artists revived Hellenistic art and literature. Many historians credit the Byzantine Empire for todays knowledge of antiquated Hellenic and Roman cultures. As the West went into decline, scholars in theEast maintained great libraries and established schools for the study of ancient classic and Roman history. They also continued Roman culture by combining it with aspects of peoples closer to Constantinople. just about Byzantines were Grecian, but a mix of North Africans, Arabs, Persians, and Turks also lived within the borders of the Eastern Roman Empire. Latin was the decreed address of the Roman Empire, but more people spoke Greek in the East. Eventually Greek became the official language in the Byzantine Empire. How Di d Christianity Develop in the Byzantine Empire?Time and distance from Rome ca intentiond the Byzantine Empire to develop practices that were different from the West. This was especially true of ChristianityByzantine emperors saw themselves as having liberty over the whole Roman Empire, including the Catholic Church. The emperor had final self-confidence on church matters. The paterfamilias and otherbishops answered to the emperor. In the Byzantine Empire, the highest political authority and highest religious authority was the same person. However, in the West, kings and church leaders were separate, though kings answered to the popeChristianity helped unify the diverse people of the Byzantine Empire. Being head of the church gave the emperors the right to form in the eyes of the people. Byzantine mosaics often show emperors with halos, emphasizing the connection to the church. The prominent role of Christianity in the empire is evident in the many Byzantine-era churches and the d etailed works of art they contain. What Was the iconoclast Controversy?In the eighth and ninth centuries, the Byzantine Empire is probably most famous for theiconoclasm controversy. An icon is a saintly image or sculpture of a revered holy figure such as messiah Christ or a saint. A saint is someone who is recognized as holy or virtuous by the Church. Byzantine art frequently used human forms and symbols to represent important ideas and figures in Christianity. A great debate arose over whether this type of practice, including veneration of the icons, was acceptable.iconoclasts, meaning icon breakers, were those who were against the practice. They feared it could lead to idolatry, veto by the Bible.How Did the Controversy Affect the Byzantine Empire?The iconoclast debate became a political come forth that lasted more than 100 years. Many historians say it was also the greatest intellectual debate over the offer of art. The pope and bishops in the West supported the use of icon s, as did most Byzantine bishops. The practice had existed for centuries. As the emperor was head of the Byzantine church, he did not need support from church leaders to discharge icons. In fact, people who continued to support icons during those times experiencedpersecution.What Other Issues Split East and West?The use of icons as religious symbols was not the only issue dividing the Eastern and Western churches. One was the use of prove instead of unleavened bread in worship. Church leaders attached special richness to breads make with or without yeast, per quotes in the Bible. They disagreed on the proper interpretations. Another issue was the power of the pope, who saw the position of the emperor over the patriarch in the East as a challenge to his own authority. In addition, the importance of Constantinople as an important Christian city was in debate. Church leaders in the West objected to Byzantine emperors claims of Constantinople having equal importance to Rome. What Was the Great Schism?By 1054, the differences between East and West had grown withal wide. That year, Pope Leo IX sent representatives to Constantinople. They insisted that Michael Cerularius, the patriarch of Constantinople, acknowledge the pope as his superior and Rome as the head of the Christian church. The delegates leader, acting on the popes behalf, excommunicated Cerularius. The patriarch excommunicated the delegates and the pope in return. This event tag the Great Schism, or split, in Christianity between East and West. The Church in the West became the Roman Catholic Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church continued to grow in the East, keisterd in Constantinople. Roman Catholic Church Similarities Eastern Orthodox Church * Latin was official language * Pope has highest authority, over kings and emperors as well * Priests cannot marry * Married couples could not divorce * Centered in Rome * Both base teachings on Jesus and the Bible * Both offer sacraments, meaning special chur ch services such as baptism * Both have priests and bishops as church leaders * Both seek to convert othersto Christianity * Greek was official language * Patriarch and other bishops lead as a group * Emperor claimed authority over the patriarch * Priests can marry * Married couples could divorce under certain conditions * Centered in Constantinople The Byzantine Empires culture was already cattle ranch to Slavic and other peoples further east and north. Many of these groups converted to Eastern Orthodox Christianity, especially because of the work of saints Cyril and Methodius. St. Cyril was talented in learning languages and worked to create the first scripted alphabet for the Slavonic language. He and St. Methodius then were able to begin translating the Bible into the new alphabet. They were missionaries to the Slavs, credited with spreading Christianity and Byzantine influence. Western Roman Empire Eastern (Byzantine) EmpireLatin was official language Iconoclast controversyPop e was highest authority Orthodox ChurchCatholic Church Greek was official languageExcommunicated iconoclasts Patriarch was highest church leader Centered in Rome Centered in Constantinople