After the death of the Roman Emperor Theodosius in 395, the split of the great Roman Empire was finalized. But the Byzantines themselves considered themselves Romans, although they spoke the Middle Greek language. And just like in Rome, Christianity spread here, but due to certain objective historical conditions, it had its own differences.
The role of religion in Byzantine civilization cannot be overestimated. It was not only one of the main factors influencing the spiritual culture of the Byzantine society, the way of life of its citizens, but also was another center for the spread of monotheistic religion for other peoples.
The emergence of monasticism in Byzantium
Christianity throughout the Roman Empire arose in the 1st century AD. Already in the 2-3 century, there was a tendency for the appearance of the church and the clergy. There are clergymen who stand out from the whole mass of believers. Initially, this was expressed in asceticism. The main idea was to achieve righteousness through self-denial and humility.
Monasticism was founded by Anthony the Great. He distributed his property and chose a tomb as his place of residence. Living on bread alone, he devoted his life to studying and meditating on the Scriptures.
State religion
Christianity as the state religion of Byzantium was recognized by Emperor Theodosius the Great. Prior to this, their mother Elena was a Christian in their family. Such religious zeal is explained very simply: Christianity, which teaches humility, was another lever of influence on the people, helping to keep them in subjection and forcing them to meekly endure the oppression of the Byzantine state.
This explains the support of the state. Almost immediately, the church began to develop a complex and branched hierarchy. What ensured the power of the Christian church in Byzantium? Answering this question, it is necessary to note the following: huge lands began to belong to the church, on which slaves, columns and small tenants worked. The clergy were exempted from taxes (except for the land tax).
In addition to this, the highest church hierarchs had the right to judge clerics. These conditions ensured the coordinated work of the Christian church - the main ideological machine of the Byzantine state. But the Church gained even greater power in Byzantium under Justinian. The significance of this turn of historical events is too great to ignore.
Emperor Justinian
According to the good old tradition, in the Roman Empire, the army often enthroned its favorites. So Emperor Justin received his power in Byzantium. He made his nephew, who came from a poor peasant family, co-ruler, who would later be known in history as Emperor Justinian.
He was a smart politician, a master of intrigue and conspiracy, a reformer and a cruel tyrant. He could order the execution of tens of thousands of innocents in a calm, quiet voice. In this extraordinary historical figure, who firmly believes in his own greatness, the Christian church in Byzantium found its main protector and generous breadwinner.
He was a match for his wife Theodora. She actively interfered in the government and loved only power more than anything.
It was Justinian who finally banned pagan rites in Byzantium.
Emperor in church affairs
The role of emperors in church life was significant, and this was strongly emphasized in various external manifestations. As one of the most striking examples, the golden throne of the emperor in the church has always been adjacent to the throne of the patriarch. To this we can add his personal participation in some rituals. At the Easter service, he appeared in bandages, and was accompanied by 12 companions. Since the 10th century, the imperial person was entrusted with a censer with incense during the entire Christmas service.
The religion of Byzantium emphasized the importance of emperors not only during the service. All decisions of the Ecumenical Council were signed by the head of secular power, and not by the patriarch.
Toward the end of the existence of the Byzantine Empire, the role of the patriarch increased significantly, and all decisions had to be made with an eye to his opinion. But Byzantium under Justinian, although seething with dissatisfaction with his policies, nevertheless, the supreme power of the ruler was notdisputed. The criticism of the broad masses of the people was caused by the ostentatious we alth of the Church and the persecution that she arranged for dissident people.
Heretical teachings in Byzantium
The territory of Byzantium was a place where Eastern and Western cultures were closely intertwined. The Christian religion arose as one of the eastern creeds and found a response initially among the representatives of the eastern peoples. As it progressed among the Greeks and Romans, a conflict of views began on the essence and role of God the Father and his son Jesus Christ. A vivid illustration of this is the gathering of Emperor Constantine and the clergy in Nicaea in 325 AD. e. Emperor Constantine at that time still remained a pagan, but he tried to understand the peculiarities of the dogma, which he had only recently legalized. At the gathering, the views of the “heretics of Ariana”, who denied the divinity of Christ, were also considered in detail.
Representatives of other heretical teachings also argued with representatives of the main religion of Byzantium: monophysists, Nestorians and the Paulicians, who arose in the 9th century. It is necessary to briefly characterize each of these sects.
- Monophysists considered God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit to be one and indivisible. By this they denied the human in Christ.
- The Nestorians rejected the dogma of the trinity of God. Christ was regarded by them as an ordinary person, but temporarily received the divine mind.
- The Paulicians. This sect claimed that God created the heavenly sphere, and everything else and material things happened thanks to the efforts of the Devil. The mother of Christ is not worth revering: she is an ordinary earthly woman.
Mainthe religion of Byzantium, teaching humility and peacefulness, persecuted apostates who allowed themselves to criticize its greed and had their own views.
Fight against heretics
The Church fought hard against various heresies and superstitions, sometimes declaring them atheists and excommunicating them from the Church. By the way, even those who did not appear for Sunday service three times in a row were subject to excommunication. On the territory of Byzantium, this was enough to declare a person an atheist and excommunicate from the church. Bans were also introduced on pagan rites and holidays. But when church hierarchs saw that they could not eradicate pagan holidays and traditions, then the main events from the life of Christ became church holidays celebrated on the same day as pagan ones and subsequently replaced them.
Christianity is the main religion of Byzantium, it gradually replaced the remnants of the past, but it has not been possible to completely eradicate the superstitions of different peoples to this day.
Nika
The presence of aggressive neighbors, imperial ambitions and the luxury of the state apparatus required more and more funds. This was a heavy burden on ordinary people who felt the increase in taxation. Byzantium under Justinian experienced a large-scale but unorganized popular uprising, the main result of which was the extermination of over 30 thousand people.
The main and favorite entertainment of the Byzantines was horse racing at the hippodrome. But it was not just a sport. The four chariot teams were also political parties, andspokesmen for the interests of various segments of the population, because it was at the hippodrome that the people saw their emperor and, according to a long-established tradition, made their demands.
There were two main reasons for popular outrage: tax increases and the persecution of heretics. Without waiting for intelligible answers to their questions, people turned to action. Shouting "Nika!", they began to smash and set fire to government houses and even laid siege to Justinian's palace.
The violent suppression of the uprising
The position of the Christian church in Byzantium supporting the emperor, high taxes, the injustice of officials and many other factors that have accumulated over the years have led to great popular fury. And Justinian at first was even ready to flee, but his wife Theodora did not allow it.
Taking advantage of the fact that there was no unity in the camp of the rebels, troops entered the hippodrome and severely suppressed the rebellion. And then the executions followed. Byzantium under Justinian slowly but surely entered a period of decline.
Division of the Christian Church into Catholicism and Orthodoxy
1054 finally consolidated and formalized the split of the single Christian Church into two traditions: Western (Catholicism) and Eastern (Orthodoxy). The roots of this event should be sought in the confrontation between the heads of the two churches - the pope and the Byzantine patriarch. Differences in dogma, canons and liturgy were only an outward manifestation.
There was another significant difference between the churches of the West and the East. Church inConstantinople was in a dependent position from the emperor, while in the West the Pope had more political weight and influence on his crowned flock. However, the Byzantine church hierarchs did not want to put up with this state of affairs. The head of the Christian church in Byzantium, in response to the letter of dismissal, which was laid by the legates of the Pope in the Hagia Sophia, anathematized by the legates.
This bright historical event divided the "brothers in Christ".
Iconoclastic movement in Byzantium
The religion of Byzantium had a huge impact on all spheres of life due to the existing ideological influence of the church. This did not suit the military class. Among them, there was already a tough and uncompromising struggle for land and the right to assign rent to the peasants living there. And these resources were clearly not enough for everyone, so the Fem nobility wanted to get church lands as well. But for this it was necessary to knock out the ideological basis of the influence of the clergy.
The reason was found very quickly. A whole campaign began under the slogan of fighting the veneration of icons. It was not Byzantium under Justinian. Another dynasty ruled in Constantinople. Emperor Leo III himself openly joined the fight against the veneration of icons. But this movement did not find a response among the broad masses of the people. Trade and craft circles supported the church - they were not satisfied with the strengthening of the nobility.
Emperor Constantine V acted more decisively: he confiscated part of the church treasures (and carried out secularization), which thendistributed to the nobility.
Fall of Constantinople
The Orthodox Church in Byzantium at the end of the existence of the empire strengthened its power and influence like never before. The country at that time was bled dry by civil strife. The Byzantine emperors tried to establish relations with the Western Church, but all attempts were met with hostility from representatives of the highest Orthodox hierarchy.
The capture of Constantinople by the crusaders further added to the split. Constantinople did not take part in the predatory Crusades, preferring to earn huge profits from its brothers in the faith, providing them with its fleet and selling the goods necessary for such a solid military campaign for huge money.
Nevertheless, the Eastern Orthodox Church harbored great resentment for the loss of Constantinople and for the fact that Western countries did not support the Orthodox against the Seljuk Turks.
Conclusion
Christianization of Europe came from two centers: Constantinople and Rome. The religion of Byzantium, its culture and we alth, and most importantly, the power enjoyed by its emperors, eventually turned the heads of the Russian princes. They saw all this brilliance, luxury and mentally tried everything on themselves. The pagan worldview, the traditions of the ancestors, for whom servility and humility were alien, did not allow the princes and part of the especially close nobility to unfold in full power. In addition, a religion of the monotheistic type made it possible to mobilize the population in the process of gathering Russians that was just beginning.lands into a single state.
