HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 1

BYZANTINE AND EARLY CHRISTIAN PERIOD

SEPTEMBER 28, 2016

TRIXIA MARIZ DIMATULAC
ARC155
 Early Christian and Byzantine
The Fall of Rome and the Rise of the Worshipping Community

Origins
By 300 A.D. the Romans were having increasing difficulty protecting their lands. Seventy-
five percent of the Roman army was not Roman born. As they were taken over by
"barbarians" from the north and intruders from the east, their military power was
eroding. With it went their engineering competence and many of their technological
traditions. The fall of Rome, after 300 and up to 700 AD is referred to as the Late Antique
and Early Middle Ages era. A great many Europeans were relocating themselves for a
better life, no longer having the central Roman power to protect them. Consequently the
era is also referred to as the Migration Period.
Belief System
The basilica was the single most important building style created by the Western Roman
empire. The Eastern empire of Byzantium, introduced by Constantine in 312 and solidified
by Justinian in the sixth century, was centered around the new religion Christianity. This
new religion proved to be the chief source of architectural inspiration for the next ten
centuries.
In late Roman life, the basilica was used to house the increasingly sophisticated legal and
commercial activities of the public sector. When Constantine became the first Christian
Emperor in 312 he started to build a basilica style church in honor of St. Peter, then
transferred his imperial capital to Constantinople. It was later returned to Rome but
Constantine's reign initiated a long, drawn out decline. In 402, harried by Goths and by
malaria from the surrounding swamps, the emperor Honorus moved the capital to
Ravenna. By the fifth century the land holdings of Rome had shrunk to the limits of
modern Italy and by 475 Rome was finally occupied by the Germans.
After 150 years of decline, the Roman empire was centered once again in Constantinople
under Justinian. The monumental architecture of the Western Roman Empire seen in the
Pantheon, 120 AD, was revived under the reign of Justinian in the form of a series of
monuments dedicated to the Christian God and to himself as the man who represents God
on earth.
The monument is that which is bigger than man, which dominates him and makes him
aware of his place in the universe. Man relates everything to himself. In primitive
communities, man observes the world around him, judges it to be useful or harmful, then
loads it up with metaphysics. In large political communities, man is still the measure, but
he creates Gods to lead him and develops a hierarchy headed by a God/man within which
most people can live in communal harmony. In Egypt, the Pharaoh became a God. The
pyramids, built on a monumental scale, were meant to represent the house for the Pharaoh,
and the statues and pictures of the Pharaoh are also created on a mammoth scale. The
Greeks brought representation back to a human proportion and only rarely created
enlarged figures. Their Gods represented the most beautiful among the people. The
monuments were to house the Gods and bring favour to those who kept the house in
immaculate order. The Romans made good use of the Greek ideas, but were also
tremendously impressed with the Egyptian forms of monument and erected huge buildings
such as the Pantheon to house their beliefs. But these were pagans, thought to be decadent
by good Byzantine Christians.
Political Situation
When Justinian first became Emperor, he started securing the empire against intruders
and providing his subjects with churches and monuments to aggrandize the empire. By the
end of his reign, the empire was once again in ruin. During his reign he had been the
patron of a cultural change that was as important in the development of the Middle Ages as
his buildings were in the metamorphosis from Roman architecture to Byzantine. He was
the first to design towns and communities centered around a Christian church or chapel
and thus the application of a Christian community and lifestyle that was to last in the
Western hemisphere for at least 1500 years.
After Justinian's reign, the Roman Empire went once again into decline. Many city-states
developed over the next few centuries, and many kingdoms and fiefdoms existed, largely
Christian, but none to match that of Justinian. The architecture that developed was largely
defensive and generated by an obsession with security that was fully warranted. The
development of the Romanesque style was the direct result of these influences.
Byzantine Architecture
Byzantine architecture can be summed up in one word: Justinian.

Justinian

The history of the architecture of the western world, from 3500 BCE to present, is the story
of a slow, steady advancement in building methods, materials, and styles, punctuated by a
few short bursts of terrific activity that produce both monuments and techniques that have
a lasting impact on future generations. The great age of Justinian during the sixth century
is one of the most extraordinary of these creative explosions. If the outstanding
contribution of Rome to the development of civilization was the rule of law, Justinian's
codifying of the laws alone would justify his notable place in world history. In addition to
the laws, he reconstructed the flagging fortresses of the Roman Empire providing cisterns,
ramparts, civic buildings, residences, waterways, churches, and indeed whole cities, an
achievement that dwarfs any other architectural accomplishment by a single individual in
the Roman or any other empire. Finally, he was responsible for the supreme creation of
Byzantine architecture, the Hagia Sophia.
Justinian's aim was to restore the Roman empire to its former glory within a Christian
context.

Justinian's building program, in terms of architectural history, can be seen as the

culmination of early Christian art and the beginning of Byzantine. By the sixth century, the
Christian lifestyle had wrought changes on civic life that developed along completely
different lines than the pagan. "City dwellers watched with apparent unconcern as their
theatres and amphitheaters decayed through lack of maintenance." The community and
the church in civilian life were taking over where the agora and civic center had once been.
In Constantinople alone Justinian is said to have restored thirty churches. The
manifestation of the church as a focal point of the community was solidified by Justinian in
all of his city and town reconstructions.

Justinian is the one who brought monumental architecture to Christianity. On the one
hand he was denouncing everything pagan and on the other he was reviving it on an
unprecedented scale.
The church building program of Justinian, financed in part by the preceding emperor
Justinianus, was composed of glorious churches constructed to aid the Emperor in his
religious unification undertaking.

Byzantine Architecture

Architecture developed from the fifth century A.D. in the Byzantine Empire, characterized
especially by massive domes with square bases and rounded arches and spires and much
use of glass mosaics.

The architectural and decorative style begun in Constantinople spread throughout the
fourth, fifth and sixth century Christian world until the fall of Constantinople to the Turks
(1453).

Reprinted from
A History of Architecture on the Comparative Method, by Sir Banister-Fletcher, New York, 1950, pp. 238,
240, 242

Byzantine Architecture

The character of Byzantine architecture, which dates from the fourth century to the present day, is
determined by the novel development of the dome to cover polygonal and square plans for churches, tombs,
and baptisteries.

The practice of placing many domes over one building is in strong contrast to the Romanesque system
of vaulted roofs. The change from Roman and Early Christian forms was gradual, but in the course of two
centuries the East asserted its influence; and though no exact line separates Early Christian and Byzantine
styles, yet the basilican type, inherited from pagan Rome, is characteristic of the former, and the domed
type, introduced from the East, of the latter.

Roman Concrete and Brickwork

The system of construction in concrete and brickwork introduced by the Romans was adopted by the
Byzantines. The carcase of concrete and brickwork was first completed and allowed to settle before the
surface sheathing of unyielding marble slabs was added, and this independence of the component parts is
characteristic of Byzantine construction. Brickwork, moreover. lent itself externally to decorative caprices
in patterns and banding, and internally it was suitable for covering with marble, mosaic, and fresco
decoration.

The Byzantines therefore took great pains in the manufacture of bricks, which were employed alike in
military, ecclesiastical, and domestic architecture. The ordinary bricks were like the Roman, about an inch
and a half in depth, and were laid on thick beds of mortar.

This general use of brickwork necessitated special care in making mortar, which was composed of lime and
sand with crushed pottery, tiles, or bricks, and much of it remains as hard as that in the best buildings of
Rome, while the core of the wall was sometimes of concrete, as in the Roman period.

The decorative character of external facades depended largely on the arrangement of the facing bricks,
which were not always laid horizontally, but sometimes obliquely, sometimes in the form of the meander
fret, sometimes in the chevron or herringbone pattern, and in many other similar designs, giving great
variety to the facades. An attempt was also made to ornament the rough brick exteriors by the use of stone
bands and decorative arches.

Walls were sheeted internally with marble and vaults and domes with coloured glass mosaics on a golden
background...

Domes

The dome, which had always been a traditional feature in the East, became the prevailing motif of
Byzantine architecture, which was a fusion of the domical construction with the Classical columnar style.
Domes of various types were now placed over square compartments by means of "pendentives," whereas in
Roman architecture domes were only used over circular or polygonal structures.

These domes were frequently constructed of bricks or of some light porous stone, such as pumice, or even of
pottery, as at S. Vitale, Ravenna.

Byzantine domes and vaults were, it is believed, constructed without temporary support or "centering " by
the simple use of large flat bricks, and this is quite a distinct system probably derived from Eastern
methods.

Windows were formed in the lower portion of the dome which, in the later period, was hoisted upon a high
"drum" - a feature which was still further embellished in the Renaissance period by the addition of an
external peristyle.

The grouping of small domes or semi-domes round the large central dome was effective, and one of the
most remarkable peculiarities of Byzantine churches was that the forms of the vaults and domes were
visible externally, undisguised by any timber roof; thus in the Byzantine style the exterior closely
corresponds with the interior.

Interior decoration

... in domes and apses by coloured mosaics, which were of glass rendered opaque by oxide of tin, an
invention which had also been employed in the Early Christian period. This use of rich marbles and
mosaics resulted in the rounding of angles and in an absence of mouldings and cornices, so that the mosaic
designs and pictures might continue uninterrupted over wall surfaces, piers, arches, domes, and apses
Marble and mosaic were used broadly to make a complete lining for a rough carcase and mouldings were
replaced by decorative bands formed in the mosaic. One surface melts into another as the mosaic is
continued from arch and pendentive upwards to the dome, while the gold of the background was even
introduced into the figures, and thus unity of treatment was always maintained.

Church features

When the Emperor Constantine made Christianity an official religion, Christians were at
last free to erect permanent buildings instead of worshiping in catacombs and private
homes. There were two prototypes:

Basilica, which was a Roman civic building, with a roof supported on two rows of columns,
and extended on both sides by lean-to additions. The altar was placed in the apse, a semi-
circular recess in the far end wall. This model was favored in the West.

Centralized or Circular Plan where the center of the structure was surmounted by
a dome, Altar and lectern were placed geometrically central. The plan generally worked
because the congregation was not seated; people were free to stand around on all sides at
their convenience. This model was favored in the Eastern Byzantine Empire.
Excerpts from
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia, Byzantine Architecture

Their [Byzantine architects] combination of the basilica and symmetrical central-plan (circular or
polygonal) religious structures resulted in the characteristic Byzantine Greek-cross-plan church, with a
square central mass and four arms of equal length.

The most distinctive feature was the domed roof. To allow a dome to rest above a square base, either of two
devices was used: the squinch (an arch in each of the corners of a square base that transforms it into an
octagon) or the pendentive.

Byzantine structures featured soaring spaces and sumptuous decoration: marble columns and
inlay, mosaics on the vaults, inlaid-stone pavements, and sometimes goldcoffered ceilings.

The architecture of Constantinople extended throughout the Christian East and in some places, notably
Russia, remained in use after the fall of Constantinople (1453).

The two greatest examples of Byzantine churches are Hagia Sophia - pronounced ah YEE
ah so FEE ah - (532-537) in Constantinople, and St. Mark's Basilica (830) in Venice.

Byzantine church architecture is concerned almost exclusively with a decorated interior.

The intention was to sculpt out a holy space where the congregation would be confronted
with the true nature of the cosmos, cleared of all worldly distractions The mosaics and
frescoes portraying the whole body of the church, from Christ downwards, have a dual
purpose: they give inspiration to the worshiper and are windows to the spiritual world.
Every Byzantine church features an altar behind the iconostasis through whose doors only
the clergy are admitted in the eastern apse.

Russian Byzantine Churches

Orthodox Christianity was adopted as the state religion in 988. Early Eastern
Orthodox churches were mainly made of wood with the simplest form of church
becoming known as a cell church. Major cathedrals often featured scores of small
domes.

In the sixteenth century, the key development was the introduction of tented roof into
brick architecture. Tent-like roof construction is thought to have originated in the
Russian North, as it prevented snow from piling up on wooden buildings during long
winters.

In the course of the seventeenth century, cathedrals with five onion-like

cupolas (suggesting candles) were surrounded with tents of bell towers and
aisles. Cupolas were decorated with polychrome tiles.

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia, the most famous and most spectacular example of Byzantine architecture,
was built between 532 and 537 to replace an early 5th century church that was destroyed
by a fire during the Nika riots in 523. When completed, it was the largest and most
imposing church in the world, holding the prestigious title until the Ottoman conquest of
the Byzantine capital. After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the basilica was converted
into a mosque and was used for religious services until 1931 when it was closed. Since its
reopening in 1935, Hagia Sophia has been open to visitors as a museum.
The vast interior has a complex structure. The nave is covered by a central dome which at
its maximum is over 180 feet from floor level and rests on an arcade of 40 arched windows.
Although the dome appears circular at first glance, repairs to its structure have left it
somewhat elliptical, with the diameter varying between 101 and nearly 103 feet.

Basilica of Sant' Apollinare Nuovo

The Basilica of Sant Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna, Italy, was built as an Arian church by
Theodoric the Great, King of Ostrogoths (475-526) in the early 6th century. When Italy
was conquered by the Byzantines during the Gothic War of 535-554, Justinian I had it
converted into an Orthodox church and dedicated it to Saint Martin of Tours. The basilica
was named Sant Apollinare Nuovo in the mid-9th century when it became home to the
relics of Saint Apollinaris. Also home to splendid early Byzantine mosaics, in 1996 the
basilica was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list as a part of the site of
Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna.
Basilica of San Vitale

The Basilica of San Vitale is also a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Early
Christian Monuments of Ravenna. It too was built by the Ostrogoths (but completed by
the Byzantines) and just like the Basilica of Sant Apollinare Nuovo, it is decorated with
spectacular mosaics which are widely considered as the finest and most beautifully
preserved example of Byzantine mosaic art outside Constantinople. Built on what is
believed to be the site of martyrdom of Saint Vitalis (also known as Vitalis of Milan), the
basilica was consecrated in 547.

Hippodrome of Constantinople
Originally a host to chariot races and related activities including betting, the Hippodrome
of Constantinople was also the site of a series of political upheavals and social unrest, some
of which escalated into widespread riots and violence. Unfortunately, much of the once
richly decorated hippodrome is long gone but many statues, obelisks and other features
that used to adorn it have been quite well preserved: the Serpent Column, Walled Obelisk,
Obelisk of Thutmose III and Porphyrios statues, to mention only a few.

Hagia Irene
Hagia Irene or Hagia Eirene is one of the earliest churches built in the Byzantine capital. It
was commissioned by Constantinoples founder, Roman Emperor Constantine the Great
(r. 324-337) but unfortunately, the original church was destroyed during the Nika riots in
532. Emperor Justinian I had it rebuilt in the mid-6th century but the church suffered
severe damage during an earthquake two centuries later. Much of the todays appearance
of the church thus dates to the 8th century. Hagia Irene is now a museum but it is also used
to host various musical events.
Hosios Loukas

Hosios Loukas is a 10th century monastery at the Greek town of Distomo (near Delphi) and
one of the finest examples of Byzantine architecture from the so-called Second Golden Age
or Middle Byzantine Period, which roughly corresponds to the rule of the Macedonian
dynasty (from the mid-9th to the early 11th century). Designated as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site in 1990, the monastery was famous throughout the Empire for its splendid
decoration including lavish mosaics, frescoes and marble works. These, just like cross-in-
square church plan, were typical for the Middle Byzantine Period.
Daphni Monastery

A part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Monasteries of Daphni, Hosios Loukas and
Nea Moni of Chios, the Daphni Monastery is another outstanding example of the so-called
cross-in-square plan (the principal church) and the Middle Byzantine Period. The current
monastery and church were built in the 11th century on a site of an earlier monastery
(deserted in the 7th and 8th centuries due to the Slav invasions) which in turn was built on
a site of an ancient Greek temple that was demolished in the late 4th century. The
monastery complex is currently undergoing restoration and is closed to visitors.
Angelokastro
Situated on the top of a 1,000 feet tall hill on the island of Corfu, Greece, Angelocastro was
one of the most important Byzantine strongholds in the Ionian Sea. The castle played the
key role in the islands defense and successfully withstood as many as three sieges of the
Ottoman Turks. It remains unknown when the imposing castle was built but it is thought
to have been erected sometime in the 13th century, probably during the rule of Michael I
Komnenos Doukas, Despot of Epirus (r. 1205-1215) and his immediate successors although
some also date it to the late 12th century.
Church of Saint Catherine (Thessaloniki)

The Church of Saint Catherine in the old town of Thessaloniki, Greece, is one of the most
beautifully preserved Byzantine churches even though it served as a mosque for much of its
existence. The exact time of its construction is unknown but it has been dated to the period
of the Palaiologos dynasty that ruled the Byzantine Empire from 1261 until its downfall in
1453. The new Ottomans rulers didnt convert it to a mosque immediately but it didnt take
long for it to meet the fate of Hagia Sophia and many other Byzantine churches. In 1988, it
was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a part of Paleochristian and Byzantine
monuments of Thessaloniki.
 Byzantine Bath (Thessaloniki)

Another masterpiece of Byzantine architecture that was added to the UNESCO World
Heritage Site of Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki was built at
the end of the 13th and beginning of the 14th century, and remained in use for as long as
seven centuries. The only surviving Byzantine bath in Greece was used by both men and
women, both during the Byzantine era and the later Ottoman period. However, the
Ottomans divided it into two separate sections, one for men and one for women. During the
Byzantine period, men and women used the bath alternately.

10 Interesting Facts About The Byzantine Empire

The Byzantine Empire existed for nearly 1,125 years, and its one of the greatest empires of
all time. Yet many people know little about it, other than the word byzantine being
synonymous for highly intricate, complex, and devious dealings.
Beginning its adult life as the capital for the Eastern part of the Roman Empire, the city of
Constantinoplelater Byzantium, and Istanbul todaybecame the center of an extremely
vibrant society that preserved Greek and Roman traditions while much of Western Europe
slipped into the Dark Ages. The Byzantine Empire protected Western Europes legacy
until barbarism waned, when finally the preserved Greek and Roman masterworks opened
the eyes of Europeans and stoked the fires of the Renaissance.
Many historians have agreed that without Byzantium to protect it, Europe would have
been overrun by the tide of Islamic invaders. The purpose of this list is for the readers to
take an accurate historical journeybased on real factsvery much worth taking.
10. Origin of the Empires Name

The origins of Byzantium are clouded by mystery, but for our list we will follow the
generally accepted version. Around 660 B.C., a Greek citizen, Byzas, from the town of
Megara near Athens, consulted the oracle of Apollo at Delphi. Byzas requested advice on
where he should found a new colony, since the mainland of Greece was becoming
overpopulated. The oracle simply whispered, opposite the blind.
Byzas didnt understand the message, but he sailed northeast across the Aegean Sea. When
he came to the Bosphorus Strait, he realized what the oracle must have meant. Seeing the
Greek city of Chalcedon, he thought that its founders must have been blind, because they
had not seen the obviously superior site just half a mile away on the other side of the strait.
So he founded his settlement on the better site, and called it Byzantium after himself.

9. Geopolitics Favored Byzantium

Byzantium had an excellent harbor and many

good fishing spots in its vicinity. It occupied
a strategic position between the Black Sea and the
Mediterranean Sea, and therefore soon became a
leading port and trade center, linking the
continents of Europe and Asia. Occupation,
destruction and regeneration became the rule for the city.
In 590 B.C., Byzantium was destroyed by the Persians. It was later rebuilt by the Spartans,
and then fought over by Athens and Sparta until 336 B.C. From 336 to 323 B.C., it was
under the control of the famous Greek general,Alexander the Great. After the death of
Alexander, Byzantium finally regained its independence.
In the following years, right before the city became the capital of one of the greatest
empires ever, it was attacked by various invaders such as the Scythians, the Celts, and of
course the Romans.
8. The Byzantine Empire Is Born

In A.D. 324 the Emperor of the West, Constantine I,

defeated the Emperors of the East, Maxentius and
Licinius, in the civil wars of the Tetrarchy.
Constantine became the first Christian emperor of the
Roman Empirethough the complete conversion of
the Roman Empire to Christianity was not
accomplished during his lifetime. Theres no doubt
that during the rule of Constantine, Christianity
became the dominant religion of the Empirebut its very possible that Constantines
biggest regret was that he was never able to achieve a unified Christian Church.
The construction of the city of Constantinople, however, was one of his absolute triumphs.
While other Ancient Greek and Roman emperors built many fine cities during their reign,
Constantinople exceeded them all in size and magnificence. It soon became the capital of
the Byzantine Empire, and thus marked the dawn of a new era.
7. The Split of the Empire

Most historians today have trouble

deciding exactly which event or date
signifies the fall of the Roman Empire.
One of the most common conclusions is
that when the Empire was split in two, it
would never be able to reach its former
glory again. Theres even more debate on
the religions of the age, which were
probably the decisive factor separating the Byzantine Empire from the spirit of Classical
Rome.
Theodosius I was the last emperor to rule over the whole Roman Empire. He was also the
one who split it right down the middle, giving Rome (West) to his son Honorius and
Constantinople (East) to his other son Arcadius. The more classical, Western part of the
Roman Empire weakened significantly when the land was divided, while the Greek-
influenced Eastern half continued to develop the oriental aspects of its culture. The Roman
Empire, as the world had known it, no longer existed.
6. The Golden Era of Justinian I

One of the most widely known contributions of Justinian I was

the reform of the laws of the Byzantine Empire, known as The
Justinian Code. Under his rule the Byzantine Empire
flourished and prospered in many ways.
Justinian gained power and fame for his buildings and
architecture. One of his most famous buildings was the Hagia
Sophia, which was completed in A.D. 538. It became the center of the Greek Orthodox
Church for a number of centuries. This massive cathedral still stands today in Istanbul,
and remains one of the largest and most impressive churches in the world.
Justinian also encouraged music, arts, and drama. As a masterful builder himself,
Justinian commissioned new roads, bridges, aqueducts, baths, and a variety of other public
works. Justinian is considered a saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church nowadays, even
though a good amount of Orthodox Christians dont agree with his sanctification.
5. The Greek Element Takes Over
Most historians agree that after the accession to the
Byzantine throne of Heraclius in 610 A.D., the
Byzantine Empire became essentially Greek in both
culture and spirit. Heraclius made Greek the
official language of the Empire, and it had already
become the most widely spoken language of the
Byzantine population.
The Byzantine Empire, having had its origins in the
Eastern Roman Empire, now evolved into something newsomething different from its
predecessor. By 650 A.D., only a very few lingering Roman elements remained alongside
the pervasive Greek influence. According to various historical sources, a large majority of
the Byzantine population from 650 A.D. onwards was of Greek cultural background.
Additionally, the Byzantine army fought in a style which was much closer to that of the
Ancient Athenians and Spartans than that of the Roman Legions.
4. The Byzantine Navy Uses Greek Fire
The Byzantine Navy was the first to employ a terrifying liquid in naval battles. The liquid
was pumped onto enemy ships and troops through large siphons mounted on the Byzantine
ships prows. It would ignite upon contact with seawater, and could only be extinguished
with great difficulty.
The ingredients of Greek fire were closely guarded,
but historians think it was a mixture of naphtha, pitch,
sulfur, lithium, potassium, metallic sodium, calcium
phosphide and a petroleum base. Other nations
eventually came up with similar version of the stuff, but
the fact that it was dangerous for their own troops, too,
made it go out of military fashion by the mid-to-late
fifteenth century.
3. Byzantine Cuisine

When we hear the term Greco-Roman, we

automatically think of culture, architecture,
philosophy, the Olympic sport of wrestlingbut not
of Byzantine cuisine.
To learn about Byzantine cuisine properly, we need
to go back to its roots. It involved a mix of Greek
practices and Roman traditions. Byzantine culinary
tastes focused on the regions where Hellenism flourished: cheese, figs, eggs, olive oil,
walnuts, almonds, apples, and pears, were all staples of the Byzantine diet, indigenous to
the lands of the empire and appreciated by aristocracy and common people alike.
The Byzantines also loved honey, and often used it in cooking as a sweetener, since sugar
was not available. Bread was an essential staple of the Byzantine table, and a guarantee of
stability for the government in Constantinople. And it was a massive enterprisethe
bakeries of Constantinople regularly producing over 80,000 loafs per day.
The Byzantines could count on a steady diet of bread, cheese, meat, and fish, much of it
cured and preserved in salt and olive oil. But just like in modern Greece, this diet was
supplemented with vegetables that were produced in small gardens.
Despite the limited information we have today, our knowledge of Byzantine cuisine is like
the restoration of a damaged mosaic; even though a lot of the pieces are still missing, the
picture still has a beautiful quality to it .
Today, the aromas and ingredients of Greek and other Mediterranean food gives us a little
taste of what Byzantine food must have been like.
2. Byzantiums Economy Was The Most Powerful In Europe
The Byzantine Empire was mainly comprised of an array of small towns and seaports
connected by a developed infrastructure. Production was very high, and there was a
notable growth in land ownership. The Byzantines followed a Christian lifestyle which
revolved around the home, where women dedicated themselves to the upbringing of their
children. There were also various public places where men sought relaxation in their
leisure hours.
From A.D. 500 to A.D. 1200, Byzantium was the wealthiest
nation in Europe and western Asia. Its standard of living
was unrivaled by other nations in Europe, and it led much of
the world in art, science, trade, and architecture. We could
even say that the Byzantine Dream existed long before the
American one.
1. The Great Schism

Most historians of Byzantium agree that the

Empires greatest and most lasting legacy was the
birth of Greek Orthodox Christianity. Eastern
Orthodoxy arose as a distinct branch of Christianity
after the Great Schism of the eleventh century
between Eastern and Western Christendom.
The separation was not sudden. For centuries, there
had been significant religious, cultural, and political
differences between the Eastern and Western churches. Many historians assure us today
that religion was the main reason why Roman culture lost all its influence on the Byzantine
Empire.
There were major theological differences between Roman Catholics and Greek Orthodox
Christians, on topics such as the use of images, the nature of the Holy Spirit, and the role
(and identity) of the Pope.
Culturally, the Greek East has always tended to be more philosophical, abstract, and
mystical in its thinking, whereas the Latin West tended towards a more pragmatic and
legal-minded approach. All these factors finally came to a head in 1054 A.D., when Pope
Leo IX excommunicated the Patriarch of Constantinople, who was the leader of the Greek
Orthodox Church. In response, the Patriarch condemned the and nearly one thousand
years later, this division in the Christian church has still not been healed.