After the death of the Roman emperor Theodosius in 395, the final formation of the split of the great Roman Empire took place. But the Byzantines themselves considered themselves Romans, even though they spoke the Middle Greek language. And just like in Rome, Christianity found distribution 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 Byzantine society, the way of life of its citizens, but also was another center for the spread of the monotheistic religion for other nations.
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 emergence of the church and clergy. Clergymen appear 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.
Founded monasticism Anthony the Great. He handed out his property and chose a tomb as his habitat. Eating only bread, he devoted his life to studying the Scriptures and meditating on them.
State religion
Christianity as the state religion of Byzantium was recognized by Emperor Theodosius the Great. Before that, mother Elena was a Christian in their family. This religious zeal is explained very simply: Christianity, teaching the humility, was another lever of influence on the people, helping to keep it in subjection and making it 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 ramified hierarchy. What ensured the power of the Christian church in Byzantium? In answer to this question, it is necessary to note the following: churches began to own vast lands on which slaves, columns and small tenants worked. The clergy was exempted from taxes (except for the land).
In addition, the higher church hierarchs had the right to trial 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 such a reversal of historical events is too great to ignore.
Emperor Justinian
According to the good old tradition, in the Roman Empire the army often elevated their favorites to the throne. So the emperor Justin received his power in Byzantium. He made his nephew, a native of a poor peasant family, a 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 have ordered tens of thousands of innocents to be executed in an even and quiet voice. In this extraordinary historical figure, who firmly believes in her own greatness, she found the Christian church in Byzantium her main intercessor and generous breadwinner.
He was matched by his wife Theodore. She actively intervened in government and more than anything else loved only power.
It was Justinian who finally banned pagan rites in the territory of 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 emperor’s golden throne in the church has always been adjacent to the throne of the patriarch. To this can be added his personal participation in some rituals. On Easter service he appeared in bandages, and 12 companions accompanied him. Since the 10th century, the emperor was trusted with a censer with incense throughout the 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.
At 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 on his opinion. But Byzantium under Justinian, although it was seething with dissatisfaction with its policy, still the supreme power of the ruler did not dispute. The ostentatious wealth of the Church and the persecutions that it organized for dissenting people caused criticism of the broad masses of the 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 from representatives of the eastern peoples. As it moved 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 at Nicaea in 325 AD e. Emperor Constantine at that time was still a pagan, but he tried to figure out the features of the creed, which he had only recently legalized. At the gathering, the views of the “heretics of Ariana”, which denied the divinity of Christ, were examined in detail.
Representatives of other heretical teachings argued with representatives of the main religion of Byzantium: Monophysists, Nestorians, and Pavlikians who appeared in the 9th century. It is necessary to briefly describe 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.
- Nestorians rejected the dogma of the trinity of God. They regarded Christ as an ordinary person, but temporarily received a divine mind.
- Pavlikians. This sect claimed that God created the heavenly sphere, and everything else and material happened due to the efforts of the Devil. Mother of Christ is not worth reading: she is an ordinary earthly woman.
The main religion of Byzantium, which teaches humility and peacefulness, persecuted apostates who allowed themselves to criticize its greed and have their own views.
The fight against heretics
The church fought hard with various heresies and superstitions, sometimes declaring atheists and excommunication. By the way, even those who did not appear on 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. Bans on pagan rites and holidays were also introduced. But when church hierarchs saw that they could not eradicate pagan holidays and traditions, then the main events in 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 to this day it has not been possible to completely eradicate the superstition of different peoples.
"Nika"
The presence of aggressive neighbors, imperial ambitions and the luxury of the state apparatus demanded more and more funds. This placed a heavy burden on ordinary people who felt the increase in taxation. Byzantium under Justinian survived a large-scale, but unorganized popular uprising, the main result of which was the extermination of more than 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 and spokesmen 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, presented their demands.
There were two main causes of popular outrage: tax increases and the prosecution of heretics. Without waiting for intelligible answers to their questions, people switched to active actions. Shouting “Nika!”, They began to smash and set fire to government houses and even besieged the palace of Justinian.
Violent suppression of rebellion
The position of the Christian church in Byzantium, supporting the emperor, high taxes, the injustice of officials and many other factors that accumulated over the years, led to great popular fury. And at first Justinian was even ready to run, but his wife Theodore did not allow this.
Taking advantage of the fact that there was no unity in the rebel camp, troops entered the hippodrome and severely crushed the riot. And then 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 two churches - the pope and the Byzantine patriarch. Differences in matters of dogma, canons and liturgy were only an outward manifestation.
There was another significant difference between the churches of the West and the East. The church in Constantinople was in a dependent position on the emperor, while in the West the pope had greater 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 excommunication letter that was laid by the legates of the pope in the Hagia Sophia, anathematized the legates.
This vivid 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 estate. In their midst, there was already a tough and uncompromising struggle for land and the right to rent out the peasants living there. And these resources were clearly not enough for everyone, so the feminine 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 very quickly found. The whole campaign began under the slogan of the fight against the veneration of icons. It was not Byzantium under Justinian. In Constantinople, another dynasty ruled. Emperor Leo III himself openly joined in the struggle against the veneration of icons. But this movement did not find a response among the masses. 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 he then distributed to the nobility.
The fall of Constantinople
The Orthodox Church in Byzantium at the end of the existence of the empire strengthened its power and influence more than ever. The country at that time was bled of feuds. 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 his brothers in faith, providing them with their fleet and selling goods necessary for such a solid military campaign for a lot of money.
Nevertheless, the Eastern Orthodox Church held a huge resentment for the loss of Constantinople and for the fact that Western countries did not support the Orthodox against the Seljuk Turks.
Conclusion
The Christianization of Europe came from two centers: Constantinople and Rome. The religion of Byzantium, its culture and wealth, and most importantly - the power that its emperors used, ultimately turned the head 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 monotheistic type of religion made it possible to mobilize the population into the process of gathering Russian lands into a single state, which was just beginning.