Cultural
CHAPTERS 9 & 10
BYZANTIUM
HAGIA SOPHIA
First built by Constantine
Rebuilt by Justinian
The greatest surviving example of Byzantine
Architecture
It is an example of Eastern Orthodox, Roman
Catholic and Islam
It was the seat of the Orthodox patriarch
GREAT SCHISM
SPLIT
In 1054 a longstanding disagreement came to
a head, and the Christian church split into two
groups.
The Western or Roman Catholic, and Eastern or
Orthodox Catholic.
The Byzantine Empire goes into slow decline
DISAGREEMENTS
Papal attempts to interfere over icons
Charlemagne claims to be Roman Emperor
Rituals in Latin not Greek
Pope as first bishop
Religious art
Celibacy for priests
EASTERN ORTHODOX
Requires services to be in Greek
Patriarch and bishops were head of the church
The
emperor was above the patriarch
Believed in a different interpretation of the
Bible
Eastern Orthodox missionaries spread
northward into Russia and the Balkans
CYRILLIC
Cyril and Methodius are
the two most famous of
the missionaries.
Slavic
language/alphabet
derived from Greek
letters
Allowed for literature to
be spread
HOW?
ICONS
Images of religious figures venerated by
byzantine Christians
Iconoclasm
The
breaking of images
Religious controversy of the 8th century
Byzantine emperors attempted but failed to
suppress icon veneration
Believed it was the worship of idols
AKA the Latin West
WESTERN EUROPE
THE CHURCH
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Every aspect of life was dominated by the Church
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Rulers were crowned by the “Grace of God”
Political rule viewed as divinely sanctioned
All Christians were expected to tithe to the church
Education, art dictated by Church ideals
Calendar organized by faith holidays
Fair prices, economic practices dictated by church
All answers to questions were dictated largely by faith
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Law was largely dictated by religion
Serious matters submitted to Church for arbitration, resolution
RELIGION IN WESTERN EUROPE
Monastic rules
St. Benedict (480-547 C.E.) provided a set of regulations
Virtues of Benedictine monks: poverty, chastity, and
obedience
Western monastic rites differed from Eastern rites
Western rites emphasized work, prayer, service to the poor
Eastern rites were relatively isolated, dedicated to prayer but not
outside contacts
Catholic church provides only form of stability and order
Hierarchy:
Pope Bishops (regional) Priests (local)
Constant give and take between Church and regional rulers
RELIGIOUS REFORM AND EVOLUTION
The roles of monasteries
Became dominant feature in social and cultural life of
western Europe
Accumulated large landholdings but spread knowledge
Wealthy patrons donated land to monks for monasteries
Taught peasants, serfs techniques of farming
Cleared forested lands, planted them
Organized much of rural labor for agriculture
Provided a variety of social services
Inns and shelters for travelers and refugees
Orphanages, medical centers
Schools, libraries and scriptoria
Monks served needs of rural population
PAPAL POWER
The Pope
Spiritual head of all Christians including aristocrats, royalty
Weapons included excommunication, interdict, canon law
Economically received tithe, freedom from taxation, owned great
economic wealth
Popes became head of reform movements
Abolished
simony, insisted on celibacy of priests,
reformed monasteries
Established College of Cardinals to elect popes not kings,
mobs
Popes Gregory VIII and Innocent III defied, deposed kings
Popes launched crusades against Muslims, heretic Christians,
some Italians
THE SPREAD OF THE CHURCH
Popes took an active roll in sending out
missionaries
Pagan ways did not disappear immediately
Scandinavia, Baltic lands were last to convert
Pagan rituals often blended into Christianity
Cities, towns largely Christian but countryside weakly so
By 1000 C.E., western Europe was Roman
Christianity
Irish, Mozarabic rites of Christianity accepted by Pope
Arian Christianity eliminated by Franks
ART
Art centered on religious ideas/themes
ultimately
allowed for development of
scientific/philosophical ideas
building blocks of later Western culture
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