CHAPTER 3
Byzantine Empire
Chapter Outline
3.1 Fall of the West
3.2 The New Capital
3.3 The Byzantines
3.4 Justinian
3.5 Divisions in Faith Changes Culture
3.6 Christianity Spreads
Vocabulary
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Amateurs
Trade Deficit
Inflation
Byzantine
Empire
Cultural
Diffusion
Architectural
Features
Strait
Greek Fire
Commercial
Center
Nika Riots
Hagia Sophia
Key Figures
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Justinian
Code
Creed
Icons
Heretical
Patriarchs
Bishops
Pope
Great Schism
Catholic
Orthodox
Pagan
Missionaries
Cyrillic
Alphabet
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Constantine
Justinian
Theodora
Emperor Leo
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3.1 Fall of the West
I can compare and contrast the Eastern and Western Roman Empires.
I can explain why the Eastern Roman Empire outlasted the Western Roman Empire
Expansion Leads to Defeat
The accomplishments of the Roman Empire are well known, although the reasons
for the fall are less understood. Modern historians have argued, even during the
peak of the civilization, Rome was stretched too thin and doomed to fail. They
had conquered too much land, which made it difficult to govern territory far from
the capital. As a result, corruption and rebellions were common in distant portions
of the empire.
The Roman Empire was also known for incorporating conquered people into the
empire, eventually granting them full citizenship. Early in the Roman Empire’s
At the height of its
civilization, the
Roman Empire
covered 2.2 million
square miles. The
continental United
States is roughly
2.9 million square
miles.
history, this led to loyal citizens who learned Latin and adopted Roman culture. As
the Roman army conquered lands further from the capital, however, these new
citizens did not have the same respect for the Roman government earlier
conquered people had, at least in part because they had never seen Rome.
Problems with newly conquered lands also led to problems within the military.
Many of these new citizens from far away lands were incorporated into the Roman
army, though motivated mostly by financial gain. If a surrounding nation offered
these warriors more money for their service, they would quickly change
allegiances and fight against Rome.
If these warriors had any loyalty, it was to their commander,
which lead to more rebellions. With the support of their men,
high ranking military officials often staged rebellions. Civil
wars became common, with as many as 41 commanders
claiming to be the rightful emperor of Rome at once, all
backed by their own army.
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Internal Factors
Rome may have been able to control its vast land holding if it had strong leaders. However, Roman
leadership was not suited to meet the demands of the empire. Political amateurs, or people with little
experience, were in control of Rome in the years leading up to its fall. Army generals had a significant
influence on the actions of emperors, and corruption was common at all levels of government.
Economic problems also weakened the empire, which encouraged corruption in the government. The
western half of the empire had a large trade deficit, or when a country buys more than they sell and
goes into debt, with the eastern half. The west purchased luxury goods from the east, but had nothing to
offer in exchange. Further, the west did not have the money to buy the products they wanted.
To make up for the lack of money, the government began producing more coins with less silver content.
More coins led to inflation, or when things become more expensive because the currency of a country
is not as valuable.
With necessary items becoming increasingly more costly, citizens were frustrated. You may have
experienced something similar with a school reward system, where things become more expensive
toward the end of the year because people have been saving their school or classroom cash and have
more to spend.
This graph illustrates the concept of inflation. Each
point indicates how much money you would need
to have at that time o buy something that was worth
100 dollars in 1950.
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Barbarians Attack
The Roman government was not solely to blame for the fall of Rome. The Western Roman
Empire also saw many invasions from Germanic tribes. Groups such as the Visigoths,
Vandals, Angles, Saxons, Franks, Ostrogoths, and Lombards took turns ravaging the Empire,
eventually carving out areas in which to settle down. The Angles and Saxons populated the
British Isles, and the Franks ended up in France.
As mentioned above, with such a large land holding, it was difficult to direct troops to areas
under attack. It could take days, or even weeks for armies to reach areas under attack.
Extensive networks of roads did make it easier for soldiers to travel long distances. However,
enemy soldiers could use these roads to carry them closer to the center of the empire once
they conquered a distant corner.
In 476 C.E. Romulus, the last of the Roman emperors in the west, was overthrown by the
Germanic leader Odoacer, who became the first Barbarian to rule in Rome. The order that the
Roman Empire had brought to western Europe for 1000 years was no more.
Roman influence did not end with its capital. In the years following the fall of Rome and the
Western Roman Empire, the culture the empire created continued to exist in the lands Rome
once ruled, even after being conquered by other groups. In addition, the Eastern Roman
Empire continued to prosper for centuries after the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
Roman Roads, such as this
one, still in existance near
Tall Aqibrin in Syria, helped
both Roman soldiers and
Germanic invaders move
quickly throughout the
empire.
Image made available by Bernard Gagnon
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3.2 The New Capital
I can explain how the location of Constantinople benefited the Eastern Roman empire, including: trade, cultural
diffusion, and the military strategy.
Constantine
Nearly a century before the fall of Rome, emperor Constantine grew
concerned with the condition of Rome. He began to wonder if his empire
could survive amidst the corruption and conflict that existed in Rome. As
a result, he moved the government to a new capital, which he believed
would give at least a portion of the empire a better chance of survival.
After careful consideration, he chose to relocate to Byzantium, which he
named Constantinople, after himself. Some people referred to it as new
Rome, as Roman ideals significantly influenced the formation of
Constantinople. It was renamed Istanbul with the conquest of the
Ottoman empire, which it is known as today.
This statue of
Emperor
Constantine sits
in Minster Yard,
a city in England.
Moving the capital from Rome to Constantinople proved to be a wise
decision. Constantinople had several strengths that benefited not only
the city, but the empire at large. Even after Rome and the rest of the
Western Roman Empire fell, the city and the lands around it stood firm.
As a result, the Eastern Roman Empire continued to preserve for nearly
a thousand years after the fall of Rome.
Today historians refer to the Eastern Roman Empire that survived
after the fall of Rome as the Byzantine Empire. We will discuss
the Byzantine Empire in greater detail later. For the remainder of
this modality, we will discuss the strengths of the city of
Constantinople itself.
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Trade
Constantinople was an ideal location for
trade and commerce. Often considered "the
crossroads of Europe," merchants from
Russia, India, Egypt, and even China would
cross through the Byzantine Empire while
delivering their goods. Many merchants
Cultural Diffusion
would stop in Constantinople to refuel or
Trade in Constantinople lead to cultural
exchange goods with people from other parts
diffusion, or when a culture is spread to
of the world. That way, they could bring
other countries peacefully, usually by trade.
products from distant countries back to their
Visitors staying in Constantinople were often
homeland without traveling quite so far.
impressed with the art, architecture, and
even governing style, they saw there.
The geography of the land itself also
encouraged trade. Aside from being a central
Building projects, like the Hagia Sophia,
inspired and awed visitors.
meeting point for traders, Constantinople had
natural harbors that were easy to navigate.
As a result, many of these visitors brought
Since many merchants traveled on ship,
aspects of Byzantine culture to their
these harbors were welcoming to captains
homelands. For example, Byzantine
who wanted a relatively stress-free place to
architectural features, such as domes, can
dock their ships. Shipwrecks were
be seen throughout the world today. One
uncommon around Constantinople, making it
famous example would be St. Basil’s
a safe place to stop.
Cathedral in Moscow. Mosaics, a type of
Byzantine art made from colored bits of
The frequent visitors, and the taxes they paid
while there, made Constantinople rich. This
wealth not only strengthened the empire, but
stone and other materials, also spread
throughout the east. You can see an
example of mosaics on page 12.
also allowed for Byzantine leaders to
beautify the city with large building projects.
Constantinople became an ideal to live up to.
The wealth the Byzantine Empire enjoyed
With so many people taking parts of the
was a stark contrast to the financially
culture and mimicking the art, architecture,
struggling Western Roman Empire.
and government of the city in other lands,
people grew to respect the empire and what
the empire stood for.
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Military Strategy
Constantinople was located on the Bosporus Strait, which made it an ideal location for defense. A strait is a piece
of land that connects two larger landmasses. Constantinople was surrounded by water on three sides. Since there
are few places for attackers to hide on the water, it was easy for the military to see and defend the city from
potential attackers.
To better protect their city, the Byzantines created Greek Fire, a chemical mixture that could burn on water.
Historians still do not know the exact makeup of Greek Fire, but it is believed to have been petroleum based.
When an enemy ship advanced on Constantinople, the Byzantines would fling Greek Fire at the ship, causing it to
burn in the harbor. Most water attacks on Constantinople were defeated before the ships were able to dock thanks
to this weapon.
Three sets of massive walls were constructed around Constantinople to protect it from land attacks. Around these
walls were also a series of moats. These walls were thick enough attackers were not able to break through them,
and tall enough they were not able to climb them. The moats made it impossible to tunnel under them.
These defensive tactics were so successful, the Byzantine Emperors were still able to maintain control of the city,
even as they lost ground elsewhere. The Byzantine Empire shrank in the last 800 years of its rule. Slavic nations
took over much of the land to the north, while Arab Muslim invaders took over land in southern Europe and North
Africa. In the final years, Byzantine emperors ruled over Constantinople and little else.
Images from TED ed
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© Sémhur
3.3 The Byzantines
I can compare and contrast the Eastern and Western Roman Empires
The Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire is the modern-day term for the eastern portion of the land that was once the
Roman Empire. While the Western Roman Empire fell in 476 AD, the Byzantine Empire lasted until 1453.
The people of the Byzantine Empire people never called themselves “Byzantines.” Instead, they
considered themselves Romans, and they traced their history back to the beginning of the Roman
Empire. Although the lands and the government of the Byzantines were similar to the Romans, culturally
the two were very different. As a result, historians use the term Byzantine to make the distinction
between the two cultures.
It might seem odd to separate two, but it makes sense if you compare the Romans and Byzantines to
sports in Nashville. There was a time when Nashville was best known for the Titan’s football team. If
someone who lived outside of Nashville asked what team a Nashvillian was likely a fan of, they would
probably say the Titans. In this analogy, the Titan fans are like Roman citizens.
Byzantines saw themselves as
Romans. For much of early
Byzantine history, daily life would
look fairly similar for people living
in the Byzantine empire to those
living in the Roman Empire.
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In recent years, the Nashville Predators have gained popularity. If
someone asked today what team a Nashvillian is most likely a fan
of, most people would say the Predators. In this analogy, the
Predator fans are like Byzantine citizens. The way people live in
Nashville has not changed dramatically over the past few years.
The government is still the same, Nissan Stadium and the Titans
still exist, but small changes within Nashville altered the way other
people see Nashvillians.
For years, it was the same for the Romans and Byzantines. The
two groups lived side by side on two different ends of the empire,
much like the Titan and Predator fans gather on two different sides
of Broadway. These groups got along, and not everyone who was a
part of the Roman empire became a part of the Byzantine, the
same way not every former Titan fan is a Preds fan now. Further,
some new groups were included in the Byzantine Empire, just as
some hockey fans who did not watch the Titans follow the Preds
today.
Yet, we cannot refer to Preds fans as Titans fans because those
groups have different cultures and value different things. For
example, if you turned on a football game at a Preds party, people
would be confused. Likewise, some things that were normal in the
Preds and Titan fans might have different
cultures, but they are governed just the same
and outside groups might mix them up.
Likewise, the Romans and Byzantines had
different cultures, but were governed
similarly.
Byzantine Empire were banned in the Roman Empire.
Our analogy falls apart with the fall of Rome. The Western Roman Empire was eventually conquered,
while the Titans still have the opportunity to regain their glory.
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Constantine
Since Byzantine rulers did not
conquer the land they ruled,
historians argue about when the
lands of the Eastern Roman Empire
officially became what we now call
the Byzantine Empire. Most
scholars accept it was a slow process
that happened over a long period of
time. Still, most historians will agree
the process began with Emperor
Constantine made Constantinople
the capital of the Roman EMpire and
Christianity its official religion.
Constantine, who founded
Constantinople.
The two most significant differences between the Byzantines and the Romans were the religions they
practiced, and from where their emperor ruled. Constantine legalized Christianity, which had previously
been persecuted in the Roman Empire. His conversion to Christianity, and sponsorship of the Christian
Church, helped to make Christianity a significant feature at the heart of Byzantine culture.
Constantine also moved the capital of the Roman Empire to the city of Byzantium, which he renamed
Constantinople (it was also sometimes called “New Rome”). Constantine’s founding of Constantinople
in 330 AD is usually considered the beginning of the Byzantine Empire.
By moving the capital of the empire outside Italy and to the East, Constantine moved the center of
influence in the realm to this region, right on the divide between Europe and Asia Minor. People in the
west would still be considered Romans, while people in the east would be influenced by Constantine’s
rule and Christianity, making them Byzantines.
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Division in Rule
After Constantine, few emperors ruled the entire Roman Empire. It was too big and under attack from
too many directions. As a result, there was usually an emperor of the Western Roman Empire ruling
from Italy or Gaul, and an emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire ruling from Constantinople.
While the Western Empire grew weak and was overrun by Germanic barbarians, the Eastern Empire
thrived. Constantinople became the largest city in the empire and a major commercial center, or
center for trade.
Rome was looted and burned.
If we were to return to our Titan-Preds analogy, it would be similar to people attending games at the
Pred’s Bridgestone Arena, but only watching Titan’s games on the TV. Without people paying to watch
games at Nissan Stadium, management would not be able to pay for security to keep people from
creating graffiti on the stadium, and the stadium would eventually turn to ruins. Meanwhile, Bridgestone
Arena would have the commerce needed to maintain, and even improve, the structure.
After the fall of the city of Rome, the Ostrogoths conquered land holdings in Italy, the Visigoths
conquered Spain, the Vandals conquered North Africa, and the Franks conquered Gaul. These
conquests left the Eastern Roman Empire as the only Roman Empire standing.
After the city of Rome fell in 476,
the Roman Empire only kept
power in the lands that would
eventually become known a the
Byzantine Empire.
Images from
Crash Course
11
3.4 Justinian
I can organize Justinian’s accomplishments and their impacts into one, coherent narrative or timeline
Justinian and Theodora
Throughout its history, the Byzantine Emperor had many strong leaders. Arguably the most
famous of these was Emperor Justinian, who ruled alongside his wife, empress Theodora.
Justinian came from humbling beginnings. His family were peasants, although he had an
uncle who worked his way through the ranks of the Roman army. Eventually, Justinian’s
uncle, Justin climbed his way to the throne. He later left the throne to Justinian as his heir.
Justinian’s wife, Theodora, also came from
an impoverished family. Her family were not
peasants, as Justinian’s were, they were
involved in entertainment. She later became
an actress, which was an undesirable job at
the time. Her background caused many
aristocratic families to dislike her. Many even
opposed her marriage to Justinian. Justinian
married her anyway.
Despite never receiving a proper education,
Theodora was intelligent and played a
significant role in governing the empire.
Some sources mention her as empress
regnant, with Justinian I as co-regent. If these
sources are accurate, she may have played a
more significant role in ruling the country than
Justinian did.
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Military Feats
In 527 CE, Justinian became emperor of Constantinople. He dreamed of
reconquering the lands of the Western Roman Empire and ruling a single,
united Roman Empire. In 533 he began his conquest by sending his general,
Belisarius, to reclaim the former province of Africa from the Vandals, who had
been in control since 429 with their capital at Carthage. Belisarius successfully
defeated the Vandals and claimed Africa for Constantinople.
Next, Justinian sent Belisarius to take Italy from the Ostrogoths in 535 CE.
Belisarius defeated the Ostrogoths in a series of battles and reclaimed Rome.
By 540 CE, most of Italy was in Justinian’s hands. He sent another army to
conquer Spain.
Justinian was not able to reclaim all of the Roman lands, but in the thirty years
of his military career, the Byzantine Empire did grow. The Byzantine Empire
swelled to its largest size under his rule. These wars were successful, but they
came with a cost.
The lands were quickly reconquered.
The empire’s money problems made
it difficult to maintain the areas, and a
plague created mass chaos as it
spread across the empire. To finance
the initial conquest, and later
maintain control of these lands, new
taxes had to be implemented.
Image from crash course world history
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Accomplishments in Byzantium
Frustration with taxes leaded to a series of riots that nearly
destroyed Constantinople in 532. When Justinian arrested
two popular charioteers, tensions rose, and spectators began
to riot. The riot spilled out of the arena, through the streets,
and lead to mass chaos as the citizens of Constantinople
tried to dethrone Justinian. The riots were put down, but
thousands of people died. By the end of the riots, the city
had been severely burned and damaged. Today we refer to
these riots as the Nika Riots.
Justinian took this opportunity to rebuild the city in his own
image. He removed several people from office who he
believed were a part of promoting the riots, arrested many
powerful families that were involved in the riots, and
confiscated the estates of the rebels. He used the wealth
from these estates to rebuild the city and make it more
beautiful than it had been. The Nika riots had been intended
to undermine Justinian, but they made him more powerful
than he had been before.
The Hagia Sophia, the most important church of the city, was
Justinian’s greatest accomplishment in the rebuilding. The
Hagia Sophia was a staggering work of Byzantine
architecture, intended to awe all who set foot in the church. It
only took four and a half years to complete the renovation,
but it continues to be one of the most beautiful buildings in
the world. It was the largest church in the world for nearly a
thousand years, and for the rest of Byzantine history, it was
Images from TED ed
the center of Christian worship in Constantinople.
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When Muslim forces took the city, they did not
destroy the church. Instead, they converted the
Hagia Sophia into a mosque. Today, the Hagia
Sophia is a museum. While its use continues to
change, the Hagia Sophia has retained its value
throughout the ages.
Legal Reform
Emperor Justinian’s most important contribution,
perhaps, was a unified Roman legal code. Today
we refer to his Roman legal code as Justinian
Code. Before his reign, Roman laws had differed
from region to region, and some laws contradict
each other. The Romans had attempted to
simplify the legal code in the fifth century without
success.
Justinian set up a commission of lawyers to put
together a single code, listing each law by subject
for easy reference. The new code not only served
From about 1920 to 1952, Fred
H. Blume, attorney and
Wyoming Supreme Court
Justice, worked alone in his
spare time to produce a massive,
annotated English translation of
Justinian’s Code.
as the basis for law in the Byzantine Empire, but it
became the primary influence on the Catholic
Church’s development of canon law. It has also
become the basis of law in many European
countries. Justinian’s law code continues to have
a major influence on public international law to
this day.
Theodora also participated in Justinian’s legal reforms. She substantially increased the rights of
women. Her laws expanded the rights of women in divorce, property ownership, gave mothers some
guardianship rights over their children, and forbid the killing of an adulterous wife.
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3.5 Divisions in Faith Changes Culture
I can compare and contrast the Eastern and Western Roman Empires.
I can identify how the Great Schism shaped Byzantine culture and lead to the diffusion of Eastern
Orthodox Christianity throughout Eastern Europe.
The Debate Over Icons
Divisions between the Eastern and Western Roman empires went beyond politics. For centuries,
both before and after the fall of Rome, the Eastern and Western Roman Empires had been
gradually separating along religious lines as well.
As Christianity spread, people began to
argue over different interpretations of the
Bible. One common argument was the
question concerning whether Jesus was
God or a man. Constantine called for a
meeting to put an end to the debate once
and for all.
At the meeting, the religious leaders
created the Nicene Creed, which stated,
among other things, that Jesus was a god
and a man. A creed is a formal statement
of beliefs. Most Christians agreed, but in
the future, religious conflicts between the
East and West would not be so easy to fix.
Debates between Christians in the Western Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire became
heated when Emperor Leo III of the Byzantine Empire rejected icons in 730 CE. He felt
worshiping religious images, or icons, such as the Virgin Mary, was heretical, or against the
teachings of the church.
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The Ten Commandments, a set of biblical principles, forbids Christians from worshiping
idols, or an image or representation of a god. Emperor Leo III felt these icons, though
Christian, should be considered idols, and thus had no place in the church.
The Western Church remained in support of the use of icons. Many people who
supported the use of icons felt these images helped to make a person feel close to
God. They argued they were not worshiping these images-- these images only enabled
them to get in a state of mind to worship God.
Supporters of icons felt forbidding Christians from using icons would be heretical since
forbidding icons would make their relationship with God harder. Emperor Leo III tried to
use military might to force Pope Gregory III to abandon icons, but he failed.
Debate Over Leadership
The discussion over icons was the first in many arguments between the churches in the
East and West. Differences in worship between the Church of Rome in the west and
the Church of Constantinople in the east only increased over time.
In the early Church, the most important leaders were the
patriarchs, the bishops of the five most important cities in
the empire. Bishops are elected leaders the church. While
these patriarchs were considered equally powerful at first,
the patriarch of Rome gradually gained more power than the
rest, and eventually took the title of pope.
The pope was thought to be the leader of the church, at
The pope continues to be the highest
least in the Western Roman Empire. Eastern patriarchs and
office in the Catholic Church to this
day. Pope Francis currently holds
this position.
Byzantine rulers, however, felt the Byzantine emperor
should be the head of the church.
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The Church Divides
Differences continued to grow, and in 1054, nearly 500
years after the fall of Rome, the churches of the Eastern
Roman Empire and Western Roman Empire formally
split in what is known as the Great Schism, sometimes
called the East-West Schism. The church in the west
became known as the Roman Catholic Church, while
Catholicism became the primary form of
Christianity in the lands colored purple, while
Eastern Orthodoxy influenced the red lands
after the Great Schism.
the church in the east became known as the Eastern
Orthodox Church. This split would further divide Eastern
and Western Europe.
Catholic, translated, means for the people. The Catholic Church focused on developing in ways that
made it easier for followers to practice the faith. For example, since most people in the church spoke
Latin, services were conducted in Latin for people to be able to understand them.
Priests were not permitted to marry because church leadership felt priests should be focused on the
people in their church, not preoccupied with his own family. The leader of the Catholic Church was the
Pope. The Pope was encouraged to make decisions based on faith and ignore the influence of politics.
Orthodox, translated, means following established beliefs. People in the Eastern Orthodox Church
focused primarily on carrying out the traditions and beliefs outlined in the Bible. Many of the transcripts
of the Bible available to the church were in Greek, and so services were conducted in Greek to avoid
misunderstanding due to bad translations. Overtime, as people learned the language for services, and
Greek became the official language of the Byzantine Empire.
There were both
differences and
similarities
between the
Orthodox and
Catholic
Churches.
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Images from TED ed and Crash Course
Priests could marry in the Eastern Orthodox Church,
as it was not banned in the bible. Rituals differed
slightly in the Eastern Orthodox Church as well. For
example, while most Christians today wear their
wedding rings on their left hands, many followers of
the Eastern Orthodox Christianity wear their wedding
rings on their right hands. Biblical references to rings
worn on the right hand have encouraged couples
married in the Eastern Orthodox Church to wear
wedding bands on their right hands, even to this day.
The most significant difference between the Eastern
Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church was
the Eastern Orthodox Church did not recognize the
Pope as their leader. Instead, the Byzantine emperor
was the head of the Eastern Orthodox Church, which
would significantly shape the culture of the Byzantine
Empire. The emperor was not only responsible for the
well being of his people, he was also responsible for
supporting Eastern Orthodox Christianity within his
empire.
Images from Crash Course
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3.6 Christianity Spreads
I can identify the lasting impacts of the Western Roman Empire, including the diffusion of Catholicism
and the Latin language.
I can identify how the Great Schism shaped Byzantine culture and lead to the diffusion of Eastern
Orthodox Christianity throughout Eastern Europe.
Victors Convert
Many Germanic groups conquered the Roman lands. And yet, in a sense, the
victors had also been conquered. They weren’t conquered by the Roman army,
but by the Roman church. Through the Catholic Church, the Western Roman
Empire would continue to influence Europe for centuries after the fall.
Rome was a Christian empire when it fell in 476, and many of the people who
took Rome’s lands eventually converted to Christianity. They also adopted
Rome’s customs, or traditions. Many also began to speak the language of Rome.
Over time, the Roman language in the different parts of the old empire began to
develop into different, but related languages. That is why modern French, Italian,
and Spanish are called Romance languages. You might think Romance refers to
the romantic sound of the languages, but term Romance languages stem from the
word Roman. These languages developed from the Latin language of Rome over
hundreds of years.
Even though newcomers had conquered Rome, they admired what it stood for. It
had been the center of the most powerful empire for hundreds of years. Rome’s
conquerors respected and held on to many Roman laws and customs. They also
kept the Latin language and the Roman religion of Christianity.
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Spread of Christianity
When the Roman Empire collapsed, Christianity had not
spread far beyond the empire’s borders. Christians
believed in the worship of one God. The worship in one
God is called monotheistic. Many Europeans were pagans.
A pagan is a follower of a polytheistic (the worship of more
than one god) religion.
Missionaries are people who go to foreign lands to spread
their faith. Missionaries from both the Roman Catholic
Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church traveled across
One of the most well known
missionaries of the time was St.
Patrick, for which the March holiday is
named.
Europe to convert pagans to Christianity during the Middle
Ages.
By the 700’s and 800’s, Catholic missionaries were working in many parts of Europe. Over time,
the Catholic faith became part of everyday life in most parts of Europe. The Eastern Orthodox faith
became a staple of life in northeastern Europe.
Missionaries do not just spread their religion, they also spread the culture from their homeland. For
example, the Eastern Orthodox missionaries Cyril and Methodius brought with them the Cyrillic
alphabet, which was based on the Greek alphabet. The Cyrillic alphabet continues to be the basis
for modern-day Slavic languages, such as Russian, to this day. Meanwhile, Catholic missionaries
brought the Latin language to the countries they visited. Latin would go on to influence many
modern day languages, such as Spanish and French.
This early Cyrillic alphabet
would become the
backbone of the Russian
language.
Image from ХЕРАЛДИКА СССС
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Eastern Orthodox missionaries also brought
Byzantine culture to the Kievan Rus, a state
based out of the city of Kiev and ruled by
Vikings. The Kievan Rus ruled territory in
what is modern-day Russia and Ukraine, and
played a major role in forming the identity of
this region. This area was sometimes called
the third Rome.
Architecture in this area often depicts domes
and arches similar to those you would have
seen in the Byzantine empire. Later, Russian
emperors would revive Byzantine influence
by referring to themselves as tsar, the
Russian version of Caesar, which was a title
for Roman and Byzantine emperors. These
connections would not be nearly as
The Kievan Rus at its height.
Image from SeikoEn
pronounced had it not been for missionaries.
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