13. The Commonwealth of Byzantium

Chapter 16

The Two Worlds of Christendom Mr. Wyka’s AP World History 1

Medieval Christendom 

Two halves  

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Byzantine empire in the east Germanic states in the west

Inherited Christianity from Roman empire After eighth century, tensions between two halves

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Successor States to the Roman Empire, ca. 600 C.E.

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After the end of the Roman Empire order, the western half of the empire declined and western Europe de-urbanized, cities turning to villages, villages to fields and forests. The west also suffered from Germanic invaders, especially the Franks, who took control of large part of Western Europe.

However, the eastern half of the Empire (Byzantine) survived, despite facing challenges from the growing Muslim world. 4

Early Byzantium, built up by Constantine in the 330s C.E., was a wealthy, cosmopolitan city, due in part to its location. It contained baths, palaces, and public theaters and fancied itself the “New Rome.” The government was a civil and religious mix known as caesaropapism, in which the emperor had divine favor and played an active role in church affairs. The best known of these emperors was Justinian, along with his wife Theodora, was responsible for codifying civil law and attempted to reconstruct the old empire. 5

Caesaropapism  

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Power centralized in figure of emperor A Christian ruler cannot claim divinity, so instead, he claims divine authority Political rule Involved in religious rule as well Authority absolute

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In the west, the Germanic Franks, notably the Carolingians, exert influence over Western Europe and under Charlemagne create a new empire. However, with the death of Charlemagne, the empire was divided and was vulnerable to invasion by the new threat, the Vikings.

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Economically and socially there were vast differences in the east and west.

Constantinople was a powerful and cosmopolitan city at the center of a vast trade network, while the west was experiencing reduced food production and, in urban centers, reduced population. The Byzantine Empire had silk, a banking system, and its coin, the bezant, was the standard currency for a large portion of the Mediterranean world.

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The west was still suffering invasions at this time. However, a new heavy plow and the use of horse‐power increased food production, and by 900 recovery had begun. Trade was also growing slowly: the Italians from the south and Norse merchants began following the old Viking routes.

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Population Growth of Europe, 200-1000 C.E. 40 35 30 25 20

Millions

15 10 5 0 200

400

600

800

900

1000

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The west also saw the development of feudalism, a system of local organization centering around overlapping bonds of loyalty and service. In feudalism, the peasants (serfs) produced most of what was needed. With the introduction of new foods and farm technologies, the west began to see an increase in population.

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The two halves of Christendom continued to argue over theology and organization. The west had a pope and the east a patriarch. In the west, Gregory I made the church the only unifying force but the patriarch of Constantinople continued to struggle with the friction caused by caesaropapism. Both churches reach out with missionaries and use monasteries to both help people and create religious communities. In the end, the differences could not be overcome, and in 1054 a schism in the church occurred, a division that continues into the twenty‐first century. 14

Catholic and Orthodox Churches   

The Schism of 1054 Catholic Church – western Europe Orthodox Church – Byzantine Empire and Russia

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