THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE
In 285 , the emperor Diocletian (284-305) partitioned the administration of the Roman Empire into two halves, Eastern and Western .
Between 324 and the 330 , Constantine I (306–337) moved the main capital from Rome in Byzantium , later known as Constantinople (“City of Constantine “) And Nova Roma .
The first source on the “ Nova Roma "In an official document found in the canons of the first council of Constantinople (381) , where it is used to justify the declaration that the patriarchal see of Constantinople it was second only to that of Rome .
In Rome the Praetorians (a military body established by Augustus in 27 BC) and the Roman plebs elected Maxentius emperor . The clash between the two pretenders to the throne became inevitable and lasted for years until October 28, 312 Constantine defeated Maxentius in the battle of Ponte Milvio , at Rome , remaining the only master of the West.
The Roman Empire was ruled by two august:Constantine (reigned over the West) and Licinius (reigned over the East).
On 13 June 313, Constantine , Augustus of the West, and Licinius, Augustus of the East, promulgated the Edict of Milan , which granted all the inhabitants of the Empire, and therefore also Christians, the freedom to freely profess their faith. The Christian communities were given back the places of worship and the goods that had previously been expropriated.
The Edict of Milan opened a new era in the relationship between imperial power and the church. Over the years, in fact, many Christians became part of the imperial administration and the emperor granted numerous privileges to their communities, such as fiscal immunity for all assets and for all members of the clergy.
In reality, Constantine's approach to Christianity had more political reasons than anything else. The emperor understood that the Christian church was on its way to becoming a great social and organizational force, which could usefully contribute to the strengthening of the state that he himself was pursuing.
Constantine and Licinius they shared power for a few years, but Constantine he pursued a policy of favor for Christians, while Licinius protected the pagans . This exacerbated the clash between the two, who eventually went to war.
On 18 September 324 Licinius he was defeated by Constantine in the battle of Crisopoli (Asia Minor).
Constantine he was now the only master of the Roman Empire .
The tetrarchy ceased to exist (Power was shared between two emperors called augusti.
Each of the two was joined by a caesar destined to succeed him).
The act of Constantine destined to have incalculable consequences on the future of humanity was the foundation of a new capital: Constantinople , built on the Bosphorus in 330 . From this date, the Byzantine civilization began, destined to survive the Roman one for a thousand years.
The creation of a new capital was necessary to face the Kingdom of the Persians and the invasions that came from the East, but it was at the same time the realization that the most important part of the Empire was now the East.
Constantinople remained for centuries a political, religious and cultural center of extraordinary importance, a beacon of civilization for the world.
Under Theodosius I (379–395) , Christianity became the state religion of the empire and the other polytheistic Roman religions were banned .
During the reign of Justinian I (527-565) the Empire reached its maximum extension after having reconquered much of the western coasts of the Mediterranean historically Roman, including North Africa , Italy and Rome itself, which he kept for another two centuries.
Justinian I he dedicated himself to the administrative reorganization of the empire. In the 528 orders a commission of jurists to create a systematic collection of the numerous Roman laws in force in the Empire.
Fervent Christian, Justinian I he is convinced that he has received his commission of him directly from God . Determined to unify the empire also from a religious point of view, he embarks on a campaign of repression against numerous cults.
Justinian, together with his generals Belisarius and Narses, reconquered the West:
- He expelled the Vandals from Spain
- He expelled the Ostrogoths from Italy
- He conquered Egypt and Libya
- Sign a Peace with the Persians
Justinian created great buildings:
- San Vitale in Ravenna, famous for its mosaics
- Santa Sofia in Constantinople.
With his building activity, Justinian he gradually empties the state coffers, thanks to the wars of conquest that he imposes. In 542 Furthermore, he must deal with a catastrophic plague epidemic, which causes the disappearance of a quarter of the population of the entire Empire:the same Justinian falls ill but manages to survive.
Justinian I dies on the night of November 14, 565 , around 83 years of age. He leaves in the hands of his nephew, Justin II , a vast and organized empire.
January 11, 532, by the will of Justinian I , at the hippodrome of Constantinople about 30 thousand people are murdered . Many politicians suspected of treason are exiled or executed.
During the reign of Maurice (582-602) , the eastern frontier of the Empire was expanded and the north stabilized.
However, his assassination provoked a war lasting over twenty years against Sassanid Persia , which exhausted the resources of the Empire and contributed to severe territorial losses during the Muslim conquests of the seventh century. Within a few years the Empire lost its richest provinces, Egypt and Syria, passed to the Arabs.
The Byzantine Empire reached its peak under the Macedonian dynasty, emperors of Armenian and Greek origin, from the end of the 9th century to the beginning of the 11th, when it obtained control of the Adriatic Sea, of southern Italy and of the whole territory of Tsar Samuel of Bulgaria. The cities of the empire expanded and prosperity spread throughout the provinces as a result of the newfound security. Population increased and so did production, stimulating new demand but also helping to promote trade. Culturally, there was a notable growth in education and learning. The ancient texts were preserved and patiently copied. Byzantine art flourished and large mosaics were created that went on to grace the interiors of the many new churches.
Although the empire was significantly smaller during Justinian's reign, it was also stronger, as the remaining territories were more concentrated and more politically and culturally integrated.
The term caesaro-papia appeared for the first time in Justus Henning Böhmer's manual of Protestant theology (1674-1749), to characterize the attitude of a secular ruler like Justinian the Grande, who, no longer trusting the clergy, intervened directly in
religious affairs under the pretext of ensuring the salvation of the Church.
From the seventh century. AD the Eastern Roman Empire had to face the Islamic threat from the Middle East.
The Arab people fought many wars against the Greek state and, over the years, managed to take more and more of the Asian territory out of dominion. On the northern front, the empire had to prevent the invasion of barbarian peoples, such as the Hungarians, the Slavs and the Bulgarians, often engaging the army to fight on two fronts.
In 1054 AD. the western church split from the eastern one.
This earthquake occurred mainly because Western bishops did not like Caesaropapism of the Byzantine emperors and why the patriarch of Constantinople aspired to dominate the Pope.
The straw that broke the camel's back was the alliance of the Papacy with the Normans who had settled in Southern Italy . The patriarch of Constantinople opposed this alliance , who was excommunicated, and the two churches defined each other as independent.