Christianity in the Eastern Roman Empire
I can explain why a slightly different Christian Church emerged in the East.
Christianity in the Eastern Roman Empire
I can explain why a slightly different Christian Church emerged in the East.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- After Rome's fall in 476 CE, the Byzantine Empire survived in the east, and considered themselves Romans.
- Constantinople grew strong and beautiful with impressive artworks, churches and the famous hippodrome.
- The Emperor Justinian ruled from 527 to 565 CE.
- Justinian compiled a code of law and ordered all his subjects to be Christian, and to worship in the way he told them.
- The Eastern Church believed many of the same things as in the West, but they did not recognise the pope's supremacy.
Common misconception
The Byzantines weren’t Roman.
The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was a continuation of the Roman Empire. The term "Byzantine" is a modern designation used by historians, but the people of that time considered themselves Romans.
Keywords
Byzantine - the Byzantine Empire is the name given by historians to the eastern half of the Roman Empire
Hippodrome - a hippodrome is an arena for chariot or horse races
Law - laws are a set of rules that everyone agrees to follow
Worship - to worship is to show love and respect to a god
Pope - the pope is the head of the Roman Catholic Church
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
ultimate power and authority
a belief in a god or gods
to change to a different religion
a religious leader in some Christian churches
Exit quiz
6 Questions
for Christian worship, such as Hagia Sophia
for chariot races and public events
to adorn the city and show religious scenes