HIST-308 Lecture 32: The Byzantine Empire
16 Nov 2020
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Document Summary
These mediterranean powers, coupled with the emerging military might of feudal europe, seemed increasingly capable of turning the tide. The byzantines consequently appealed to the papacy to rescue eastern christendom: they offered a tempting reward: the possible reunion of the latin and greek churches. These churches had drifted far apart over the centuries. They spoke different languages, used different liturgies, and had different organization and relations with the state. There were also a number of overt theological differences. these were relatively minor and did not necessarily stand in the way of maintaining the belief in, and hope for, a single christian faith. But the two churches had split definitively in 1054 when reformers from rome badly mishandled negotiations in constantinople over the issue of papal supremacy that was then reaching its climax in the west. Angry anathemas were hurled back and forth, and decrees soon went out announcing the permanent rift between the two churches.
