Getting to Know Something About Our Greek Catholic Faith — 20140727

The official language of Byzantium at the time of its founding was Latin, the anguage of Rome; however its locals spoke Greek. The Code of Justinian was written in Latin. However, over time, Greek replaced Latin as the language of the government. Scholars no longer learned to read Latin, but rather drew inspiration from both the New Testament (originally written in Greek) and the philosophy and literature of classical Greece.

The large bureaucracy of Byzantium necessitated an efficient educational system that trained all government workers. It was in the educational system that the influence and legacy of Classical Greece, rather than Classical Rome, was most evident. Literacy was quite high in Byzantine society.

Byzantine scholarship reflected its Greek roots. Scholars concentrated on the humanities: literature, history and philosophy, rather than natural sciences or medicine. They produced commentaries on Homer, Plato, and Aristotle; which were used as textbooks in schools along with classical works themselves. Those within the Empire who were educated considered themselves the heirs of classical Greece, and went to great lengths to preserve their legacy.

Byzantine Christianity was closely tied to the government, so much so that its emperors are often referred to as caesaropapist, supreme over both church and state. Constantine himself often intervened in Church matters; it was he who convened the Council of Nicaea in 325 which brought together many bishops and church leaders to consider the position of Arian Christians.

The Arians were followers of a priest from Alexandria named Arius who taught that Jesus had been a mortal man created by God rather than divine and co-equal with God. Many theologians argued to the contrary, teaching that Jesus was both God and man.

Constantine supported the latter position, and attended sessions of the Council of Nicaea to lend his support, although at the time, he had not fully admitted to being Christian. Because of his presence, the council adopted the second view. Arianism was condemned as heresy.

The Byzantine church was treated by the Emperors as a department of the state. They appointed the Patriarch of Constantinople. Patriarchs, bishops and priests were instructed to deliver sermons which supported imperial policy and encouraged obedience to the government. This was a source of conflict that often led to protests, especially when the views of the populace were not those of the government.

The most divisive policy adopted by the Emperors was that of Iconoclasm. This had a great influence on the development of Eastern Christianity.

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