The Religious Relationship between Byzantium and the West.
The Byzantine Empire was an absolute monarchy having a secular absolute ruler, while the Islamic Empire was a Caliphate, which was an aristocratic-constitutional Republic. The reason they had different governments was the Islamic Empire was rising in power through the spread of its religion so they needed a leader of religious and state matters.
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire, or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinople (modern Istanbul, formerly Byzantium).
Traditional explanations for Byzantine Iconoclasm have sometimes focused on the importance of Islamic prohibitions against images influencing Byzantine thought. According to Arnold J. Toynbee, for example, it was the prestige of Islamic military successes in the 7th and 8th centuries that motivated Byzantine Christians to adopt the Islamic position of rejecting and destroying idolatrous images.
Byzantine Art and Symbolism. The most prominent feature of Byzantine art is the development of its anti-naturalistic character. This was a radical departure from earlier Greek and Roman art that sought to portray human figures as accurately as possible. Byzantine art, in contrast, was more focused on symbolism, especially religious symbolism.
Edict of Milan In 313, Constantine I agreed to treat Christians with tolerance. Just as the Byzantine Empire represented the political continuation of the Roman Empire, Byzantine art developed out of the art of the Roman Empire, which was itself profoundly influenced by ancient.
Byzantine scholarships reflected its greek roots, what did scholars concentrate on Scholars concentrated on the humanities: literature, history and philosophy, rather than natural sciences or medicine.
Start studying 9.30.3. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.