Belief system:
The official belief system of the Byzantines was Christianity. However, this isn't the type of Christianity we see today-it was quite different back in 330 A.D. The Byzantine Christianity, as they liked to call it, was a mix of Christianity and Greek religion. The Byzantines made it this way because they thought that the incorporation of both major religions at the time would attract a lot of influence and attention.
The highest church office in the Byzantine Christianity and the counterpart of the Pope in Rome is called the Patriarch in Constantinople. The Patriarch, bishop, and priests were instructed to deliver sermons which supported imperial policy and encouraged obedience to the government. However, while the Patriarch held the highest office in church, the Emperor still held complete control over both church and state. Because the Emperor was closely tied with both government and religion, they were often called caesaropapist.
The center of religious influence in the Byzantine Empire was in Constantinople. Constantinople was like a "New Jerusalem" to the Byzantine Empire. Constantinople was not only a center of strong government , but also a strong center of religion.
The highest church office in the Byzantine Christianity and the counterpart of the Pope in Rome is called the Patriarch in Constantinople. The Patriarch, bishop, and priests were instructed to deliver sermons which supported imperial policy and encouraged obedience to the government. However, while the Patriarch held the highest office in church, the Emperor still held complete control over both church and state. Because the Emperor was closely tied with both government and religion, they were often called caesaropapist.
The center of religious influence in the Byzantine Empire was in Constantinople. Constantinople was like a "New Jerusalem" to the Byzantine Empire. Constantinople was not only a center of strong government , but also a strong center of religion.
-This was a Agia Sophia 13th Century Byzantine Church.
-If you went inside one of these Byzantine churches, you might see beautiful designs like ones in this church.