Effect of Christianity in The Byzantine Empire Essay

Effect of Christianity in The Byzantine Empire - Essay Example As is well known, the Byzantine Empire derives its name from the central Byzantium that formed the core of the empire area, and was more prone to be called a Roman empire if people of the 300 century were to refer to it today. However, since our historians call it the Byzantine Empire, we know that the Greco-Romanian faith was what dominated the scenario in Byzantium and surrounding states. Let us not forget that other than Romanian and Christian faiths, there were Pagan temples which had a cult following in the common people too (Liebeschuetz, 2003, 4). As a result, the preference of the emperors played an important role in determining the dominant faith in the empire, which ultimately led to a competition between ancient Roman faith and Christianity while Pagan temples were closed and other forms of religious activities were banned from the empire. With Christianity’s prevalence, practices of charity, compassion and social upheaval was reintroduced in the self content societ y that the Byzantine empire boasted of. It is very important to note here that the Byzantine empire had members of the aristocracy who had seen the war stricken days and had opted for a peaceful life after the war. They took immense pride in self contentment and preferred to spend wealth and wine on social frivolities and games, which showcased the prosperity of the land. Teachings of Jesus, brought in a certain amount of calmness and finesse into the behaviors of the otherwise barbaric nature of Romans.