1.05 The Byzantines

translated the Bible into the new alphabet written for the Slavic language
Explanation: developed an alphabet for the Slavic languages.Cyril and Methodius were missionaries to the Slavs who developed an alphabet for the Slavic languages. This alphabet, called the Glagolitic alphabet, was used to write down the Slavic languages and spread the Christian faith among the Slavic people.

The laws and traditions lived on, flourishing through the Byzantines who lived in the East.
Explanation: The Western Roman Empire fell in 476 AD when the last Roman emperor was deposed by the Germanic chieftain Odoacer. The laws and traditions of the Western Roman Empire were largely abandoned in the centuries that followed. Many of the Germanic tribes that settled in the former empire were illiterate and had little interest in preserving the Roman legal system. In addition, the Church became increasingly powerful in the centuries after the fall of the empire and exerted a great deal of influence over the legal system.

Prince Odoacer forced Augustulus to hand over his crown, and Germanic kingdoms claimed the land.
Explanation: Prince Odoacer was a general in the Roman army who rose up against the last Roman emperor in the west, Romulus Augustus. Odoacer's troops sacked the city of Rome in 476 AD, deposing the emperor. This event is typically seen as the end of the Western Roman Empire, although some historians have argued that it continued in a diminished form after this point.

The emperor
Explanation: The final say on church matters in the Byzantine Empire rested with the emperor. The emperor was the supreme head of the church and had the authority to appoint bishops and make decisions on church doctrine. However, the emperor did not always have the final say on church matters. There were times when the pope or other church leaders had more authority.

Religious councils were formed to try to settle the issue.
Explanation: The Iconoclast Controversy was a conflict within the Byzantine Empire over the use of religious images, also known as icons. On one side were those who believed that icons should be used in religious worship, while on the other side were those who believed that icons should not be used. The conflict began in the 8th century and lasted for over 100 years.During the Iconoclast Controversy, religious leaders attempted to resolve the conflict in a number of ways. One way was through councils and synods, which were meetings of religious leaders where they could discuss the issue and try to come to a resolution. Another way was through diplomacy, where religious leaders would try to persuade the emperor to take their side.The Iconoclast Controversy was finally resolved in the 9th century when the emperor decreed that icons could be used in religious worship. This decision was reaffirmed by the Council of Constantinople in 843.

Some believed the use of icons and their veneration was fine, and others felt that icons should not exist because it could lead to idolatry.
Explanation: The Iconoclastic Controversy was a debate within the Christian church over the use of religious images. On one side were those who believed that the use of images was a valid form of worship and expression of faith. On the other side were those who believed that the use of images was a form of idolatry and that they should be destroyed. This debate raged on for centuries and was one of the major dividing points between the Eastern and Western branches of the Christian church.

The Byzantine emperor was considered to be the highest political and religious figure. In the Western Empire, the highest political and religious figures were two different people.
Explanation: The Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire was the continuation of the Roman Empire in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinople. It survived the fragmentation and fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD and continued to exist for an additional thousand years until it fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453.During most of its existence, the Byzantine Empire was the most powerful economic, cultural, and military force in Europe. Despite this, the empire was often outmaneuvered and defeated by more powerful barbarian groups, such as the Goths, Vandals, and Lombards, and was eventually conquered by the Seljuk Turks and then the Ottoman Turks.The political and religious ideas of the Byzantine Empire were very different from those of the Western Empire. The Byzantine Empire was much more centralized and autocratic, with a strong emperor at the head of the government. The emperor was considered to be the representative of God on earth and had absolute power. The church was also very powerful in the Byzantine Empire and answered only to the emperor. In contrast, the Western Empire was much more decentralized, with a weak emperor and a strong papacy. The pope was considered to be the supreme authority in the Western Church and had considerable power over secular rulers.

The church combined both Greek and Roman architecture, and became a melting pot where Eastern and Western cultures came together.
Explanation: The Church of Hagia Sophia was built in the 6th century AD, and it was one of the most important churches in the Byzantine Empire. The church was built in the Byzantine style, but it also incorporated elements of Roman architecture. The Church of Hagia Sophia was a symbol of the Byzantine Empire's ability to blend the old Roman Empire with the new Byzantine Empire.