Howdy, iam Pamela Lacey, I hope your day is as beautiful as your smile.
Well, it’s no secret that religion played a major role in the fall of the Byzantines. Yup, you heard right - religion was a huge factor in their downfall. It all started with the Great Schism of 1054 when the Eastern Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church split apart. This caused a lot of tension between East and West, leading to political unrest and eventually war. The Fourth Crusade in 1204 saw Western forces sack Constantinople, which marked the beginning of the end for Byzantium. So yeah, it’s safe to say that religion was definitely one of the main causes for their decline!
What Religion Caused The Fall Of The Byzantines? [Solved]
Well, at first the Byzantines were Catholic, but over time things changed. Political and religious differences between them and the Church caused a rift that eventually led to the Great Schism of 1054. Yikes!
Iconoclasm: The Byzantine Empire adopted a policy of iconoclasm, which was the destruction of religious images and symbols, in the 8th century. This caused a rift between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the state, leading to civil unrest and weakening the empire’s power.
Loss of Trade: The loss of trade routes to Muslim-controlled territories due to religious differences also weakened the Byzantine Empire’s economy and military strength.
Seljuk Turks: In 1071, Seljuk Turks defeated Byzantine forces at Manzikert in Anatolia, resulting in large losses for Byzantium and allowing Turkish forces to occupy much of Anatolia.
Fourth Crusade: In 1204, Western European crusaders sacked Constantinople during what is known as the Fourth Crusade instead of attacking Muslim-controlled Jerusalem as intended by Pope Innocent III. This resulted in further weakening of Byzantium’s power and influence in Europe and Asia Minor.
Ottoman Turks: Finally, Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople in 1453 after a long siege that lasted over two months; this marked the end of Byzantium as an independent state and ushered in centuries of Ottoman rule over much of southeastern Europe until its dissolution after World War I
Religion was the downfall of the Byzantines; it caused their fall. You could say they were their own worst enemy. It’s a shame, really; if only they had seen the writing on the wall and taken a different approach, things might have turned out differently. Oh well, c’est la vie!
