Byzantine Orthodoxy

Abstract The historical dependence of the Eastern Orthodox Church upon its Byzantine past makes a study of Byzantine Christianity inevitable for the proper understanding of the Orthodox tradition. The Byzantine period is considered as the golden age of the Orthodox Church and the point where Orthodox civilization reached its highest peak. We should note here that the names “Byzantium” and “Byzantine” are not to be found in the primary sources. The “Byzantines” spoke Greek and considered themselves as Roman, while their empire was considered as the Eastern Roman Empire. Approximately, the Byzantine period begins with the transfer of the capital from Rome to Constantinople in 330 and ends with the fall of Constantinople in 1453.