11 Jun Historians identify three successor realms
Historians identify three successor realms to the old Roman Empire after the fall of the Western half
in 476: The Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire; the Islamic lands, and the kingdoms of Latin
Christendom in the West. Based on chapter 10 reading (documents and visual sources as well) how can
one best describe the history of Christianity during the period between 600 and 1450-compare and
contrast the Byzantine Empire and the kingdoms of Latin Christendom. What were the causes of the
worsening relationship between Western (Latin) and Eastern (Greek) Christendom? What political and
religious tensions had developed that caused the Great Schism of 1053? How were Crusades (chapter 10
“Thinking through Sources: The Crusades as Cultural Encounter”) a part of that tension and did they
worsen or better the situation? How can one best explain the emergence of Western Europe as a dynamic
civilization after 1000 C.E.? Then reflect on two styles of Christian Church development—the
Caesaropapism of the Byzantine Empire and the Ecclesiastical greater independence of spiritual
authorities in Western Europe that were presented and assess which system has the greatest advantages
(“stay “in a medieval historical context).
