Byzantine Empire Research Paper

In 1453 the great city of Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Empire, marking the end of the Byzantine Rule. During the Ottoman Rule, the Orthodox Church took the responsibility of governing the people of Orthodox faith. Greece was under the rule of the Patriarch of Constantinople, who was under the rule of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. It is said that their involvement in the Greek community helped preserve the Greek culture but their corruption and abuse of power caused more harm than good. As time went on and the Ottomans acquired more territory there was too much power in one Patriarch. In addition, their heavy involvement created lasting involvement between Church and State. When the Ottoman’s took over Constantinople they gained
The Patriarch and clergy according to Steven Runciman, an English Historian known for his honored books on the Byzantine Empire and Orthodox Church, were exempted from paying taxes, granted freedom to move around, and security from removal. These privileges were also passed down to successors (170). From big privileges like not paying taxes to being the only Christians that were able to ride on a horse the special treatment of the Patriarch was noticeable (179). The Patriarch before taking office needed a document from the Sultan called a “Berat”. According to Kent, to obtain this document, the Patriarch had to pay a great deal of money, one that was usually passed on to his Bishops once granted the position. If there was more than one qualifying Bishop for the Patriarchal running, the position was given to the highest bidder, turning the running for Patriarch into a game of who could pay money, not who earned it (43). As time went on, Sultan’s used this system to their advantage by changing the Patriarch often and earning money every time a new one was appointed. For example, from 1595-1695 there were 61 changes of the throne (Runciman 201). Also, in the 18th century during a 63 year period, 48 different Patriarchs were appointed. Since the Patriarch could only be removed from the position through death, out of the 159 Patriarchs that held office during the Ottoman rule, only 21 died of natural causes in office (Kent 43-44). In the beginning 15th century, according to Runciman, Patriarch Symeon raised up to 2,000 pieces of gold and presented it to the Sultan to dispose of the previous Patriarch Mark and be elected (194). It had become regular now for the Patriarch to pay money for the elections but also give a yearly offering. As years went on, the price for the Patriarch seat rose tremendously. In the peak in 1726, Patriarch Callinicus III paid 36,400 piastres, which