Page:A history of architecture on the comparative method for the student, craftsman, and amateur.djvu/251

 BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE. ig3 iii. Climate. — Owing to Constantinople being hotter than Rome, and to its being further east, the Romans on settHng there altered their method of building to suit the novel conditions due to climate and their contact with Oriental arts. iv. Religion. — Constantine first made Christianity the state religion (page 176). The political division that came to pass between east and west was followed by a separation of churches also. This was due to the " Filioque controversy " as to whether the Spirit proceeded from the Father and Son or from the Father only ; the Eastern Church, which still claims to be the orthodox church, maintaining the latter, and the Western the former. The iconoclastic movement during the eighth and ninth centuries was in force and ended in the admission of painted figures in the decoration of churches, but all sculptured statues were excluded. These and other points of difference in ritual have vitally affected Eastern church architecture up to the present day. V. Social and Political. — Constantine, whose system of government was an expansion of the despotic methods introduced by Diocletian, removed the capital from Rome to Byzantium in A.D. 324, the position of the latter city being unrivalled as a great commercial centre on the trading highway between east and west. After his death rival emperors troubled the state, and disputes in the church were rife — the Council of Nice in a.d. 325 being the first of the general councils called to suppress heresies. The eastern emperors lost all power in Italy by endeavouring to force upon the west their policy of preventing the worship and use of images. By the election of Charlemagne, chosen Emperor of the West in a.d. 800, the Roman Empire was finally divided. vi. Historical. — Byzantium is said to have been founded in the seventh century B.C., and was a Greek colony as early as the fourth century B.C. Byzantine architecture is that which was developed at Byzantium on the removal of the capital from Rome to that city. It includes not only the buildings in Byzantium, but also those which were erected under its influence, as at Ravenna and Venice, also in Greece, Russia, and elsewhere. During the reign of Justinian (a.d. 527-565) Italy was recovered to the Eastern Empire, accounting for the style of some of the buildings. Ravenna became important owing to the Emperor Honorius transferring his residence there from Rome in a.d. 402, and it was created an archiepiscopal see in a.d. 438. After the fall of the Western Empire the town was taken by Odoacer, and in a.d. 493 Theodoric the Great took the city, which, remaining the residence of the Gothic kings till 539, rivalled Rome in importance. From A.D. 539-752 it was the seat of the Exarch of the Eastern Roman or Byzantine Emperors. The Byzantine style was carried on until Constantinople fell into the hands of the Turks in a.d. 1453, when it became the capital of the Ottoman Empire.