5. Saints, Monks and Emperors.

1.

 The textbook gives one of the reasons why Byzantium was called the icon of the heavenly Jerusalem. What was the reason?

            The description of Byzantium as the icon of the heavenly Jerusalem refers to the all-pervasive influence of Christianity upon all aspects of Byzantine life and upon all strata of society, from the clergy to the laity, and from the court and scholars to the poor and uneducated. The textbook cites examples of this influence: how the circus events began with the singing of hymns, how trade contracts invoked the Trinity and were sealed with the sign of the Cross, and how ordinary citizens would discuss and philosophize about the Trinitarian and Christological disputes of the day in the marketplaces and in their business interactions.

            The example of the circus is an unfortunate one, given the repeated denunciations of this spectacle in the homilies of St. John Chrysostom. The textbook could have given any number of different examples to show how great Christianity's impact was on Byzantium. Not mentioned, but a good example of that influence, is that Constantinople was said to have become like a monastic kingdom. It was also called a second Jerusalem as it was a city of numerous churches and shrines. The grace of God rested upon it.