Impact of Religion, Structure, and Education on the Decline of Constantinople

Constantinople was the newly established capital of the once glorious Roman Empire, center of Roman religion, and was heavily influenced by the Roman culture. Then the Schism in 1054, cultural diffusion, and the change in women’s rights altered the day-to-day life of Constantinople’s inhabitants. Despite the intensity of the political changes over the long period of 400 C.E. to 1473 C.E., such as the Schism in 1054 and cultural diffusion, continuities such as classical learning and Justinian’s Code were more influential for they prevented Constantinople from declining before 1473 C.E.

Constantinople was established as the new capital of the Roman Empire in A.D. 330 by Constantine on the Bosporus Strait. Constantinople, or the city of Constantine, was strategically placed on the Bosporus Strait for trade and defense purposes that would later allow for cultural diffusion. As a result of replacing Rome, Constantinople was under immense Roman influence. Their culture as well as architecture was based on Rome’s. Constantinople was occupied with buildings modeled after those in Rome. Along with being the new capital of the Roman Empire and under Roman influence, Constantinople was the center of Roman region. Constantine made Christianity legal and emperor Theodosius made Christianity the empire’s official religion. By moving the capital from Rome to Constantinople, Constantine moved the center of Rome’s religion to Constantinople. But this was Constantinople before the political and religious changes that could have caused the decline of Constantinople if it wasn’t for the influential continuities.

Constantinople suffered and flourished as a result of several changes including the infamous Schism in 1054. The Schism in 1054 w...

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...ture, such as Homer, were textbooks. The students learned geometry from Euclid, medicine from Galen, and history from Herodotus. Since the Constantinopolitan students and scholars studied and recorded their research, they preserved Greco- Roman culture. Several concepts changed in Constantinople, but the basis, structure and future of Constantinople stayed constant. Acting as bubble wrap to a slightly cracked vase being shipped overseas.

Therefore, because the basis, structure, and future of Constantinople stayed constant, the changes did not cause Constantinople to decline earlier than 1453, demonstrating the large influence the continuities had on Constantinople compared to the changes. The changes could have caused Constantinople to decline and crumble. But the continuities prevented a possible downfall and allowed Constantinople to last as long as it did.