The Byzantine Period

324-640

The word Byzantine derives from the name of a town on the black sea coast. Byzantium was the sight of a new metropolis founded by Emperor Constantine and to be named after him Constantinople. In fact, it was to become the new Rome in an empire that was divided for a long period into two separate halves; east and west. Like Rome, Constantinople was fed by the Egyptian grain. Shortly after wards the Egyptian realized that the new imperial residence was to take more than just its grain but to over shadow Alexandria and become the leading city of the eastern empire which came into existence officially in 395 A.D. The 4/5th centuries were considered a great period in history of the lives of the Egyptians as they were allowed to take positions as leading figures of the church as well as in public life. They also reached the rank of popular leaders representing the country and its people on an international level. The major international meetings were the councils. The head of the Egyptian church based in Alexandria was expected to play a major role at these meetings. The tension that had been developing between Constantinople and Alexandria reached its peak in the council of Chalcedony in 451. What happened in this council was enough to cause them to break off relations with the church in Constantinople.