Caesaropapism, political system in which the head of the state is also the head of the church and supreme judge in religious matters. It was normal practice, however, for the Eastern Roman emperor to act as the protector of the universal church and as the manager of its administrative affairs. ...

How did caesaropapism impact the Byzantine Empire?

Thus, caesaropapism was an idea that increased the power of the Byzantine emperors. It gave them control over the church, which helped them have secular power as well. It also gave them an aura of divinity because they were also seen as the head of the church. This further legitimated their power.

What role did the emperor play in the Eastern Church?

Political Structures Church and state were combined in the Byzantine Empire. The emperor was also the head of the Eastern Church and was viewed as the representative of God on earth. In the 500s the emperor Justinian reformed the laws of the empire by creating a systematic body of law, known as Justinian's Code.