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The Byzantine Theory of Symphonia
Andrew Louth
Introduction
The Byzantine understanding of the relationship between the
authority of the Church and the power of the state – between the
sacred and the secular, between religion and the world (to use ways
of describing that, the more they sound familiar to modern ears, the
less they seem to correspond to any way that would seem natural to
the Byzantines themselves) is summed up in the preamble to the
sixth of the Emperor Justinian’s Novellae, on the ordination and
appointment of bishops, priests, and deacons, male and female,
which reads:
The greatest gifts that God, in his celestial benevolence, has
bestowed on mankind are priesthood and sovereignty, the one
serving on matters divine, and the other ruling human affairs,
and caring for them. Each proceeds from one and the same
authority and regulates human life. Thus, nothing could have
as great a claim on the attention of sovereigns as the honour
of priests, seeing that they are the very ones who constantly
offer prayer to God on the sovereigns’ behalf. Hence, should
the one be above reproach in every respect, and enjoy access
to God, while the other keeps in correct and proper order the
realm that has been entrusted to it, there will be a satisfactory
harmony, conferring every conceivable benefit on the human
race. We therefore have very great concern for the honour of
priests, as well as for the truth of theological doctrine; as long as
they maintain that honour, our confident belief is that, through
it, great gifts will be bestowed on us by God, and that as well
as keeping firm possession of what we hold, we shall also gain
what has not yet come to us, even now. All would go duly and
well, provided that the first step in the matter is taken in a
way correct and pleasing to God; and we believe that that will
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