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Why did the popes become less dependent on the Byzantine Empire in the 8th century?
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Papal States
The Papal States in 1815 (left) and at their annexation by Italy in 1870.
In the 8th century, the popes became increasingly independent of the Byzantine Empire due to a combination of political, religious, and military factors.12
The primary reasons for this shift included:
- Failure of Protection: The Byzantine Empire, preoccupied with threats from Islam in the East, proved unable to defend its Italian territories from the Lombards. When the Lombards seized Ravenna in 751 and drove out the exarch, the papacy’s reliance on Constantinople for security collapsed.123
- Religious Conflict: The Iconoclastic Controversy, initiated by Emperor Leo III, caused deep estrangement. Popes Gregory II and Gregory III openly rejected the imperial prohibition of religious images, leading to significant friction between Rome and Constantinople.123
- Imperial Policy: Increased imperial taxation and the general failure of the Byzantine administration to support the papacy further alienated the Roman see.1
Consequently, the papacy turned to the Frankish monarchy for protection, leading to the Donation of Pippin and the establishment of the Papal States.142