Question

which of the following cities would people have most likely viewed the Byzantine emperor as the head of the Christian church?
Rome

Massilia

Córdoba

Antioch

Answer 1

Rome

Answer 2

it is obvios

Answer 3

Before or after the Great Schism, in 1054 AD?

Answer 4

Tricky question, especially depending on when in Byzantine history it is being asked.

At one point, after Justinian had expanded the borders of the Byzantine Empire, the emperor actually confirmed papal selections in a period called the Byzantine Papacy, although the emperor was technically were not considered the head of any church. The Pope was still regarded as the ultimate authority, albeit under the political influence of their patron.

In that context, NONE of the answers would be right because everyone would still believe that the spiritual head of the Church was still in Rome.

But if we look at the the question after an event like the Great Schism which split the Christian Church into Roman and Orthodox Christianity, things become a little clearer.

At that point, East and West were coming to a head on the question of who was ultimately in charge within their respective domains. As the Byzantine empire declined and the West grew stronger, the papacy also began to flex its spiritual muscles in determining where the seat of the Church would be.

Looking at the question again In that context, the answer can't be Rome, because Rome held onto the notion of being the seat of the papacy with universal authority - something that would become a point of contention with the Byzantines.

Massilia (present-day Marseiiles in France) and Cordoba in present-day Spain were also cities in the Western Roman Empire, and the citizens of both would likely look to Rome as the head of the Church, especially after the split.

With all that in mind, Antioch, located in the East, is the answer that makes the most sense.

Answer 5

I suppose lacking any further information, I would say Antioch, as this is the only city squarely within the Byzantine Empire for a long time. All the others were mostly part of the Western Empire.