Question

The most important achievement of the Byzantine revival lay . . . in the preservation of a sizable portion of the ancient Greek classics, and, incidentally, of early Christian writings. From the point of view of western culture, it may even be said that this act of salvage constitutes our greatest debt to Byzantium.

What is the author’s main point in this passage?

The Byzantine Empire was successful in creating its own unique culture.
The Byzantine Empire preserved important Greek and Christian works.
The Byzantine Empire tried to become more Westernized in its culture.
The Byzantine Empire had little impact on Western culture.

Answer 1

The Byzantine Empire preserved important Greek and Christian works.

Justification: The passage emphasizes Byzantium's key achievement was saving ancient Greek classics and early Christian writings, a major cultural debt to the West.