The Orthodox Church views itself as the continuation of the original Church founded by Jesus Christ. Its history began in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. For the first thousand years of Christianity, the East and West were generally united under the "Pentarchy"—five major episcopal sees: Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. The Great Schism (1054)
The central goal of life is "divinization"—becoming more like God through grace and participation in the life of the Church.
After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, many Orthodox Christians lived as subjects under the Ottoman Empire, preserving their faith through local traditions.
The East viewed the Pope as "first among equals" but rejected his absolute jurisdictional authority.