*high ranking church official

*Administered to the needs of priests

*traced their spiritual authority to the apostles, and through the apostles, to Jesus.

*supervisor of the monks

*appointed abbots or approved their election

* all bishops were considered all equal successors of the apostles.

*usually came from noble families

* Gradually the bishops of the most important cities in the Roman empire- Rome, Antioch, Alexandria, Jerusalem, and Constantinople-gained greater authority
- took on the title Patriarch and exercised authority over other bishops in their area.

Bishop