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The Byzantine Empire

Satisfactory Essays

The Byzantine Empire is a modern name for the Roman Empire after the fall of its Western provinces. ' To what extent does this fairly characterise the Byzantines?

The Byzantine Empire existed from the 3rd century to 14th. In the time of its existence, it achieved levels of the economic and cultural stability never seen before. Its wealth and political prowess, as well as her military power were of no match over a period of nearly a thousand years. It was founded as a result of the divide of the Roman Empire into two parts; Eastern and Western. The establishment of the new Rome, the great city of Constantinople (modern day Istanbul) even to this day serves as the invisible border between two parts of the old world. A place were Orthodox Christianity and Islam flourished and a place where Western Culture meet the East. However, was the Byzantine Empire truly a match for the greatness of Rome?

The majority of the greatest states had a long heritage and built up to their power and greatness. That is the case with Byzantine Empire (which to the people of this time was still known as simply the Eastern Roman Empire), which started off as the part of the Roman Empire. Roman emperors did think that management of such a large empire was sustainable and as a result of that, Diocletian decided to divide the empire in to halves “each ruled by an emperor and an assistant junior emperor. They would act in concert, issuing laws to be observed in both halves of the Roman world, while

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