Byzantine Empire: Difference between revisions

The '''Eastern Roman Empire''' was the direct descendant of [[The Roman Empire]], continuing its legacy into the Middle Age. In essence, it was the Greek-speaking Eastern part of Rome that was left standing after the barbarian invasions of the 5th century, prospering and surviving numerous ordeals until the Turks finally finished it off in 1453. The name "Byzantine" as we know today was coined, posthumously, by a German historian named Hieronymus Wolf in 1557, after the capital Byzantium, later [[Istanbul Not Constantinople|Constantinople]]. The empire/kingdom called itself Roman to the very end, or in Medieval Greek: ''Βασιλεία Ῥωμαίων'' (Basileía Rhōmaíōn) "Roman Empire". The short form of the name was simply ''Ῥωμανία'' (Rhōmanía - not to be confused with ''that'' [[Romania]]); its inhabitants were "Rhōmaíōi", or Romans.

 

Speaking of succession, you might ask what has become of the Byzantine identity. Well, Greek people nowadays still consider Byzantium to be the medieval incarnation of Greece, some even [[Misplaced Nationalism|go as far]] as demanding [[Istanbul]], nay, [[Insistent Terminology|Constantinople]] and Asia Minor back from Turkey. For a while, Russians saw themselves as the spiritual [[Ascended Fanboy|successors]] of Constantinople too, what with being Orthodox and all, would call Russia "Third Rome" and adopt many Byzantine symbols such as the [[Mythical Motifs|double-headed eagle]].

 

* [[Arch Enemy]]: As it turned out, the Seljuk and Osman/Ottoman Turks. Before that, the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt. Before that, the Caliphate. Before ''that'', Persia. It also had some really nasty wars with Bulgaria for a century or two.

** Also the Papacy, Venice, and the Holy Roman Emperor also had their time as the Archenemy of Rome.

* [[Vestigial Empire]]: One of the most glorious and enduring examples.

 

* Byzantine is an essential faction in European medieval strategy games, like [[Age of Empires II]], [[Crusader Kings]] and [[Total War|Medieval: Total War]]. In some [[Alternate History]]-capable ones, it's possible to have the Empire survive well into the 20th Century.

* Similarly, history-based [[4X]] and other [[Turn-Based Strategy]] games may have the Byzantines as a playable faction, as well. ''[[Civilization]]'' added the Byzantines in its third and fourth incarnations in their second expansion packs (''Conquests'' and ''Beyond the Sword'', respectively) under Theodora and Justinian, respectively.