How did the Byzantine empire became the new Rome?

Answer 1

The Byzantine Empire was really just another name for the Eastern Roman Empire. The Byzantine Greeks called themselves Rhomaoi (Romans) and their Empire the Roman Empire. They saw themselves as the continuation of the Roman Empire and never used the term "Byzantine" to describe themselves.

There was no one clear period when the Eastern Roman Empire became the Byzantine Empire. Instead it happened in stages - a pagan, Latin empire based around Rome became a Christian Greek-speaking empire based around Constantinople.

In 330, Constantine the Great moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Constantinople. There were a number of reasons for this. One was the fact the site of the city was an excellent defensive position. Secondly it was closer to the rich Eastern cities of the Empire, and also closer to the military outposts border with the Empire's main enemy, Persia.

Constantine supported the introduction of Christianity from Constantinople as well - the city of Rome still had many pagan temples and was not as suitable for the purpose.

The eastern half of the Empire spoke Greek as its working language instead of Latin, because Greeks had dominated the area for centuries before the rise of Rome.

While Constantinople and the Eastern Empire maintained themselves, the Westen Empire was beset by barbarian invasions and by the collapse of urban life. The infantry armies of the Romans could not defend themselves against the barbarians who fought on horseback.

With the collapse of the West, Greek langauge and culture became even more dominant in Constantinople. Christianity increased in power as well. The official Byzantine church would later become known as the Orthodox Church and is the ultimate origin of all of today's Orthodox churches.

Latin and paganism gradually disappeared and were replaced by Greek and Christianity. The process was complete by the time Emperor Heraclius abolished the official use of Latin titles and language in 610.

Answer 2

The so-called Byzantine empire was not an outgrowth of the Roman empire-- it WAS the Roman empire.The eastern part of the Roman empire was called the Byzantine by historians, not by the people living at the time. At the time the people just considered themselves to be Romans, not citizens of a separate empire.

What we now call the Byzantine Empirewas the predominantly Greek-speaking Eastern Mediterranean half of the Roman Empire after the Emperor Diocletian partitioned the Roman Empire into Eastern and Western Mediterranean States. The capital city was Byzantium, thus the name Byzantine which is present day Istanbul.

It remained intact after the decay and fall of the Western Roman Empire. When Constantine was the Roman Emperor, it was renamed Constantinople. It lasted longer the the western Roman Empire and only fell when conquered by the Ottoman Turks in 1453. Interestingly, it is only referred to the Byzantine Empire in modern history.

The citizens of the times considered themselves, and called themselves, "Romans."

Answer 3

I think it's because after the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476, the Eastern Roman Empire continued to exist for another 1000 years. The Eastern Roman Empire became called Byzantine Empire because it's capital city was known as Byzantium before it was called Constantinople.

Answer 4

Byzantine Empire is a term which has been coined by historians to indicate the eastern part of the Roman Empire after the fall of the western part. The so-called "Byzantines" did not use this term. They called their empire the Empire of the Romans or Romania or Rhomais in Latin or Basileia Rhōmaiōn or Rhomania in Greek. Romania was a short form for Roman Empire. It was not related to the country which was later called Romania. All the peoples who lived the Roman Empire saw themselves as Romans. They had been granted Roman citizenship by the emperor Caracalla in 215. The so-called "Byzantines" did not even use the term eastern Romans, which is often used by historians for them. Western and eastern Roman Empire are also terms which have been coined by historians. The Romans and the peoples in the Roman Empire only used the term Empire of the Romans.

The term Byzantine was chosen by a German historian in the 16th century as a derivation from Byzantium, a Greek city which had evolved into a Roman city under Roman rule and which was then redeveloped, turned into an imperial capital and renamed Constantinople (City of Constantine) by the Roman emperor Constantine the Great in 330. It is used to indicate the fact that not long after the fall of the western part of the Roman Empire, this part of the empire became centred on Greece and Greek in character after it lost most of its non-Greek territories. Greek replaced Latin as the official language of this empire in 620, some 150 years after the fall of the western part. Both the terms Byzantine and Byzantine Empire became common in Western Europe in the 19th century.

Answer 5

The so-called "Byzantine Empire" was not an outgrowth of the Roman Empire. it was the continuation of the Roman Empire.

Byzantine Empire is a term which has been coined by historians to indicate the eastern part of the Roman Empire after the fall of the western part (in continued to exist for nearly 1,000 years). The so-called "Byzantines" did not even know this term. They called their empire Imperium Romanum , Imperium Romanorum (Empire of the Romans) , or Romania in Latin or or Basileia Rhomaion, Arche ton Rhomaion or Rhomania , which were the same terms in Greek. The Term Romania was not related to the country which was later called Romania (it means land of the Romans).

The term Byzantine was chosen by a German historian in the 16th century as a derivation from Byzantium, a Greek city which evolved into a Roman city under Roman rule and which was then redeveloped, turned into an imperial capital and renamed Constantinople (City of Constantine) by the Roman emperor Constantine the Great in 330. It is used to indicate the fact that not long after the fall of the western part of the Roman Empire, this part of the empire became centred on Greece and Greek in character after it lost most of its non-Greek territories. Greek replaced Latin as the official language of this empire in 620, some 150 years after the fall of the western part. Both the terms Byzantine and Byzantine Empire became common in Western Europe in the 19th century.

Answer 6

The last of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople, fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453.

Answer 7

After the collapse of the Western Empire, the Eastern Empire managed to survive and became the Roman Empire.