Byzantine Empire

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

the continuation of the Eastern Roman Empire following the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE, centred on Constantinople (modern Istanbul) and surviving until the Ottoman conquest in 1453; the Byzantine Empire preserved and transmitted classical Greek learning, Roman law, and Christian theology throughout the Middle Ages, and served as a bulwark against Persian and Arab expansion into Europe; its artistic tradition — characterised by gold-ground mosaics, icon painting, and elaborate church architecture — profoundly influenced Eastern Orthodox Christian culture from Russia to Ethiopia; Byzantine diplomacy, law, and administrative sophistication influenced the Ottoman Empire that succeeded it, while its scholars fleeing the fall of Constantinople brought Greek manuscripts to Italy, contributing to the Renaissance