Byzantium faced centuries of existential threats from Persians, Slavs, and the rise of Islam. Podcasting in Istanbul? - The History of Byzantium
: Facing a Crisis of the Third Century , Emperor Diocletian divided the Roman Empire into East and West to make it more governable. A History of Byzantium
: Unlike the pagan Rome of old, Byzantium was defined by its integration of Roman law, Greek culture, and Christian theology. : Unlike the pagan Rome of old, Byzantium
A thousand-year saga of resilience, intrigue, and survival, the history of the —or the Eastern Roman Empire—is the story of a civilization that preserved the legacy of antiquity while bridging the gap to the modern world. Founded on the site of the ancient Greek city of Byzantium, it rose as the "New Rome" and endured long after the Western Empire fell. I. Foundations: The Birth of New Rome (285–457 AD) A History of Byzantium
: Justinian commissioned the Hagia Sophia , a feat of engineering that remained the world’s largest cathedral for nearly a millennium.
This era marked the empire’s peak territorial reach and cultural splendor.
The empire’s origins lie in the restructuring of the Roman state.