The Byzantine Empire

             While Caesar Augustus was establishing Rome's greatness, Christianity was beginning in the Roman province of Judea. After 476 A.D., the end of the Roman Empire in the West and the start of Germanic rule, a new Christian Rome emerged in Byzantium. Christian leaders after Diocletian ruled with both Roman power and Christianity.
             Internal anarchy and foreign invasion greatly changed the Roman Empire. Germanic tribes closed in on Rome and took control, completing Rome's decline. These people had few written laws, so their methods of proving innocence were extreme. After the death of Theodosius I in 395, the Empire was divided between his two sons. Roman decline continued in the West as its emperors abandoned Rome, seeking safety in Ravenna. The Huns' empire fell after the death of Attila, allowing the Ostrogoths and other tribes to move farther south. Italy wouldn't be united under one government again until the nineteenth century.
             Byzantium survived for more than 1000 years because of the security and wealth provided by its location. Constantinople had several industries producing gold, military supplies, hardware, and textiles. Salvation came when Heraclius, the Byzantine governor of North Africa, returned to overthrow the emperor. He instituted a theme system that strengthened his armies, increased support from the people, and helped his administration. He also fought history's first holy war, called jihad by the Muslims, to reclaim Jerusalem. Leo the Isaurian rebuilt the theme system when Byzantium was faced with a three-sided invasion. He limited capital punishment crimes to treason, and mutilation for common crimes. Byzantium enjoyed superiority over its foes. They continued their military and their theological dynamism, as well as their sometimes violent political traditions. The Byzantine Empire, like many others, was brought down by internal conflicts rather than external takeov
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The Byzantine Empire. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 03:36, July 02, 2025, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/88679.html