"Empire of God: How the Byzantines Saved Civilization" by Robert Spencer
Contrary to popular opinion, the Roman Empire lasted almost 2,000 years! That was up until the fall of the Eastern half of the Empire based on Constantinople in 1453 to the Muslim horde. The citizens of what has been dubbed "The Byzantine Empire" by more recent historians never referred to themselves as "Byzantinians"--they called themselves "Romans". True, along the way they dropped speaking Latin for speaking Greek, the language of scholars and ancient writings. But there was never a time when the Empire in the East was not considered part of the Roman Empire by th people of that time.
When Rome was sacked in the 5th century, it seemed to Western Romans (even North African Christian leaders who were Romans, such as Augustine) that the world had shifted on its axis. But the Western part of the Empire had been declining ever since Constantine built the city now known as "Istanbul" in the 4th century, and moved part of the governmental workload there.
It was the Eastern part of the Empire that kept the flame of Roman law and government going , even though constantly under attack by the Muslim armies since Mohammed. Thanks to the people we call Byzantines, Western culture received the enormous heritage of law and beauty.
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