Lost To The West

What is the Byzantine Empire?

In truth, the term is a construct. If you were to travel back in time to the Byzantine Empire and ask a citizen, “What’s the best thing about being Byzantine?”, they would probably regard you curiously and say, “What’s a Byzantine?”.

On April 21, in approximately 753 BCE, the city of Rome was founded as a kingdom. Legend has it the first four kings were wise and moderate rulers. The fifth King of Rome, Tarquin the Proud, was a cruel tyrant, and in 509 BCE the people of Rome overthrew him. So disgusted with Tarquin’s rule were the citizens of Rome that they decided to abolish kings entirely. In their place, the people developed a clever and novel system for governance, a republic.

Most of the king’s powers were transferred to two new positions, the Consuls, who would be voted into office by the people for a term of one year. Each consul would act as a check against the others power and influence, even holding the power to veto the others decisions. Initially created by the first king of Rome, Romulus, to advise the king, the Roman Senate would continue to advise and oversee the conduct of the Consuls. Should they abuse their authority, the Senate had the power to prosecute Consuls once their term had ended. In times of emergency, the Senate could even suspend the Consuls and elect a Dictator for a term of six-months.

The Roman Republic endured for nearly 500 years, expanding to nearly 80% of its maximum territorial extent during this period. After a civil war, in 44 BCE, Julias Caesar was named dictator-for-life before being assassinated a few months later. The Republic was plunged into another civil war, with Caesar’s nephew and adopted son, Octavian, triumphing over Marc Antony. In gratitude, or without much choice, the Roman Senate named Octavian Princeps, or First Citizen, and effectively made his dictator-for-life as they had done with Caesar. To top it off, the Senate bestowed a new name on Octavian. Henceforth he would be know as Augustus, “the venerated”.

Although Augustus was never named “Roman Emperor”, the Republic existed in name only, and a new constitution guaranteed that Augustus would be able to name his successor, Tiberius, thus beginning the Roman Empire.

For two and half centuries, the Empire grew and expanded. But that growth encompassed a myriad of cultures and languages, and Rome suffered constant uprisings and mutinies over that span. By 270 CE, the Emperor Diocleatian had enough. Rome, the Eternal City, was at the geographic center of a far-flung empire, and, even with it’s impressive system of roads, it was impossible to mange the Roman Empire from Rome itself.

First, Diocleatian split the Roman Empire into western and eastern half, each would be governed by a co-emperor. Second, while the spiritual capitol of the Empire would always remain Rome, the emperors would each establish new capitols, better centered to manage their half. In the west, the capitol moved from Rome north Mediolanum, where present day Milan, Italy is located. In the east, the capitol would be Antioch, in present day Syria, along the Mediterranean coast.

This arrangement only lasted 30 years or so, until the Emperor-in-the-West, Constantine the Great, defeated the Emperor-in-the-East and, again, united the Roman Empire under a single ruler. Not content with ruling from overcrowded and polluted Rome, nor the recently established capitols, Constantine began a search for place to build his own new capitol, and it did not take him long.

Constantine’s quest to unify the empire began in modern day England and ended in Greece. Over that time, he had the opportunity to scout multiple locations for his new city. But in the ancient Greek province of Thracia, he found exactly what he was looking for. A roughly triangular peninsula jutting out into the sea and easily defensed towards the land too. Also rich in resources, with natural supplies of water. On one side of the peninsula was the Sea of Marmara, with swift currents making landings difficult. On the other side was a deep harbor. It was perfect, except, of course, there was already a city on this particular location. A place called Byzantium.

Undeterred, Constantine claimed the city as his and, in only a few short years, manage to have it completed rebuilt. Dedicated in 330 CE, Constantine named his capitol Nova Roma, or New Rome. Outside of official documents, few actually called the city by that name, however. In general, the people referred to the new capitol as Constantine’s City, or, in the local Greek – Constantinople.

The new city grew rapidly, but Constantine died in 337, leaving behind three sons to battle for the throne. For the next 150 years, the Roman Empire was again ruled by co-emperors. In the eastern half, the emperor maintain their capitol in well defended Constantinople. In the west, however, the situation was generally one of continual rebellion and mutiny, especially in the province of Gaul, modern day France. The western capitol was moved again from Mediolanum to Ravenna, on the Adriatic cost of northern Italy.

In 455, Rome was attacked and taken by the Vandals. Although not the official capitol of the Empire for hundreds of years, it was the genesis of the Empire and The Eternal City. It’s loss sent a shockwave through the western empire. With it’s own problems, the Emperor-in-the-East could offer little assistance. For the next 21 years, a series of rebellions brought a succession of new Emperors-in-the-West, each with less power and authority than the previous, as the western empire disintegrated.

On September 4th, 476 CE, a 16 year old young man walked into the Roman Senate for the Western Empire in Ravenna. Outside of the cities walls was a massive army lead by a former officer in the Western Roman Army named Odoacer. Although the young man wore garments that included purple, a color strictly reserved for Roman emperors, the Senate did not treat Romulus Augustus with great deference. Although the body only had ceremonial powers, it would best, the Senators explained to the Emperor-in-the-West, if he were to abdicate his powers to Odoacer. Although not naturally disposed to this suggestion, the young emperor had no army and no hope.

Odoacer, it is said, took pity on young Romulus, and spared him though exile so he could go live with relatives. It’s even said Odoacer granted Romulus a generous annual pension. Becoming a new Emperor-in-the-West, however, was not in Odoacer’s plans. Instead, he had the Roman Senate crown him as King of Italy. The Senate even went so far as to send a mission to Constantinople, delivering the regalia of the Emperor-of-the-West to the Emperor-of-the-East, with a message: “The West no longer requires an emperor of it’s own”. Thus, the Western Roman Empire ended.

But again, what is the Byzantine Empire? It is the Roman Empire in the East, which endured for nearly 1000 years after the Empire fell in the west. As the west collapsed, and the Dark Ages began in Europe, the East continued to be a center of science, art, commerce and culture. Although the Empire was now permanently centered in Greece, and became increasing less Latin, it remains a fascinating time.

In his book, “Lost To The West“, Lars Brownworth does a wonderful job shedding light onto this forgotten and largely ignored continuation of the Roman Empire. After all, when Mehmet II and his Ottoman Empire finally captured Constantinople in 1453, he added a new title for himself: Kayser-i Rum, which is literally “Caesar of Rome”, not “Caesar of Byzantium”.