| The name "Byzantine" to describe the Eastern Roman Empire is used by contemporaries to distinguish it as Greek, but in fact it was a continuation of the line of the Roman emperor Theodosius I when he split the Roman Empire in half. In fact, Constantinople was the actual capital of the empire at that time, and therefore the Eastern Roman Empire was just as much, if not more, of a continuation of the Roman Empire as the Western Roman Empire (the capita of which was Ravenna, not Rome, for the majority of its existence). So, starting with 753 B.C. with the legendary founding of Rome or in 29 B.C. with Augustus being crowned "First Citizen" of Rome, the Eastern Roman Empire is the longest lasting empire. And if we get really technical, since the capital of the Roman Empire was at Constantinople before the split, the east really inherited the true empire. So you could just say it's the Roman Empire, not even specifically the Eastern Roman Empire. Its territories changed, but it's dynasty and government did not. I'd also like to point out that Constantinople was never the official name of the city - it was renamed Nova Roma (New Rome) when Constantine the Great moved the capital there. He didn't name the city after himself, he was just so adored by Roman citizens that they called it Constantinople in his honor. |
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