The History of the Byzantine Empire
When the western Roman Empire fell in 476 BCE, the eastern part of the Roman Empire (Greece, Southern Italy, Asia Minor, and islands in the Mediterranean Sea) continued to flourish. The Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantine Empire was centered around its capital city, Constantinople.
Constantinople (present day Istanbul) is located on an isthmus that connects eastern Turkey to Europe and is next to the Bosporus Strait that links the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. This area used to be a colony of Greece called Byzantium.
The Western Roman Empire helped preserve the Greek knowledge of science, philosophy, arts, and literature. Roman knowledge of law and engineering were also preserved. Christianity continued to be the main religion. Eastern Orthodox Catholicism is the common religion of Eastern European countries today.
Constantinople (present day Istanbul) is located on an isthmus that connects eastern Turkey to Europe and is next to the Bosporus Strait that links the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. This area used to be a colony of Greece called Byzantium.
The Western Roman Empire helped preserve the Greek knowledge of science, philosophy, arts, and literature. Roman knowledge of law and engineering were also preserved. Christianity continued to be the main religion. Eastern Orthodox Catholicism is the common religion of Eastern European countries today.