While the western half of the Roman Empire collapsed in the 5th century, the eastern half of the empire survived for another thousand years. The Byzantines saw themselves as simply continuing the Roman Empire. Like the emperors of Rome, the Byzantine emperors continued to be all-powerful. They maintained an imperial system of government over a diverse population. Because Constantinople was in the East, most of its merchants and other residents spoke Greek. At first, the official language of government remained Latin, but it also eventually was replaced by Greek.

The Byzantines were also united by their own form of Christianity - Eastern Orthodoxy - which was separate from the Catholic Church. Orthodox Christians did not recognize the Pope as the head of their church. Instead, they had their own Patriarch. Orthodox Christians decorated their churches with icons -images of Jesus and the saints. There were other differences, such as views on the Trinity and the shape of the cross they displayed in their churches.

The Byzantines developed a vibrant culture. They built the Church of Hagia Sophia with its giant dome and tall spires. Schools taught ancient Greek texts. Byzantine artists used precious materials - gold, silver, and ivory - to display classical images. They were primarily known for their colorful icons and mosaics (pictures made with pieces of cut stone and glass).

The size of the Byzantine Empire varied over time. In its early centuries, it ruled over the Balkan Peninsula, the Middle East, and parts of Italy. Under Justinian (527-565), it reconquered much of the old Roman Empire.

One of the most outstanding achievements of the Byzantine Empire was the Code of Justinian. Emperor Justinian collected the existing Roman laws and organized them into a single code. The code listed all the laws and opinions on each subject. Justinian's Code also had special laws relating to religion. It required that all persons in the empire must belong to the Eastern Orthodox Christian faith.

The late Byzantine Empire continuously battled the Slavs and Avars to the north, the Persian Empire to the east, and the spread of Islam in the south. In the 600s, Muslim Arabs took most of the empire's territory in the Middle East. You will learn more about the rise of Islam in the next chapter.

The empire declined further in the 11th century. The Seljuk Turks, originally from Central Asia, defeated the Byzantine army in I071 and took possession of most of Asia Minor. Crusaders attacked the city in 1204. City-states in Italy began to compete with Constantinople for Mediterranean trade. Yet the Byzantines still controlled the Balkan Pen­ insula and survived for another 400 years. Their empire eventually unraveled from continuous attacks on all sides. By the 1440s, the Byzantine Empire was reduced to a small area just around the city of Constantinople itself. In 1453, Constantinople was finally conquered by the Ottoman Turks.

One place that Byzantium greatly influenced was Russia. Russia emerged as a state in the 9th century, in the forest lands between the Baltic and Black Seas. Viking raiders organized Slavs in the region into a kingdom centered in Keiv. Other Russian cities, such as Moscow and Novgorod, developed to the north. Early Russian cities carried on a brisk trade with the Byzantine Empire. Contact with the Byzantines affected Russia in many ways. Byzantine culture - especially Orthodox Christianity, the Cyrillic alphabet, and Byzantine crafts and products - was introduced into Russian society. The Byzantines also converted other Slavic peoples and the Bulgars to Christianity, leaving a permanent legacy in Eastern Europe 

1.       Preserved Ancient Cultures. The Byzantines pre­ served the rich cultural heritage of classical civilization, including Greek philosophy and science and Roman engineering. Copies of ancient texts were saved despite destruction in the West.

2.       Code of Justinian. Emperor Justinian consolidated Roman laws into a single legal code which served as a guide on most legal questions. It greatly influenced later Western legal systems.

3.       New Form of Christianity. Eastern Orthodox Christianity was led by the Patriarch and the emperor in Constantinople rather than the Pope in Rome.

4.       The Arts. The Byzantines were renowned for their mosaics, painted icons, gold jewelry, and silks. Constantinople's cathedral, Hagia Sophia, is considered one of the world's most beautiful buildings.