"The term 'Byzantine Empire' is a modern scholarly invention. It derives from Byzantion, the ancient Greek name of Constantinople before it became the imperial capital."
"This label was not neutral. It reflected Renaissance and Enlightenment biases that equated 'true' Rome with Latin language, pagan antiquity, and the city of Rome itself."
"For Byzantines themselves, however, there was no such rupture. The Roman Empire had changed, but it had not ended."
"The Byzantine self-image as Roman endured for more than a thousand years, surviving language change, religious transformation, territorial loss, and even the fall of Rome itself."
The Byzantine Empire, known to its inhabitants as the Roman Empire, reflects a significant identity mismatch with modern interpretations. The term 'Byzantine Empire' is a modern construct, derived from the ancient name Byzantion, and was popularized by historians who sought to distinguish it from classical Rome. This label carried biases that viewed the empire as a deviation from true Roman identity. Despite changes over centuries, the Byzantine self-image as Roman persisted, highlighting the continuity of Roman institutions and culture even after the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
#byzantine-empire #roman-identity #historical-interpretation #cultural-continuity #eastern-and-western-europe
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