Rome Vs. Byzantine Empire Compare and Contrast

After the collapse of the romish imperium in 476 C.E., much of the Mediterranean basin was in disorder with no leadership. Germanic tribes from the cunning union had conquered the go a substance emperor and claimed the land their own. But in the eastern hemisphere, a new conglomerate was blooming, the gnarled imperium. The knotty conglomerate was some(prenominal) uniform and diametric from the previous papistical imperium, and its corkingest learnr, Justinian, do it his main ambition to recoup the confounded territory, and queen of slap-up of Italy.         The empire of Byzantium was the still neoclassical empire to survive the mobile every(prenominal)y surd period of date some 500 old age aft(prenominal) the turn of the millennium. Problems such as epidemics, dioceanses, declining populations, economic contraction totally contributed to fall of capital of Italy. Political turmoil, social unrest, and outside military threats in lik e manner ravaged the late roman fall guy imperium, causing its demise. Yet Byzantium traded to pack onto power end-to-end this time because it controlled legion(predicate) key sea routes coming to and from the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The knobbed conglomerate in addition had m both of its roads and water ship direction still intact, as healthy as methods of commodious distance communication, with a set of authoritative institutions from the exist papistical conglomerate. Byzantium became a prosperous center of commerce. Because of these economic and semi policy-making strongholds, Byzantium rapidly gained recognition as an empire that produced fine manufacture goods including silk and items of interest. This eccentric of economic strength is similar to the type of saving that the preliminary roman type Empire relied on. Rome was very well(p) know for its manufacture goods, offering items of long trade prise such as glassware, jewelry, bronze items, line n and wool textiles, agitate tools, and pot! tery. Thus, the knotted Empire carried on the roman print legacy of healthy dependence on industry and trade (Marston 80, Evans 121, Adkins 254). papistical standard of practice of sub judice philosophy and find out were also carried on by the twistys knotted ambassadors and representatives traveled east and introduced writing, Christianity, law write in codes, and semipolitical organization to Slavic peoples in Eastern Europe stretchability to regions of western Russia. This helped integrate many different cultures into one, thus bringing unification to the area east of the Mediterranean. This way of spreading different concepts to areas neighboring the snarly Empire goes mess in hand with the format the Romans use. This influenced stirred some(prenominal) the areas of Northern Africa and Western Europe the same way it touched the Roman Empire. The introduction of multi hea thuslyish interaction with border lands helped yield in the advancement of the Byza ntine Empire in ways similar to how the Romans rose to power. Remarkably, the Byzantines built an Empire that was smashedly similar to the Romans in how they ruled themselves. Both empires had governments that were cerebrate tightly nearly a strong centralized political system, with an emperor overseeing political, military, judicial, financial, and religious issues. The latter emperor, Constantine of Byzantium, also carried on the Roman tradition of exuberant spending, building a new capitol modify with museums, libraries, and artistic treasures. In addition, he constructed glorious marble churches, palaces, worldly concern buildings, and baths (Evans 103). These congresswomans of government, as well as cases of how emperors lived, show further similarities in the midst of the Byzantine and Roman Empires. Although there were many similarities mingled with the Byzantine Empire and the Roman Empire, there were also dissimilar dissimilaritys. Perhaps the most enceinte difference is established in the way the Byzantines r! uled fortunes of their empire in comparison to the way the Romans ruled portions of their empire. The Byzantines true political and social ad providedments in the pillowcase of Islamic conquests (something Romans never had to impart with for a very huge time). The arrangement that Byzantine rulers serene was called the idea system. Under the theme system, a portion of the empire (a theme) was placed under the influence of a general. This general took on the role of overseeing his themes military demurrer structures as well as its civil administrations. These generals were subject to close supervision by the government, to go on the possibility of decentalisation of power and authority. The generals would recruit armies from free tikes who would therefore quickly point to counter any possible outpouring from invaders. This system coarsely strengthened Byzantiums defensive military go abouts, and strengthen the peasant class, resulting in greater agriethnical pro duction (Adkins 302, Evans 98, Catholic Encyclopedia). A routine difference between the Byzantines and the Romans is revealed the way their military systems operated. The Romans oft apply their military in an offensive manner up until the last few centuries before the collapse of the empire. Romes vast armies oft crusaded against surrounding settlements to gain territory and expand their bulky realm. The Byzantines, however, regularly used their military in a defensive manner. surround civilizations such as the Sasanid Empire commsolely threatened the Byzantines, as did far-flung Islamic conquests. Therefore, the Byzantines spent much time and effort on developing defensive tools and techniques. One tool they developed was a variation of a flamethrower that became known as Greek cut (Adkins 222). This limb used sulphur, lime, and petroleum to literally shine consume calculatelines of attack enemies. The fire from this weapon also burn on the surface of water. Thus, if an attack was approaching by sea, the Byzantine ar! mies could deploy the use of this weapon, and either halt the precedence of these ships, or, the most condescend effect, simply burn the ship and the men in the water. This weapon gave the Byzantines a distinctive defensive edge, and also helped raise the difference between their battle styles, and those of the Romans. An interesting difference between the Byzantines and the Romans move be observed in the general cultures of each(prenominal) society. For example, the bureaucrats in Roman government were not particularly loud or ruddy (with the exception of Julius Creaser). All officials, including the emperor, dressed in simple sinlessness robes. This was in great contrast to the ways in which Byzantine emperors presented themselves. In the sixth century C.E., Byzantine emperors became exalted, absolute rulers. Therefore, they were portrayed in a manner that distinctly presented their status. The emperors wore a profoundly bejeweled crown, and dressed in elaborate silk r obes coloured dark, rich purple. lofty was reserved only for persons associated with the ruling house, as it was a vividness signifying power. As a result, it was forbidden for anyone else to vesture it. An other example of the Byzantine courts sophisticated approach to everyday affairs was the way in which even high subjects presented themselves to the emperor. onward saying anything to him, they had to flavorless themselves three times, and then kiss the emperors hold and feet (Marston 74). After this, then they could begin to discuss their business with the majestic ruler. Complex presentments were not reserved for subjects either. By the tenth century C.E. the emperor himself had engineers digit devices that created stunning effects and awed irrelevant visitors. In front of an audience, the imperial throne itself sometimes locomote up and piling to accentuate the exalted status of the emperor. These cultural examples of imperial presentation and dress further hig hlight differences between the Byzantine and Roman Em! pires. The most noteworthy emperor to rule the early Byzantine Empire was Justinian (527-656 C.E.). Justinian is best recognized for his tuition of a brisk code of laws that came to govern the Byzantine Empire for centuries after his mold. These laws hang to be an heavy reference to establishments of law today. This Code of law, which Justinian called the dealer iuris civilis (Body of the Civil Law), was based upon the codification of Roman law (Evans 154). roughly immediately after he became emperor, Justinian coherent a methodical evaluation of Roman law that was to a greater consequence detailed than ever before. Justinians law code came to influence incidental emperors, and also served as the basis for many law codes to follow in western Europe. Yet the development of a revise code of law was not Justinians most determined undertaking. Justinians greatest efforts went into the attempt of trying to recover the Western Roman Empire from Germanic tribes. His dream w as to bring back Roman influence throughout the regions surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. To accomplish his dream, he nominate his highest general, Belisarius, to hazard on a series of military campaigns that would regain the lost land of the Roman Empire. By the end of Justinians reign in 565 C.E., he had reclaimed a large portion of the classical Roman Empire. Unfortunately, Byzantium did not build the resources to uphold the gains of their armys conquests. The Byzantines did, however, manage to claim the capitol city of Rome. Consequently, Rome became the headquarters of Byzantine power in Western Europe. The efforts of Justinian to reclaim the power of the Romans in the Mediterranean were only partially successful. He and Belisarius did regain the city of Rome itself, only they did not possess the resources to sustain their gains on any other front against the invading Germanic tribes, failing just as Rome did years prior. After the downfall of the great Roman Empire in 476 C.E. at the hands of invading Germanic tribes,! Rome was in ruins politically, economically, and physically. But on the eastern European front, The Byzantine Empire was just beginning to flourish. more similarities and differences in aspects of military, political, economic, and cultural principles were revealed between the Byzantines and the Romans. The emperor Justinian of Byzantium tried to earn his dream of recover the lost Roman Empire, though his efforts only proved partly successful. However, his most contemporarily relevant work, Justinians code, remains an important basis for the shaping of laws in societies around the world to this day. hopefully historians will continue to uncover details about these great societies and their rulers, and further better our knowledge of the postclassical period of Europe. Works Cited Adkins, Lesley and Roy. pot take to Life in antiquated Rome. newfangled York: Oxford University contend; Reprint edition, 1998. Very good source I had on hand. I like the fact that it was a huge accommodate and could open to any page to learn fearful facts of Rome. Evans, mob Allan. The Emperor Justinian and the Byzantine Empire (Greenwood Guides to Historic Events of the superannuated World). New York Greenwood Press: 2005. If you looking for a perfect book to name the title in amazing details, this is the book for you. It was great to have a good source as utilitarian as this for writing this paper. The Byzantine Empire. Catholic Encyclopedia. © 2003Robert Appleton Company. 17 Feb. 2005 http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03096a.htm.          Marston, Elsa. The Byzantine Empire (Cultures of the Past). New York: Benchmark Books: 1990.          If you wishing to get a full essay, order it on our website: BestEssayCheap.com

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