A Concise History of Byzantium

Between AD 285, when Byzantium first separated from the Western Roman Empire, and 1461, when the last Byzantine splinter state disappeared, the Byzantine state and society underwent many crises, triumphs, declines and recoveries. Spanning twelve centuries and three continents, the Byzantine empire linked the ancient and modern worlds, shaping and transmitting Greek, Roman, and Christian traditionsâ including the Greek classics, Roman law, and Christian theologyâ that remain vigorous today, not only in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, but throughout western civilization.