- published: 27 Jun 2016
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The Byzantine Empire, sometimes referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire in the East during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul, originally founded as Byzantium). It survived the fragmentation and fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD and continued to exist for an additional thousand years until it fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453. During most of its existence, the empire was the most powerful economic, cultural, and military force in Europe. Both "Byzantine Empire" and "Eastern Roman Empire" are historiographical terms created after the end of the realm; its citizens continued to refer to their empire as the Roman Empire (Ancient Greek: Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, tr. Basileia tôn Rhōmaiōn; Latin: Imperium Romanum), or Romania (Ῥωμανία), and to themselves as "Romans".
Several events from the 4th to 6th centuries mark the period of transition during which the Roman Empire's Greek East and Latin West divided. Constantine I (r. 324–337) reorganised the empire, made Constantinople the new capital, and legalised Christianity. Under Theodosius I (r. 379–395), Christianity became the Empire's official state religion and other religious practices were proscribed. Finally, under the reign of Heraclius (r. 610–641), the Empire's military and administration were restructured and adopted Greek for official use instead of Latin. Thus, although the Roman state continued and Roman state traditions were maintained, modern historians distinguish Byzantium from ancient Rome insofar as it was centred on Constantinople, oriented towards Greek rather than Latin culture, and characterised by Orthodox Christianity.
It's the beginning of a beautiful end
I drown again just to taste the sand
Praying to pinholes of light above
The unholy that we don't speak of
A sobering fact that my life has never meant a thing
A memory of perpetual lies
Can you see this pitiful life now on display?
An evolution of my suicide
We cast out liars
We cast out liars
These demons are mine, residing inside
Carving out the inner skull
Making ample room for more
They subdivide, evil comes in legions
A sobering fact that my life has never meant a thing
Whom the gods love shall die young
Antagonist, longing for the agony to persist
My scars shall ripen in the sun
[Solo Tony]
We cast out liars
We cast out liars
Isolated by fire