what does Byzantine Empire mean?

The Byzantine Empire or Byzantium is the term conventionally used since the 19th century to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire of the Middle Ages, centered on its capital of Constantinople. The Empire is also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, although this name is more commonly used when referring to the time before the fall of the Western Roman Empire. During much of its history it was known to many of its Western contemporaries as the Empire of the Greeks because of the dominance of Greek language, culture and population. To its inhabitants, the Empire was simply the Roman Empire (Greek: Βασιλεία ωμαίων) and its emperors continued the unbroken succession of Roman emperors. In the Islamic world it was known primarily as Rûm, land of the "Romans").

It means an empire built upon the city formerly known as Byzantium, renamed Constantinople by and for Emperor Constantine I of Rome, and subsequently renamed Istanbul by the Ottoman Turks. The Byzantine Empire was a continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in the eastern regions of the former unitary state - Greece, Turkey, Macedonia, Syria and other regions.

No one explained the why it is called Byzantium (Ancient Greek Byzantion, το Βυζαντιον). In today's Istanbul the south eastern part of the European side of it was called Byzantion in Ancient Times. Turks refer this part of Istanbul as "the historic peninsula". It's where Eminönü, Karaköy, Çemberlitaş and Kapalıçarşı is located. The asian part of Istanbul known called Kadıköy (a large district of Istanbul now) was known as Khalkedon (Χαλκηδών) back then and was considered as another city. The history of Istanbul, either Khalkedon's or Byzantion's, is older than Rome or any major city in Europe. That is tho, as far as I know.

By the way only modern historians called it Byzantine Empire. Neither Greeks nor Turks nor any other people in the whole world identified the Byzantine Empire by that name. It was simply called Roman Empire and modern historians named after the empire from the place where its capital is located. Byzantion.

Little has changed today. Wealth in the hands of the few, political corruption and a false sense of Patriotism. The Roman Empire took 700 years to totally collapse. It was due to many factors, lead lined water pipes and lead cups and goblets. This was detrimental to the health and the lead poisoned their systems, and brains. The belief that the Emperors were demi Gods, and inbreeding was another factor. As the Emperors lived more and more lavish life styles and spent more on conquoring foreign lands the wealth dwindled, so they did what they do today (nothing changes) they taxed the people even more. When the people began to rebel against this, the Emperor of the day, gave orders for more circuses (entertainment, as they are doing today) and the saying was "Give them bread and circuses" this was to distract the people from the real problem. (this is also happening today) The Roman Empire is still with us, but in a more covert way. Complete dominance and the great division between the wealthy and the poor will never work, because when people are starving and they have nothing left to lose this creates anarchy. Great Empires always fall, they become so corrupt they crumble. it takes time though, but it does happen. The people of the USA are not yet hurting enough, and the circuses are clouding their minds, but when their minds clear and the entertainment has become boring, they will see what they have allowed the wealthy ruling class (the Emperors) to do, and then there will be anarchy. The USA will also crumble, it has begun already. So you see history repeats and repeats itself. People are beginning to see through the farce of "Patriotism", this is a clever way of making sure the people "Serve their country" (in other words their masters, the modern day "Emperors") and they do this to the detriment of their own families. Out of stupid patriotism, comes young men and women going off to fight a war and die in, that their masters have started (but don't send their own sons and daughters to) and they don't realise they are only fighting for the wealthy to get wealthier, all wars are always begun by the governments of the day, never by the people, and they are all based on lies. War makes wealth for a certain few. The Roman Empire was just the same. The people woke up eventually and realised that Patriotism was a scam. Thus began the fall of the Roman Empire. There is a lot more but not enough space to write about here. Angel

Byzantine was a city that got it's name from the river that it was situated on.

The Roman Empire extended so far east that it needed a second capital. The Roman Empire broke up (for various reasons) with two halves: the Western one with the Roman capital and the Eastern one with the Byzantine one. The Eastern half was called the Byzantine Empire.

Very simple.

Hi there.

this is an interesting question, check it out on Wikipedia and Google too, but essentially half of the Roman empire, the Eastern half, didn't collapse when Rome itself did!

Based on the city Constantinople (called Byzantium before the emperor Constantine named it after himself), which is now called Istanbul since the Muslim Turks conquered it and is in modern Turkey, they continued to reign over large tracts of Asia Minor, North Africa, Egypt and around the Black Sea for hundreds of years longer. They even briefly reconquered Italy and freed Rome under their greatest general Belisarius, although this fell apart due to internal treachery.

It is fascinating stuff, check it out!

So once Rome had gone, Byzantium continued and their empire became the Byzantine Empire rather then Eastern Roman Empire).

Cheers, Steve.

Byzantine Empire began as the eastern part of the Roman empire. Constantine move the capital to the east and it became very wealthy while the west fell apart. When Rome fell, the west was controlled by the church, and the barbarians. The east became Byzantine, they were christian, mainly greek orth. they spoke Greek, not latin and had to fight against muslim expanision for many years. They will help to start the crusades.

The empire of Bysantium. Capital was Constinople, now Istanbul.. It was the Eastern Roman Empire.

Its what used to be called the Eastern Roman Empire. Before its capital was named constantinople and later istanbul, it was named byzantium.

the empire that was centered on Byzantium (formerly Constantinople, and later Istanbul), that was the eastern Roman empire, and Byzantine Empire eventually became the Ottoman Empire.

http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/MA/BYZ.HTM

http://history-world.org/Byzatines.htm