Rome Vs. Byzantine Empire Compare and Contrast

After the prostration of the romish imperium in 476 C.E., ofttimes of the Mediterranean lavabo was in disorder with no leader delight. Germanic tribes from the trade married couple had conquered the tolerate emperor butterfly and strikeed the knowledge do of import their own. But in the east al roughlyern hemisphere, a impertinently compile was blooming, the gnarled imperium. The mired gather was most(prenominal) uniform and different from the anterior papistical pudding stone, and its corkingest stoopr, Justinian, do it his main ambition to discover the bem utilise territory, and major business leader of capital of Italy.         The imperium of Byzantium was the still neo continent pudding stone to survive the erratic e truly(prenominal)y arduous period of time some 500 years aft(prenominal) the reach of the millennium. Problems much(prenominal) as epidemics, dioceanses, declining populations, scotchal contraction all contributed to pass by of capital of Italy. Political turmoil, social unrest, and outside(a) legions threats in interchangeable expressive style ravaged the upstart roman print pudding stone, do its demise. Yet Byzantium managed to pack onto power end-to-end this time because it controlled legion(predicate) linchpin sea routes coming to and from the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The knotted conglomerate in addition had legion(predicate) of its roads and water ship demeanor still intact, as heavy as methods of long withdrawnness communication, with a set of determinate institutions from the exist roman letters pudding stone. Byzantium became a prosperous center of commerce. Because of these economic and semipolitical strongholds, Byzantium pronto gained fruition as an empire that produced real intumesce manufacture goods including silk and items of interest. This shell of economic strength is akin(predicate) to the token of saving that the earlier romish Empire relied on. Rome was very advantageously(p) know for its manufactured goods, apparitional offering items of great trade repute such as glassware, jewelry, bronze items, linen and wool textiles, succuss tools, and pottery. Thus, the convolute Empire carried on the romish legacy of salutary dependence on fabrication and trade (Marston 80, Evans 121, Adkins 254). Roman standard of usage of legal philosophy and influence were to a fault carried on by the twistings knobbed ambassadors and representatives traveled east and introduced write, Christianity, righteousness write in enrols, and political organization to Slavonic peoples in Eastern atomic number 63 stretching to regions of western Russia. This helped fuse mevery different cultures into one, thusly bringing unification to the eccentric field east of the Mediterranean. This air of bed covering different concepts to areas neighboring the snarly Empire goes hand in hand with the format the Romans employ. This influenced moved(p) some(prenominal) the areas of Northern Africa and Hesperian atomic number 63 the same way it touched the Roman Empire. The introduction of multi irreligious interaction with touch lands helped give birth in the advancement of the knotty Empire in ways similar to how the Romans rose to power. Remarkably, the tortuouss inflected an Empire that was closely similar to the Romans in how they govern themselves. twain empires had governments that were focused tightly to the nobleest degree a strong modify political constitution, with an emperor overseeing political, military, judicial, financial, and religious issues. The latter emperor, Constantine of Byzantium, also carried on the Roman tradition of plenteous spending, building a new capitol filled with museums, libraries, and artistic treasures. In addition, he constructed glorious marble churches, palaces, public buildings, and baths (Evans 103). These examples of government, as well as cases of how emperors lived, show save similarities in the midst of the winding and Roman Empires. Although there were many similarities betwixt the gnarly Empire and the Roman Empire, there were also various deflections. Perhaps the most enceinte difference is found in the way the Byzantines ruled partings of their empire in proportion to the way the Romans ruled portions of their empire. The Byzantines honest political and social adjustments in the face of Islamic conquests (something Romans neer had to impart with for a very long time). The arrangement that Byzantine rulers serene was called the theme system. to a lower place(a) the theme system, a portion of the empire (a theme) was placed under the influence of a cosmopolitan. This general took on the role of overseeing his themes military defense structures as well as its civil administrations. These generals were subject to close supervision by the government, to go on the porta of decentralization of power and authority. The generals would conjure up armies from free peasants who would therefore quickly organize to counter any possible outpouring from invaders. This system greatly streng indeeded Byzantiums antiaircraft attitude military go somewhats, and strengthen the peasant class, resulting in great agriethnical production (Adkins 302, Evans 98, Catholic Encyclopedia). A snatch difference between the Byzantines and the Romans is revealed the way their military systems operated. The Romans oft used their military in an sickish 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 widen their bulky realm. The Byzantines, however, regularly used their military in a defensive manner. surround civilizations such as the Sasanid Empire usually threatened the Byzantines, as did general Islamic conquests. Therefore, the Byzantines spent much time and effort on developing defensive tools and techniques. integrity tool they developed was a variation of a flamethrower that became cognize as Greek move (Adkins 222). This mechanism used sulphur, lime, and vegetable oil to literally shine eat expectlines of invading enemies. The fire from this tool also burn on the surface of water. Thus, if an attack was come on by sea, the Byzantine armies could deploy the use of this weapon, and either chip the precedence of these ships, or, the most snitch 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 kindle difference between the Byzantines and the Romans hatful be observed in the general cultures of each(prenominal) society. For example, the bureaucrats in Roman government were not peculiarly loud or sanguine (with the exception of Julius Creaser). All officials, including the emperor, dress in simple sportsmanlike robes. This was in great counterpoint to the ways in which Byzantine emperors presented themselves. In the sixth one C C.E., Byzantine emperors became exalted, absolute rulers. Therefore, they were visualized in a manner that distinctly presented their experimental condition. The emperors wore a deeply bejeweled crown, and dressed in figure silk robes coloured dark, rich purple. purplish was reserved just for persons associated with the command house, as it was a color in signifying power. As a result, it was nix for anyone else to vesture it. An former(a) example of the Byzantine courts sophisticated hail to everyday affairs was the way in which even high subjects presented themselves to the emperor. onward saying anything to him, they had to compressed themselves three times, and then fondle the emperors hold and feet (Marston 74). After this, then they could begin to discuss their duty with the majestic ruler. Complex innovations were not reserved for subjects either. By the tenth century C.E. the emperor himself had engineers physical body devices that created stunning effects and amazing irrelevant visitors. In front of an audience, the imperial throne itself sometimes locomote up and prevail over to accentuate the exalted status of the emperor. These heathenish examples of imperial presentation and dress further cotton up differences between the Byzantine and Roman Empires. The most noteworthy emperor to rule the early Byzantine Empire was Justinian (527-656 C.E.

). Justinian is best accept for his tuition of a right of life code of rightfulnesss that came to govern the Byzantine Empire for centuries after his reign. These laws lift to be an important cite to establishments of law today. This Code of law, which Justinian called the corpus iuris civilis (Body of the Civil Law), was based upon the codification of Roman law (Evans 154). approximately immediately after he became emperor, Justinian coherent a organized evaluation of Roman law that was to a greater consequence detailed than ever before. Justinians law code came to influence ulterior emperors, and also served as the footing for many law codes to approve in western Europe. Yet the phylogeny of a revised code of law was not Justinians most determined undertaking. Justinians greatest efforts went into the onrush of trying to restore the Western Roman Empire from Germanic tribes. His dream was to bring keep going Roman influence throughout the regions surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. To secure his dream, he appointed his highest general, Belisarius, to lot on a serial publication of military campaigns that would regain the disoriented 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 surrender the re firsts to uphold the gains of their armys conquests. The Byzantines did, however, manage to claim the capitol city of Rome. Consequently, Rome became the home office of Byzantine power in Western Europe. The efforts of Justinian to reclaim the power of the Romans in the Mediterranean were exactly partially successful. He and Belisarius did regain the city of Rome itself, only they did not possess the resources to oblige their gains on any other front against the invading Germanic tribes, failing just as Rome did years prior. After the dilapidation of the great Roman Empire in 476 C.E. at the detainment of invading Germanic tribes, Rome was in ruins politically, economically, and physically. But on the eastern European front, The Byzantine Empire was just starting line to flourish. Many 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 try to realize his dream of recover the lost Roman Empire, though his efforts only proved partly successful. However, his most contemporarily relevant work, Justinians code, trunk an important basis for the geological formation of laws in societies around the domain of a function to this day. Hopefully historians will broaden to uncover details about these great societies and their rulers, and further break up our knowledge of the postclassical period of Europe. Works Cited Adkins, Lesley and Roy. strain take to Life in antiquated Rome. New York: Oxford University crush; Reprint edition, 1998. Very good source I had on hand. I like the fact that it was a huge maintain and could heart-to-heart to any page to peck fearful facts of Rome. Evans, James Allan. The emperor Justinian and the Byzantine Empire (Greenwood Guides to diachronic Events of the superannuated World). New York Greenwood shove: 2005. If you looking for a faultless book to describe 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. & model; 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 deprivation to get a full essay, order it on our website: Orderessay

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