As a history tutor, I am often asked about the Byzantine Empire and how it relates to Rome.
When Constantine established Constantinople as a second capital of the Roman Empire, he essentially split the empire in two, though both pieces worked in tandem until the Goths sacked Rome and killed the Western Emperor in the 5th Century.
The Eastern Roman Empire continued on from there. In fact, the term Byzantine wasn't used for the first time until a hundred years after the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Even then, the term didn't come into common use until the 19th Century. If you took a citizen off the street of a Byzantine city, he would say he was a citizen of the Roman Empire. In law, technology and military, the Byzantine was much Roman as it could be. Only the dominant language (Greek) and culture was different, and the culture of the east had been different from the western part of the empire for centuries before the fall of Rome, so there was little difference at all.
Now, much of Western Europe referred to the Greek Empire, or Eastern Empire, refusing to give it the title 'Roman'. This caused a great deal of friction between ruling parties east and west and also contributed in no small part to the split between Orthodox Christianity and Catholicism. The Byzantine Emperor also objected strongly to the Catholic Pope naming the German states the Holy Roman Empire.
So, really, what am I getting at you might ask yourself. It really comes down to opinion, not concrete fact. Both sides have equally compelling arguments. In my opinion, Rome didn't truly fall until 1453 because the Byzantines continued the law and spirit of ancient Rome with them.
Questions about history and comments are more than welcome. I will try to continue this blog regularly, coming up with historical topics and alternate history scenarios.
Please visit the website for my Alternate History novel here: http://www.createspace.com/3564520
