From the handout, after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, its legacy survived in the east in the form of the Byzantine Empire. It owes its existence by following Roman government, Christian religion and Greco-Roman culture as its pillar. It is located in what we now called as the country of Turkey. Unlike its brother in the west, the Byzantine Empire was not in the immediate danger of being invaded by barbarian hordes like the different Germanic tribes.
The Byzantine Empire was strategically located on a spot where it can be defended on all sides. It walls endured for centuries against attacks from different forces that were not barbarian like the Arabs in particular. The most famous emperor was Justinian who was a very controversial figure. He ruled well with the aid of his wife but he also made some questionable deeds spending lavishly while the supplies of the empire were becoming limited. The greatest legacy left by the Byzantine Empire was it paved the way for the conversion of Russia into Christianity. When the capital Constantinople was destroyed, some Russian princes wanted to convert Moscow into the “Third Rome” in honor of Constantinople being “The Second Rome”. The empire met its end when it was bombarded by the Seljuk Turks and was superseded by the Ottoman Empire.
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