Is the Byzantine Empire the Roman Empire?

Is the Byzantine Empire actually the Roman Empire? Is the legacy of Rome authentically preserved within Byzantium? Or is the Byzantine Empire Greek instead of Roman? This is a common debate between people I’ve seen on the internet, and with a few people I’ve chatted to myself. This is not to mention the Modern Greek identity which holds in part a heritage from Byzantium.

Music Credits:
Red Sun - Imperator Rome Copyright [2019] Paradox Interactive AB
Caesarion - Imperator Rome Copyright [2019] Paradox Interactive AB

[HistorysInfluence]

Feel free to leave feedback, suggestions etc. This one's a shorter video, I'm planning on weekly uploads, alternating between at alternate history scenario, then a shorter video of an interesting topic like this one. In the future I am also planning on improving overall quality, in particular a focus on visual presentation (this includes maps).

[Neatling]

Loved the video, you did a great job addressing the different arguments in a bite-sized video format.

"Franks calling Rome not Rome?"
"Pure barbarism!"

That's certainly quote worthy.

[legionxfretensis]

The Eastern Romans continued the Spirit of Rome after the Western Empire’s fall.

[romainvicta]

I feel like this conflict comes down to the annoying chain of countries claiming to be the successors to Rome. Which is fair because the latin westerners like the spanish french, and italians are all descendants from the ancient latin romans. In my opinion Italy and Greece are the two best contenders but in the end there are no successor states in the modern day. So I like to divide Rome's legacy by it's timeline. For example, since Latin is an italic culture I think it's safe to say Italy can claim Rome's accomplishments from 753 BC to 476 AD, and then Greece gets to claim Byzantine Rome from 620 AD (when the empire's language changes to greek) till 1453.

[baltulielkungsgunarsmiezis]

The most solid argument for it being the same Empire is the fact that the government tradition never changed, they inherited all the strengths and flaws of the Roman Empire full sale.
The strongest argument against is that it wasnt latin but rather greek and the Empire built by the city of Rome was the Empire of the latin people all of whom where citizens since the last Samnite war.

[johnirby]

Since I keep getting attacked. I'm going to make a video with primary sources to explain exactly what the Romans thought. Going point by point to disprove this. I'm going to prove that not only was the language, culture, system of government, and even faith different but also written accounts from both people from Rome and Greece about how they felt about it. And each other.

[joaomartins]

In my opinion, while the Byzantine Empire is a direct continuation of the Ancient Rome, they are not the same thing, just like France isn't the same thing as the Frankish Empire of Charlemagne....the empire changed, and their concepts of what means to be "roman" where completely different from the classic one. So, the different name seems quite justified.

[lucyfaire]

Why is there even a debate about this?

[johnirby]

I'm going to say no because it is freaking 1/4th the size and no where near as powerful at any time as the classical Imperial Roman Empire at it's height. At Rome's height it had 300, 000 professional soldiers! That wouldn't be repeated until the freaking 1800's.

[Christian_Sannino]

Byzantine Empire is the second Roman Empire

[narrowistheway]

Justinian knew he couldn’t rightfully claim his empire as Rome without holding the city of Rome. That’s why he sent Belasarius to go get Rome back. Once they lost Rome to Pipin they weren’t Rome anymore. Also, they were Greek speaking Greeks for the most part. Calling them Byzantium is accurate, that was their host city, not Rome. I don’t see your arguments against the reality of the situation as legitimate. Even the Bible doesn’t see Eastern Rome as being Rome in truth and GOD knows everything

[erichtomanek]

Your logic is impeccable.
The Roman Empire evolved.

A few decades ago I saw a documentary on the few remaining Greek speaking villages in southern Italy.

[georgios_]

Very good points. But of course, the papacy and Frankish/German lords would never accept another nation as the legitimate state of Rome. That's why they've always tried to defame it.

[someoneno-one]

In fact Paris was under English occupation for a decade and half, 1420-36. King Henry VI of England was crowned King of France (disputed) in the Notre Dame cathedral in 1431.

[baltulielkungsgunarsmiezis]

France remained France after the king died and Russija remained Russija after the car died because the population remained french and russijan respectively.
For the Roman Empire the population stoped being latin and became greek. And make no mistake the true Roman Empire was the Empire of the latins.
Every country in Europe is a sucessor of the Roman Empire in statehood tradition because at its hight the Roman Empire was the only sovreign state in Europe. Like writing the idea of the state spread more often than it was invented anew. Why does my country of Latvija have lions in its coat of arms when lions have never lived this far north? Because lions where the symbol of authority in Rome. It is latiness, not statehood tradition, which defines the Roman Empire.

[baltulielkungsgunarsmiezis]

Franks where foiderati of the Roman Empire who guarded Gaul, they are as rightful sucessors to the Roman Empire as the greeeks who where allied to the latins for the purposes of ruling the eastern Medeteranian.
6:02 if you want to start an insult match I can very much provide. It is incoorect to say that the Frankish Empire was not technicly the Roman Empire.

[Onezy]

I always found it interesting how many of the Greeks after the fall of Byzantium still continued to identify themselves as 'Romans' right up until around the 18th century.

[mrfren]

Byzantium was ethnically different to Rome usually didn't posses Rome and was Christian so I don't see how it was Rome. Byzantium being Rome seems very similar in logic to the Russians being Mongols.

[joelmanning]

The only convincing arguments I’ve heard that the Eastern Romans were not Roman is the loss of the capital of Rome and the gradual change from a Latin based culture to a Greek based one dominated by Eastern Orthodoxy other than that they are Roman to me.

[unregierbar]

How I see it:
-It wasn´t Roman by ethnicity
-It wasn´t Roman by georgraphy
-It was Roman by title(split of Roman Empire into West and East)

Titles mattered more than nationalism in the medieval era and that is why it was called Rome. If there was nationalism that early it would have been called Greek Empire by the 600s.