Why the Byzantine Empire Lasted for so Long

Why the Byzantine Empire Lasted for so Long

Introduction

The Byzantine Empire, which was on the eastern side of the Roman Empire, lasted for about a thousand years, which is twice as long as its well-known Western counterpart, but very little is known about it. The Romans, by the 3^rd century AD, had conquered different territories in North Africa, Southwestern Europe, and the Mediterranean. The eastern half, where the Byzantine Empire was located, was less vulnerable to attacks from outside, and this was mainly due to its geographic location. Constantinople was positioned on a strait, which made it very difficult for any attackers to break the capital’s defense. Also, Byzantine had a small common frontier with Europe. Byzantine Empire also lasted for so long due to a strong administrative center, great wealth, and the political stability in the Empire compared to other states that existed during the early medieval era. Emperors in the Byzantine Empire had the power and knowledge to control the territory’s economic resources and could be able to effectively assemble and organize enough manpower to guard the Empire during an invasion. This paper argues that, even though the geographic location of the Byzantine Empire hugely contributed to its survival for many years, the strong administrative capability, led to an influential religion, and military strength, political and economic stability, which also contributed to its survival for all those years.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the eastern Byzantine Empire survived for centuries while other Empires crumbled and completely fell. The Empire was ruled by Roman law, and its official language was Latin. However, Greek was also spoken by a big population as it was used in teaching the Greek history, literature, and culture. The Byzantines valued education and it is their influence that most masterpieces of ancient Greek literature exists today that has greatly influenced the intellectual life of the modern world. This education gave way for other progressions in medicine, infrastructure, military, and administrative knowledge, which enabled the Empire to survive for many years. In 330, Constantine I made Constantinople the new seat of the Roman Empire.

Geographical location

The location of Constantinople, which was the Empire’s capital, was one of the reasons why it was so difficult to conquer it. It was located on a rocky peninsula which made it difficult to attack it from the sea. The Byzantine soldiers could take shelter in the Golden Horn while the powerful currents of the Bosporus made it difficult for the enemy ships to stay afloat. There were city walls that further made it difficult for the enemy to get past. The capital, Constantinople, was both strategically and commercially in excellent location, between Asia and Europe, in a connection node of commerce network. This made the Empire both rich and powerful. The Empire was the first to introduce multiple masts and lateen sails, which enable tacking, thus making ships independent of prevailing winds. It also made the transportation of troops much faster than by land.

There was just a single method to assault Constantinople via land, so they had the option to concentrate on making a practically impervious obstruction. In 412, the working of the Theodosian Walls (named after Emperor Theodosius II) started. The dividers were 6km long and, in the end, encompassed by a 20m wide x 7m profound channel. There were roughly 90 watchtowers spread around the dividers. The fundamental divider was 12m high and 6m thick while a subsequent divider was assembled later, which was 9m high and encompassed the first! While there were a couple of vulnerabilities, adversaries were always unable to exploit. At the point when parts of the divider were devastated in a quake in 447 and Attila, the Hun was on his way to attack the city; the Byzantines figured out how to finish a rebuild with the aforementioned second wall and moat added in a very short period of time. The magnificent weaponry controlled by the domain added to its ability to defend against enemy attacks.

Strong administrative capability

Byzantine Empire also had a strong administrative capability that led to the Empire’s strong economy, effective military, and political stability. The Byzantine Empire abolished slavery and substituted it with feudalism. This meant that labor was no more based on the unpaid coerced workforce with no purchasing power, but on the paid workforce, which had purchasing power. It enabled the rise of middle class, which would both possess purchasing power and ability to pay taxes to fund the state. Additionally, Byzantine is known to have influential military commanders that were very effective in their command, which enabled the soldiers to be more united and effective in protecting the Empire. As Savvas notes in his book, Warfare in Late Byzantium, 1204-1453: Warfare In Late Byzantium, “The Byzantine commanders secured the loyalty and trust of their troops by their generosity, and by being on friendly terms with them, rather than by impressing them with their bravery and military deeds. The available source material indicates that the most effective way to maintain high levels of discipline and morale was to be close to the common soldiers, to encourage them by speeches, financial rewards, and, more importantly, hopes of the prospect of material profit.”[1] The financial rewards and friendly relationships formed between the troops and the commanders boosted the Empire’s military success and their overall success in surviving for hundreds of years. The tactical skills of the military commanders also enabled them to win many battles against the Empire’s enemies. “The Byzantine generals had realized the benefit of understanding the setbacks of the enemy tactics and of adjusting the deployment of their troops accordingly.”[2] As a result, the Byzantine military was very strong and proved very difficult for many enemies to defeat. According to Edward Luttwak, “military strength was always the indispensable instrument in Byzantine statecraft, without which nothing else could be of much use.”[3] The Byzantine armed force was among the best of the Middle Ages – an ordinary, trained power that had a scientific approach on the military, had field manuals and guidelines, and depended on meritocracy as opposed to nepotism. The Byzantine methodology of fighting was constantly logical, and in spite of the fact that it endured a few defeats and thrashings, it was quite often prepared to recuperate.

Justinian I is considered as one of the greatest Byzantine emperors. During the years of Justinian I’s reign, the Byzantine Empire was made of most of the territory surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, as his armies dominated part of the Western Roman Empire. He likewise reformed and classified Roman law, building up a Byzantine lawful code that would last for a considerable period of time and help shape the present concept of the Empire. At the time Justinian I died, the Byzantine Empire ruled as the biggest and strongest territory in Europe. Debts acquired through war had left Byzantine in desperate financial straits. The leaders that came after him were forced to heavily tax Byzantine citizens to prevent the Empire from falling.

Strong administrative capability in the Byzantine Empire also led to the development of a strong religion, specifically Christianity, which enabled a relatively efficient, honest, and uncorrupt government. While the Byzantine Empire was basically an autocracy, it had far fewer internal disputes, civil wars, corruption, and societal rot than the Roman Empire had had. Religion also enabled the abolishment of slavery and substituted it with feudalism. This meant that labor was no more based on the unpaid coerced workforce with no purchasing power, but on the paid workforce, which had purchasing power. It enabled the rise of the middle class, which would both possess purchasing power and the ability to pay taxes to fund the state and further advance the economy of Byzantine. The broad practice of Christianity in the Empire ensured that the rule of law was fairly enacted, and resources were evenly distributed.

The Church contributed to the Empire’s growth of wealth from the gifts from state resources and landed property. As Alexander Vasilieve notes in his book, History of the Byzantine Empire, 324-1453, “The Church at the same time was growing in material wealth through gifts from state resources of landed property or money and grain. Christians could not be forced to participate in pagan festivals. At the same time, Christian influence brought about some mitigation in the punishment of criminals.”[4] Additionally, “the state played a major role in expropriating surplus wealth from the direct producers, its revenues, as in the late Roman period, were largely based on a very comprehensive system of land-taxation, where land was graded according to its quality and the use and the tax-payment fixed accordingly.”[5] Christianity also enabled the emperor to be considered by the Byzantine citizens as God’s representation on Earth and hugely involved in church affairs. The emperor worked together with the clergy in harmony. As a result, the emperor could call upon the clergy’s support in leadership advice whenever the need arose, such as whenever his Empire was under threat from external enemies.

Byzantine’s soldiers and citizens supported the emperor and would use religion for motivation and comfort. In their eyes, the emperor was a respectable leader appointed by God to lead them. They believed in religion so deeply that they believed the Empire was protected by the Virgin Mary, and whenever Constantinople was under siege, they would display the icon of Mary, and this enabled them to have more faith and motivation to defend their city. The strong religious beliefs of the Byzantine citizens and leaders can be fortified using Basil’s succession in his final victory after which “he proceeded through the conquered lands to Athens, where he celebrated with special services in the Parthenon to thank the Virgin for her aid.”[6] Every religion creates a society of its image, and Orthodox Christianity created the Byzantine Empire.

Conclusion

Byzantine Empire lasted for many years but eventually crumbled mainly due to the deterioration of its economy during Michael VIII’s reign in 1261. The fall of Constantinople marked the end of the many years of success of the Byzantine Empire. As we have seen in this report, its geographical location aided in enabling the Empire to protect itself from external enemies while the strong administrative capability enabled it to sustain itself in terms of having an influential religion, military power, and political and economic stability. All of these combined enabled the Empire to be able to last for many years without crumbling. Byzantine Empire left behind a legacy in literature, art, architecture, leadership, law, and theology. The culture of the Empire exerted great influence on the Western academic tradition, as academics of the Italian Renaissance turned to Byzantine scholars when translating Christian literature. Long after the end of the Byzantine Empire, its culture and civilization continued to be practiced and had a huge influence on other countries that carried out the Empire’s Orthodox religion, including Greece, Russia, Bulgaria, and Serbia. The history of the Byzantine Empire is a long one that remains to be relevant even in modern times.

Bibliography

Harvey, Alan. Economic expansion in the Byzantine Empire, 900-1200. Cambridge University Press, 2003.

Luttwak, Edward. The grand strategy of the Byzantine Empire. Harvard University Press, 2009.

Kyriakidis, Savvas. Warfare in Late Byzantium, 1204-1453 : Warfare In Late Byzantium, 1204-1453, BRILL, 2011.

Stephenson, Paul. Byzantium’s Balkan Frontier : A Political Study of the Northern Balkans, 900–1204, Cambridge University Press, 2000.

Vasiliev, Alexander A. History of the Byzantine Empire, 324–1453. Vol. 2. Univ of Wisconsin Press, 1964.

[1] Kyriakidis, Savvas. Warfare in Late Byzantium, 1204-1453: Warfare In Late Byzantium, 1204-1453, BRILL, 2011. 70.

[2] Ibid, 197.

[3] Edward, Luttwak. The grand strategy of the Byzantine Empire. Harvard University Press, 2009. 7.

[4] Vasiliev, Alexander A. History of the Byzantine Empire, 324–1453. Vol. 2. Univ of Wisconsin Press, 1964. 53.

[5] Alan, Harvey. Economic expansion in the Byzantine Empire, 900-1200. Cambridge University Press, 2003. 2.

[6] Paul, Stephenson. Byzantium‘s Balkan Frontier: A Political Study of the Northern Balkans, 900–1204, Cambridge University Press, 2000. 90.