What was life like in Byzantium?
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What was life like in Byzantium?
Daily life in the Byzantine Empire, like almost everywhere else before or since, largely depended on one’s birth and the social circumstances of one’s parents. There were some opportunities for advancement based on education, the accumulation of wealth, and gaining favour from a more powerful sponsor or mentor.
The society in the Byzantine Empire (4th-15th century CE) was dominated by the imperial family and the male aristocracy but there were opportunities for social advancement thanks to wars, population movements, imperial gifts of lands and titles, and intermarriage.
What happened to life after the fall of the Roman Empire?
Life went on as if nothing happened. Contrary to popular belief, the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD wasn’t some “shocking, horrific event that caused shockwaves throughout the entire Roman-Greek world”. That would more accurately describe the Fall of the Byzantine/Eastern Roman Empire in 1453 AD.
What would life be like in the Eastern Roman Empire?
The Eastern Roman Empire, gifted with strong leadership, better natural terrain and far more rich trade centers, survived for another thousand years. You are likely to have an ok-ish to decent life. Just make sure you don’t catch the plague!
What was life like in the Byzantine Empire in the east?
In the East, life was practically unchanging. Look at the 395 Eastern Roman borders and the 476 Eastern Roman borders. If anything the Byzantines actually seemed to have gained more land. The Empire in the East is extremely peaceful and stable.
How did the Western civilization develop after the fall of Rome?
This separation resulted in the remnants of the Western Empire transforming into a new civilization independent of the rise of the Eastern Byzantine Empire. Western European civilization has been defined as the product of Roman culture, the Christian Church, and barbarian culture and traditions.