Byzantine Empire

The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Roman Empire (Greek: Βασιλεία Ῥωμαίων, Basileia tôn Rhōmaiōn) or Rhomania (Ῥωμανία), is the direct medieval continuation of the Roman Empire established during Antiquity. Centered around its capital of Constantinople, during most of its existence the empire was the most powerful economic, cultural, and military force in Europe, and one of the foremost of Asia. The empire is also the center of the Christian Orthodox world and the Greek civilization, although it is a multiethnical and multilingual polity. 
==Nomenclature==
The terms "Byzantine Empire" and "Byzantines" are historiographical constructs of a later date and should not be employed in-game under any circumstances. The inhabitants of the empire identify themselves as Romans and their country as the Roman Empire, or the Polity of the Romans. Latin Christendom often derogatorily names the Byzantines as Greeks, but missives addressed to the "Emperor of the Greeks" are always taken as deep insults by the Byzantines and fail to establish dialogue. In the East, the Byzantines are known as Romans, and their empire as Rum.
The term "Byzantine" should only be used in out-of-context situations for ease of communication, e.g. this Wiki, and never in-game. When used in-game, "Byzantine" and "Byzantines" must always be understood as synonymous to "Constantinopolitan" and "Constantinopolitans", i.e. the gentilic of the city of Constantinople (Byzantium in Antiquity), usually only employed by the Byzantine aristocracy and intellectual elite in the name of erudition.
==In the Arthurverse==
The most important point of divergence for the Byzantine Empire was the successful conclusion of the Fourth Crusade under Arthur Pendragon and the establishment of the Kingdom of Egypt. Unlike in our original timeline, Constantinople was never sacked and the Byzantines were allowed to thrive under the Laskarid dynasty. The empire was deeply affected by the Mongol invasions and nearly faced disintegration, but recovered during the reign of Theodore II Laskaris and expanded under his successors. Notably, the full reconquest of Asia Minor was achieved under Romanos VI Melissenos. The Byzantine Empire currently is one of the great empires of the East, together with Mamluk Egypt, and is militarily, administratively, and sometimes economically and technologically superior to Europe.
==See also==
List of Roman emperors
List of Roman Augustae and EmpressesCategory:States