Byzantines/History

The story of the East Roman Empire in Swords and Prophets is one replete of disarray and woe.
===Early Background: Survival===
In spite of the loss of the Roman west in 476CE, the Eastern Roman Empire - more commonly referred to as the Byzantine Empire today - managed to survive because of several factors. The first was its being protected by the all-encompassing Hellespont, and the foreboding Taurus mountains to the southeast. This position allowed Byzantium a geographic buffer which was hard to bypass, and also helped in the development of another one: Byzantium's famed wealth. Security brought trade, which in turn garnered taxation revenue that could be used to bribe away attacking armies whenever military force was lacking. The Empire actually reached its height in the 500s under Justinian as it reincorporated many elements of the Western Roman Empire, but shrunk back down to its Eastern roots as it lost these. After surviving the initial rush of Islamic expansion, the Empire settled into boundaries that were relatively stable for several hundred years.
===Iconoclasm===
The Empire had difficulties with the "Iconoclast" controversy - a dispute lasting nearly 100 years and centering around arguments over whether or not to allow "holow images" or icons to be displayed in the churches. The position of the Emperors was often at odds with many of the subjects but since the Emperors considered that they were appointed by God, this didn't matter since their opponents were automatically heretics.
While western Europe struggled through the Dark Ages, the Byzantine Empire kept up an aura of refinement and defensive strength that sheltered Europe from the attacks of first the Persian Empire, then Islam.