Eastern Roman Empire

2008/9 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: General history

The Eastern Roman Empire or the Eastern Empire was the name given to the eastern part of the Roman Empire after its division in the 3rd century AD.

Its capital city was Constantinople (or New Rome). It represented an administrative division of the Roman Empire, but after the fall of the western part it survived until the fall of Constantinople in 1453. The Eastern Empire was also called the Byzantine Empire. The term "Byzantine Empire" dates from the 17th century.

The Roman empire was divided by Theodosius I (aslo called "the great") to his two sons Arcadius to the East (with his capital in Constantinople) and Flavius Honorius in the Western Empire (with his capital in Milan).

The division of the Empire began with the Tetrarchy (quadrumvirate) in the late 3rd century AD with Diocletian, as an institution that was aiming to control efficiently the vast Roman empire. After the Fall of Rome, the Eastern Empire became the Byzantine Empire.