Eastern Roman Empire: Map & History
The direct continuation of the Roman Empire in the East, guarding the frontier of Europe and the Bosporus for over a millennium until the fall of Constantinople in 1453.
Wikipedia Encyclopedic Compendium
Historiographical synthesis & structured realm registry
The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Eastern part of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD, it endured until the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire in 1453. The term 'Byzantine Empire' was coined only after its demise; its citizens used the term 'Roman Empire' and called themselves 'Romans'.
Modern Countries Once Part of Eastern Roman Empire
At its mapped extent, Eastern Roman Empire covered territory in 28 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Jordan395–632 CE · nearly all
- Cyprus395–632 CE · nearly all
- North Macedonia395–629 CE · nearly all
- Montenegro395–632 CE · nearly all
- Malta395–632 CE · nearly all
- San Marino540–632 CE · nearly all
- Vatican (Holy See)540–632 CE · nearly all
- Bulgaria395–632 CE · most
- Albania395–632 CE · most
- Egypt395–632 CE · most
- Turkey395–632 CE · most
- Lebanon395–632 CE · most
- Syria395–632 CE · most
- Palestine395–632 CE · most
- Italy534–632 CE · most
- Israel395–632 CE · most
- Tunisia534–632 CE · most
- Greece395–632 CE · most
- Serbia395–616 CE · a large part
- Armenia592–632 CE · a large part
- Georgia561–632 CE · a large part
- Libya395–632 CE · a large part
- Croatia536–632 CE · a small part
- Spain555–622 CE · a small part
- Algeria534–632 CE · a small part
- Romania395–632 CE · a small part
- France534–632 CE · a small part
- Russia469–632 CE · a small part
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Eastern Roman Empire's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Eastern Roman Empire in Depth
History
Given the significant overlap in historiographical periodisations of Late Roman history, late antiquity, and Byzantine history, there is no consensus on a foundation date for the Byzantine Empire. Scholarship with links to Greece or Eastern Orthodoxy has customarily placed it in the early 300s. The growth of the study of "late antiquity" has led to some historians setting a start date in the seventh or eighth centuries. Others believe a "new empire" began during changes c. 300 AD. Geoffrey Greatrex believes that it is impossible to precisely date the foundation of the Byzantine Empire.
Between the 3rd and 1st centuries BC, the Roman Republic established hegemony over the eastern Mediterranean, while its government developed into the one-person rule of an emperor.
Economy
The empire's geographic and maritime advantages reduced the costs of transporting goods and facilitated trade, making it a key driver of economic growth from antiquity and through the post-classical period. Infrastructure, including roads, public buildings, and the legal system, supported trade and other economic activities. Regions like Asia Minor, the Aegean islands, Egypt, the Levant, and Africa thrived as mature economic centres despite political challenges and military insecurities. From the mid-6th century onward, plagues, invasions, and wars caused populations and economies to decline, leading to the collapse of the ancient economy.
Legacy
After Constantinople fell, the Ottomans quickly absorbed the remaining independent territories, including Acciaiuoli Athens in 1458, Morea in 1460, Trebizond in 1461, and Gattilusi Lesbos in 1462. They dismantled the Empire's political and secular institutions, leaving the impoverished Church to manage what would be later called the Rum Millet, primarily as a tool for taxing its followers. As the sole sovereign Orthodox state, Russia developed the Third Rome doctrine, emphasising its cultural heritage as distinct from Western Europe, because the latter had inherited much of the empire's secular learning. The Danubian Principalities became a haven for Orthodox Christians and Phanariot Greeks who sought to recreate a Byzantine Greek Empire.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Byzantine Empire (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Eastern Roman Empire: Key Facts
| Capital | Constantinople |
|---|---|
| Official language | medieval Greek |
| Religion | Eastern Orthodoxy |
| Form of government | absolute monarchy, Dominate |
| Currencies | Byzantine coinage, miliaresion |
| Founded | 17 January 395 CE |
| Dissolved | 29 May 1453 |
Preceded by
- Roman Empire
- Western Roman Empire
- Latin Empire
- Sasanian Iberia
- Ancient Rome
- Low Roman Empire
Succeeded by
- Emirate of Crete
- Ottoman Empire
- Maona of Chios and Phocaea
- Latin Empire
- Umayyad Caliphate
Facts from Wikidata Q12544 (CC0).
Eastern Roman Empire Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Eastern Roman Empire appears, with the other states of the time.
Imperial History & Territorial Expansion
When Emperor Constantine dedicated Constantinople in 330 CE as Nova Roma, he inaugurated over 1,100 years of Eastern Roman imperial continuity. Under Justinian I, Byzantine armies reclaimed Italy and North Africa, while architects erected the Hagia Sophia—a triumph of late antique masonry. Straddling the Bosporus straits, Byzantium acted as the commercial hinge linking Europe, the Black Sea, and the Silk Road.
Eastern Roman Empire Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Constantine the Great dedicates the city as the capital of the Roman Empire.
Justinian I dedicates the monumental cathedral of Holy Wisdom.
Belisarius and Narses retake Italy and North Africa, reaching 2.7 million km².
The Empire dominates the Balkans, Anatolia, and the eastern Mediterranean basin.
Sultan Mehmed II’s Ottoman forces breach the Theodosian Walls, ending the empire.
Key Monarchs, Architects & Strategists
Enduring Planetary Legacy
- ✓Preservation of classical Greek and Roman literary canons during the Middle Ages
- ✓Construction of the Hagia Sophia, pioneering the pendentive dome design
- ✓Justinianic Code (Corpus Juris Civilis), synthesizing 1,000 years of Roman jurisprudence
- ✓Christianization of the Slavic peoples through the Cyrillic alphabet (Saints Cyril and Methodius)
Eastern Roman Empire: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Eastern Roman Empire exist?
The Eastern Roman Empire is dated to 330 CE – 1453 CE, in the Early Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire?
The capital of the Eastern Roman Empire was Constantinople (Modern Istanbul).
How large was the Eastern Roman Empire at its peak?
At its peak in 555 AD the Eastern Roman Empire covered about 2,602,791 km².
How did the map of the Eastern Roman Empire change over time?
The Eastern Roman Empire appears on 3 dated world maps in the atlas, from 400 CE to 600 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.