The Byzantine Empire, or Eastern Roman Empire, was the predominantly Greek-speaking

continuation of the eastern part of the Roman Empire during Late Antiquity and the Middle
Ages. Its capital city was Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), originally founded as
Byzantium. It survived the fragmentation and fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th
century AD and continued to exist for an additional thousand years until it fell to the Ottoman
Turks in 1453. During most of its existence, the empire was the most powerful economic,
cultural, and military force in Europe. Both "Byzantine Empire" and "Eastern Roman
Empire" are historiographical terms created after the end of the realm; its citizens continued
to refer to their empire as the Roman Empire (Ancient Greek: , tr. Basileia
Rhmain; Latin: Imperium Romanum),[1] or Romania (), and to themselves as
"Romans".[2]
Several events from the 4th to 6th centuries mark the transitional period during which the
Roman Empire's east and west divided. In 285, the emperor Diocletian (r. 284305)
partitioned the Roman Empire's administration into eastern and western halves.[3] Between
324 and 330, Constantine I (r. 306337) transferred the main capital from Rome to
Byzantium, later known as Constantinople ("City of Constantine") and Nova Roma ("New
Rome").[n 1] Under Theodosius I (r. 379395), Christianity became the Empire's official state
religion and others such as Roman polytheism were proscribed. And finally, under the reign
of Heraclius (r. 610641), the Empire's military and administration were restructured and
adopted Greek for official use instead of Latin.[5] Thus, although it continued the Roman state
and maintained Roman state traditions, modern historians distinguish Byzantium from
ancient Rome insofar as it was orient