29. The Survival of the Byzantine Empire
While the West descended into turmoil, the Eastern Roman Empire—known as Byzantium—endured for almost a thousand years longer. From its capital in Constantinople, Byzantium preserved Roman law, culture, and learning, acting as a bridge between antiquity and the medieval world. As Smithsonian Magazine notes, this survival ensured that many aspects of Roman civilization would influence later generations, even as the West struggled in the Dark Ages.
