The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire | Lex Fridman Podcast #498

Summary

The core theme is the historical continuity and self-identity of the Eastern Roman Empire, which was actually just the Roman Empire. The conversation references the long history of the Roman state, from its founding to the fall of Constantinople, and the political reasons Western historians invented the term "Byzantine Empire." The practical takeaway is to simply refer to it as the Roman Empire to accurately reflect its unbroken, millennia-long existence and its inhabitants' own perception of their identity.