There are Romans and there are Greeks, but who was the best in ancient times? Neither, the Byzantines outlasted the Greeks and Romans. Two of the greatest empires united to form an empire that lasted from ancient times to early modern times. The Byzantine Empire lasted a long time, but it took a long time to create. The Byzantine Empire arose from a colony in Greece, but it did not become an empire until some time after it became a colony. It all started from the Greek colony founded by Byzas called Byzantium (History). This is where the word Byzantine comes from; the colony was located in the middle of the Bosphorus Strait (History). Which makes it a very difficult place to attack by land (History). After Rome came to power, and towards the end of their reign. Roman Emperor Constantine chose Byzantium as the new location of the Roman capital, changing its name to Constantinople (History). Constantine was the emperor who made Christianity the official religion of (ancient) Rome. This played a vital role in the formation of the Byzantine Empire. After Constantine's death, Emperor Valentinian divided Rome again, and over the next two centuries Rome suffered from attacks by the Germans which led to its demise (History). This is where Rome began to fall, and from there the Byzantine Empire was born. The beginnings of the Byzantines were very complicated and were the result of the fall of the western half of Rome (History). The western half of the Roman Empire was attacked by German invaders (History). The empire collapsed until Italy was the only thing left of the western empire (History). Rome's final battle was against the barbarian king Odoacer (the Elder). Odo...... middle of paper......civilizations eventually caught up. Even though the empire is gone, there is much to learn from the Byzantines. They started as a strong empire that prospered for a very long time, but then a lot of things went wrong for the Byzantines, leading to their downfall. April 28, 2014. “Byzantine Empire.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, April 28, 2014. Gerland, Ernst. “The Byzantine Empire”. The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 3. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1908. May 1, 2014 “List of Officers of.” Byzantium." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, nd Web, April 28, 2014. "The Byzantine State under Justinian I (Justinian the Great)." Timeline of Heilbrunn History 'art of Heilbrunn The Metropolitan Museum of Art, nd Web, April 28... 2014.