Byzantium, also known as the Byzantine Empire, was a wealthy and prosperous empire located in what is now Turkey. It controlled important trade routes between Europe and Asia from its capital, Constantinople. While it faced some criticisms for its use of animals in entertainment, the Byzantine military was strong and focused on defense rather than offense. Visiting the Byzantine Empire would have provided insight into both Greek and Roman cultures and allowed one to experience its riches through trade and architecture.

1. Alyssa Shannon<br />Period 1<br />December 14, 2010<br />Time Traveler Persuasive Essay<br />The Byzantine Empire<br />The scents of spices fill the air in the great sea port of Constantinople. They come from all areas of the world, especially Asia. The numerous sounds of exotic creatures from faraway places fill the ears of passerby. Today the emperor himself, Constantine the Great, came to inspect the goods. The merchants were unloading crates from around the world when a finely- dressed man came to Emperor Constantine and whispered something in his ear. Whatever it was, the news seemed to infuriate the emperor. Constantine’s face flushed bright red with anger and he left in a furry. If not for the drama of the higher class, there were many other, more intellectual, reasons to go and visit the Byzantine Empire. Byzantium was a part of the Roman Empire, Byzantium was a very wealthy empire, and Byzantium controlled trade between Europe and Asia.<br />Byzantium is also known as the eastern half of Rome. The city Constantinople was made the capitol of the Roman Empire in 330 AD by Emperor Constantine. Byzantium had many of the same cultural aspects of Rome, but having been a Greek territory previously, the people spoke Greek. This gave visitors a look at two very distinct cultures in one area. When the Roman Empire “fell” only the Western half fell. The Eastern half remained and continued to defend the Roman/Byzantine lands.<br />Just as Rome was wealthy, Byzantine was prosperous as well. It was actually wealthier than the Western Roman Empire, even before the west’s fall. Taxes helped the emperor to pay for extravagances. They were used to pay soldiers and government officials. Taxes were also used to pay for large and glorious public buildings. <br />Another large component of Byzantium’s wealth lay in its trade. They traded goods from all over the known world. These would include spices from Asia and animals (such as lions) usually from Africa. Constantinople was placed where Europe meets Asia. This allowed the Byzantines to control the sea trade routes between Asia and Europe (quot;
Byzantine Empirequot;
222-28).<br />Some may argue that due to its wealth, Byzantium was unsafe. This is a valid conclusion, but it is false. The Byzantine military forces were completely dedicated to defense, not offense. They were well armed and well trained for defending the regions that their predecessors had conquered. Another argument may be that the use of the animals that were traded was unethical and would therefore make visiting Byzantium unfavorable. They would use the animals for show or for fights with gladiators. To many people, this is unethical but most modern cultures still take part in this, yet similar to Byzantium they are very popular.<br />The finely dressed man must have told Emperor Constantine something about his son, Crispus that day at the Port of Constantinople. Constantine was so infuriated by his son that he charged him with treason. He was then killed, with his mother- Constantine’s wife- following him a year later. Byzantium was wealthier than the western portion of Rome and controlled a large portion of the world’s trade. It is an exceptional Empire to visit.<br />