FROM THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
EASTERN STAR OVER EUROPE'S DARK AGES, the Byzantine civilization, centered on Constantinople,burned bright, preserving the heritage of Greece and Rome and spreading Christianity across a vast realm. After 11 centuries, it finally splintered, and its manifold accomplishments fell in the shadow of the Italian Renaissance and later eras.
Byzantium's importance as a buffer shielding medieval Europe from the empire-building Persians, Arabs, and Turks; as a bridge between ancient and modern times; as the creator and codifier of laws and religious, political, and social practices vibrant to this day cannot be overstressed.
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