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The Eastern empire lost its ability to project power across the Mediterranean by the mid 600s and completely lost its ability to project anything more than loca
by ceeplusplus 5y ago
The Eastern empire lost its ability to project power across the Mediterranean by the mid 600s and completely lost its ability to project anything more than local power by about 1000 AD. By 1453 the Byzantines couldn't even be considered any sort of empire.
Western Rome also lost huge ability to project power when it fell and decomposed into its constituent states. Whereas as recently as the reign of Diocletian Rome was projecting power well into Germania proper by the end of the 4th century Rome couldn't even defend its own borders. The equivalent for the US would be China/Russia wantonly attacking American client states (Germany, France, Israel, Taiwan) without fear of retaliation.
- ozgune 5y agoI think it’s a stretch to say the Eastern Roman Empire lost its ability to project power in the Mediterranean by mid-600s. During the Macedonian Dynasty (867-1056), they were arguably still the dominant power. Arab-Byzantine Wars lasted for 500 years and involved the entire Mediterranean. The Byzantine Italy existed until 1071. Even after, the Komnenian Restoration (12th century) revived the Empire to some extent in financial, cultural, and territorial form. Sure, they weren’t as powerful as the Roman Empire at its peak, but still could project plenty of power after mid-600s.