>>17437549
Byzzies saved Christendom when saving Christendom meant securing their own survival or expanding their borders. It's good that they didn't get destroyed in 717 but no reason to give them special accolades over acting in their self-interest.
>was the peak of civilization and culture for 1000 years
The empire, including the capital, was in a miserable condition in the 7th and 8th century. Constantinople was depopulated and derelict (and the provinces were even worse off), with important infrastructure such as aqueducts unable to be repaired. It only compared favorably to the even more stunted Europe during the same period, but it underwent its own dark ages that were very bad. This reversed in the 9th, and by the 10th and 11th century Constantinople did regain a semblance of a wealthy imperial center. But then that went south again in 1204, and past that they could no longer make convincing claims of superiority -- whether material, military, or cultural -- over neither the Muslim east nor the Latin west for the rest of its sad existence. Its actual glory days stretched over about 3 full centuries total: late 5th + early 6th, then late 9th, 10th, and early 11th. You can maybe add the Komnenian period if you're being generous, as it remained very wealthy and advanced in the 12th century even as the state itself and its military position was severely downgraded.

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>saves the christian world >was the peak of civilization and culture for 1000 years >westerners today shit on itLiterally why

>saves the christian world
>was the peak of civilization and culture for 1000 years
>westerners today shit on it
Literally why