It’s not a useful term because it completely ignores the obviously prominent Roman aspects of the empire.
When I first encountered the term “Byzantine Empire” when I was younger, I had no idea what it was. It took me a surprisingly long time to recognise that it was at all connected to the Roman Empire. It’s unnecessarily confusing for laypeople (especially kids), imo, especially when there’s better terms to use.
I prefer to use “Eastern Roman”, as it places emphasis on the Roman characteristics of the empire while also distinguishing it some from “THE Roman Empire”.
darthnick7 t1_j4f5q09 wrote
Reply to I think that the term Byzantines is rightly used for adressing the Eastern Roman Empire. by VipsaniusAgrippa25
It’s not a useful term because it completely ignores the obviously prominent Roman aspects of the empire.
When I first encountered the term “Byzantine Empire” when I was younger, I had no idea what it was. It took me a surprisingly long time to recognise that it was at all connected to the Roman Empire. It’s unnecessarily confusing for laypeople (especially kids), imo, especially when there’s better terms to use.
I prefer to use “Eastern Roman”, as it places emphasis on the Roman characteristics of the empire while also distinguishing it some from “THE Roman Empire”.