Quote Originally Posted by Patriarch of Constantinople
Yes, it was the Roman Empire. It's only called the Byzantine Empire by historians who don't like the fact that it was the succesor of Rome.
People have a proiblem calling it the Roman empire because Rome itself was in other hands by that time. The Byzantine Empire was as Roman as the current American empire is British. Actually, rather less so, since the Americans at least speak English, while the Byzantines spoke Greek.

I think I'll write to my MP tomorrow, applying to become the new governor of the American colonies, citing the Byzantine-Roman link as a precedent.