Nothing is forever. A bitter fact that man must face, gnawing at his conscience in moments of quiet thought. It is the reason that he procreates, to further a line of his blood. It is the reason that he went about building the first cities and learning the first writings, to create something that stood well beyond his years. Perhaps more than women, land, wealth or power, perhaps not, it is the reason for those who rise among us and lead us to glory and greatness do so. What we have is never enough to what we can have, what we can attain.
Forever. Found deep in the consciousness of the ancient Hellas, whom took to the book of Homer as Muslim to Holy Quran, or Christian to Bible. Not a prophet of God or Gods, the man Homer. He was a prophet still, a speaker wise in how might men attain immortality, to be spoken of in years to come and for whose behavior and exploits might be imitated in centuries yet to arrive. A man who seemed to still stand despite his death, though those he stood within were not of his blood, not of his faith, not even of his origins.
Such a man was the Roman Empire of the East. Not ruling from Rome, not centered upon Latin blood, not speaking Latin nor even praying to Rome's Gods. Yet they were Rome. A different land, a different people, a different world. And yet Rome lingered, as changed as a hairless crying kitten might change into a muscular, roaring lion. And one would fear, change into a toothless frail old beast. To those of the Middle East or of Europe in the Dark ages and early Middle Ages, the Roman Empire of the East must have seemed something that was to be forever, a capital held by walls not even God's Angels could breach.
And yet it was not immortal, not dipped in the river styx but up to its heel. Countless barbarians raging across its land, coming to batter shield and axe upon the gates of Constantinople. Eastern Sassanians, Arabs, and Turks existing as the greatest foes of the state, so too coming to clash spear and arrow upon the walls of their Capital.
While time had come to dilute the presence of ancient Rome and Greece, that indomitable spirit of the Eastern Roman's ancestors stood strong, and in every case, though land would be lost [Perhaps forever, but what is forever?], it was never the defeat of the Empire. Tactics were adjusted, failing Emperors removed, alliances made, and eternally the successor to the eternal city went on.
Yet nothing is forever.
>>273715
first for ottomans
>tfw 1453
>>273776
overexaggerated, they were already et tu, brutus by there friends in the west
I'm so fucking sick of Byzantine threads.
SARACEN BARBAROI OUT OF MY PALESTINA SECUNDA REEEE
BTFO
Byzantine Mosaics were among the first memes.
Made this myself just now.
I know this guy is meant to be a bulgarian king, but the same portrait is used for serbian/autonomous greek/byzantine kings as well.
Is this the way we idealize byzantine emperors looked? Well, with a bit of purple rather than red I guess.
>>277033
He is my favorite roman emperor.
>>276939
That's specifically Simeon of Bulgaria, but yeah, orthodox balkan monarchs wore similar garb.
Hail Autokratora!
I don't like general threads, but I lack the balls to create specific threads about ERE