Daniel the Stylite

Any person living in five hundred AD that found themself in such a city would know for a fact that they were in the greatest city in the world.

You might think I'm describing Rome, the eternal city of the Western Roman Empire, but you'd be wrong.

I'm talking about Constantinople, the new Rome and capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.

If you remember my earlier episodes, you'll know that the Western Roman Empire had effectively ceased to exist by this point in history.

Italy and all the Roman provinces west of it were ruled by barbarian kings.

The Eastern Empire, however, continued to exist.

When the last Western Roman Emperor was deposed, the Eastern Emperor Zeno continued to administer the empire's eastern provinces from Constantinople.

As the city of Rome shrank in population and prestige, Constantinople grew in wealth and power until it became the greatest city in Europe and perhaps in all the world.