This course examines the history of the Eastern Roman Empire from its emergence in the third century to its collapse with the fall of Constantinople in 1453. The central theme is the contribution of the Classical Greco-Roman tradition and Christian thought to the development of medieval Christendom and its lasting influences on the contemporary world. Topics include the formulation of Christian orthodoxy, iconoclasm, relations with Western Europe, the Great Schism, the conversion of the Slavic populations of Eastern Europe, the emergence of imperial Russia, and Byzantium’s centuries-long internal and external struggles for survival.