The Eastern Roman Empire, often referred to as the “Byzantine Empire” in modern historiography, was in fact the direct continuation of the Roman state following the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE. Its rulers, citizens, and institutions consistently identified themselves as Romans, maintaining Roman law, governance, and imperial succession for nearly a millennium until 1453. While the empire’s administrative language shifted from Latin to Greek and its culture evolved through centuries of Hellenization, these adaptations do not constitute a break in continuity; rather, they reflect the natural evolution of a long-lived state, similar to how modern nations adapt over time without losing their identity. Despite this, the term “Byzantine”, first popularized in the 16th century by the German historian Hieronymus Wolf, has been used to misrepresent the empire as a distinct or secondary entity, obscuring its historical identity and confusing students, scholars, and the public. This petition seeks to restore accuracy in historical terminology by recognizing the empire’s true identity as the Roman Empire and encouraging educational materials and media to reflect this continuity and stop referring to them as the Byzantine Empire.

 

References

 

1. The Qur’an – Surah Ar-Rum (“The Romans”)

 

7th century CE. Refers directly to the Eastern Roman Empire as Rûm, showing that contemporary Muslims recognized them as Romans.

 

Wikipedia: Rûm (endonym)

 

 

2. Al-Tabari, Early Islamic Historian

 

839–923 CE. Refers to the Eastern Romans as Rûm, confirming recognition of their continuity as Romans.

 

Medievalists.net – The Romans in Arabic Sources

 

 

3. Papal Correspondence & Western Chronicles

 

8th–11th centuries CE. Papal documents and chroniclers like Einhard often addressed Eastern Roman emperors as “Emperor of the Romans,” acknowledging their Roman identity.

 

Wikipedia: Byzantine Empire – Recognition of Imperial Title

 

 

4. Eastern Roman Self-Identification

 

Citizens and rulers consistently called themselves Ῥωμαῖος (Rhomaioi). Titles such as Basileus ton Rhomaion (“Emperor of the Romans”) persisted until 1453.

 

Cambridge.org – Did the Byzantines call themselves Byzantines?

 

 

5. Caracalla’s Constitutio Antoniniana (212 CE)

 

Granted Roman citizenship to all free inhabitants of the empire, legally defining everyone as Roman.

 

Wikipedia: Constitutio Antoniniana

 

 

6. Mehmed II (1453 CE)

 

After conquering Constantinople, adopted the title Kayser-i Rûm (“Caesar of Rome”), asserting continuity with Roman imperial authority.

 

Wikipedia: Mehmed II

 

 

7. Hieronymus Wolf (1557 CE)

 

German historian who popularized the term “Byzantine Empire,” reframing the Eastern Roman Empire as a distinct entity.

 

Quote/Analysis: “In fact, the term Byzantine Empire was invented in 1557 by the German scholar Hieronymus Wolf … to indicate that these culturally Greek people of the Eastern Roman Empire were not Romans.” – Darío Fernández‑Morera

 

Goodreads – Quote

 

Wikipedia: Hieronymus Wolf

 

 

8. Voltaire / Western Enlightenment Commentary

 

18th century. Writers such as Voltaire treated the Eastern Empire as a separate or subordinate entity, reinforcing misleading perceptions of discontinuity.

 

Constantine’s Letters – Voltaire reference