This animated map shows the remarkable longevity of the Eastern Roman, or Byzantine, Empire. Rome fell in the West in 476, but the eastern empire survived from Constantinople for almost another 1,000 years, briefly reconquering much of the Mediterranean under Justinian before shrinking to its final fall in 1453.... HT Aaron Beckershow more

This is an impressive map, but its "3D" aspect makes it difficult to interpret in places. No purple can be seen on Crete, for example, after its re-conquest in the 10th century. It also does not match most other maps of the Empire at different times (see below). Serbia was under Byzantine control from 1018 to the 1030s, which is not depicted on this map

If it wasn't for the Fourth Crusade and the Sack of Constantinople in April, 1204, it might still be with us.

Constantinople was catastrophically weakened by the Fourth Crusade's sack in 1204 by Christian knights. It never regained its former prominence, and by the time the Ottomans captured it, Constantinople was a much smaller and poorer.

Eastern Rome can also be called Alexander's Empire.