The fall of the Roman Empire did not happen overnight. When the western part of the empire faced

Notes

The fall of the Roman Empire did not happen overnight. When the western part of the empire faced serious challenges, the empire split. Western Europe was led by Rome, while the eastern part was led by Byzantium. The capital city of the Byzantine Empire was Constantinople (now present-day Istanbul in Turkey). It was named afterConstantine, the first Roman Emperorto rule from Byzantium, who reigned from 306 to 337 CE. Justinian I, became the emperor of Byzantium in 527 CE. During his reign, a plague swept across the land and was called the ‘Plague of Justinian’. In the 9th century CE, emperorsfrom Macedonia, a country north of Greece, brought some peace and stability to the Byzantine Empire. When Basil, I became the emperor in 867 CE, Art and Literature flourished. When Basil II became emperor in 976 CE, he focused on defeating his enemies. He defeated the Bulgarians at the battle of Kleidion in 1014 CE. Finally, in the year of 1022 CE, the Byzantine Empire annexed Georgia and Armenia 1. What happened when the western part of the Roman Empire faced serious challenges?