In the pages recounting the early years of the Ottoman Empire, the name frequently mentioned alongside it is the Byzantine Empire, which was, in fact, the Eastern Roman Empire. However, historical records show that during the Byzantine era, its inhabitants never referred to themselves as Byzantines nor did they use the term Byzantine Empire. So, how did the name Byzantine come about?
The term Byzantine emerged in the 16th century, after the publication of the work "Corpus Historiae Byzantinae (1648)" by the German art historian and philologist Hieronymus Wolf. Following this, a book titled "Historia Byzantina (1680)" signed by Du Cange was published in Western Europe and France. From then on, the name Byzantine took root in Western languages and eventually made its way into our own.
The people of the Eastern Roman Empire never identified themselves with the name Byzantine. Instead, they referred to themselves as "Romania" (Romans).
If we inquire about the origin of the name Byzantine, it likely stems from the early settlements in what is now Istanbul.
Around 667 BC, due to population growth in the region of Greece, the Dorians, led by their chosen king Byzas, left their homeland in search of new territories. They eventually settled in the area of present-day Yenikapı, which is actually Istanbul. There is a legend that suggests King Byzas sought the advice of an oracle of Apollo to protect his people from the population surge in Greece. Upon the oracle's suggestion, they established the city along the shores of the Bosphorus. While this is how the Byzantine legend begins, the fate of the region would later be shaped by the famous Roman emperor Constantine. In 330 AD, Constantine arrived in what was formerly the Fishing Harbor, that is, Istanbul. He conquered all the way to Nicaea. Later, he made Istanbul the capital of the Roman Empire.
After Constantine's death in 337 AD, the people named the city Constantinople in his honor.
Subsequently, in 395 AD, Emperor Theodosius I divided the Roman Empire into Eastern and Western Roman Empires. He allocated the Eastern territories to one of his sons and the Western territories to another. Over the years, the Western territories dwindled, leaving only the Eastern Roman Empire.
After the Eastern Roman Empire, known as the Byzantine Empire, was brought to an end by the Ottoman Empire, a dispute arose in Europe over the name Rome. Various legends were fabricated, and so-called marriages were arranged to continue the legacy as the "Second Roman Empire." There were attempts to promote Moscow as the "Third Roman Empire." The debates persist to this day, with some Russian historians rejecting the notion and considering it forced and fabricated. However, during Stalin's era, especially led by Tolstoy's son, a group tried to name Russia and Moscow as the Third Roman Empire.
Even before the Eastern Roman Empire was destroyed by the Turks, efforts were made to claim the Roman legacy. The competition for the name Rome began in Europe. Charlemagne, the Holy Roman Emperor, deemed the title of Roman Emperor fitting for himself and claimed to continue the Roman Empire. The introduction of the name Byzantine is believed to have stemmed from these events. It was an attempt to imply that the Roman Empire had not actually ended. Western historians invented the name Byzantine with the purpose of disqualifying the Eastern Roman Empire. This was motivated, in part, by the Germans wanting to diminish the imperial status. They aimed to establish the idea that Western Europe, especially with Charlemagne, was the true heir of the ancient Roman Empire.
The debate over whether the Roman Empire continued, whether Moscow became the new Roman Empire, or whether the Ottoman Empire was the Third Roman Empire still lingers today. However, generally speaking, the historically accurate term is not Byzantine but rather the Eastern Roman Empire. In fact, during the Ottoman era, the name Byzantine was never used. Instead, they referred to it as the Roman Empire. Furthermore, the term "Rum" does not derive from a racial root denoting the Greek people. It actually comes from the name of the regions of Anatolia and Rumelia, which are rooted in the name Rome. The shift in pronunciation led to the usage of the term Rum (Rumi) to refer to the inhabitants of the Roman Empire. Thus, the term Rum has always been derived from the word Rome, which does not specifically denote the Greek ethnicity. Additionally, some scholars from the Ottoman period who were associated with the lands also adopted the name Rumi due to their connection with those territories, as seen with figures like Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi.
In summary, during the Ottoman era, the name Byzantine was not used; instead, it was referred to as the Roman Empire. Even the term "Rum" does not originate from a racial term for Greeks but from the name Rome, which has been used for centuries. Therefore, using the term Eastern Roman Empire rather than Byzantine Empire would be more accurate. It's worth noting that the historical name Byzantine was never used during that period. After the conquest of Istanbul, Fatih Sultan Mehmet bestowed upon himself the title of Kayser-i Rum, signifying the continuation of the Roman Empire, thereby declaring himself the new Roman Emperor to the world.
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