Western Europe and Byzantine Empire

Though the two halves of Europe were very different than each other, they were also similar in ways too. For instance, Western Europe had a feudal system in which a land owner gave land to another person in exchange for military service. The Byzantine Empire had family-based militaries in which they helped each other out, and the people felt as if their emperor Alexius Comnenus “was not a ruler but a lord, conceiving and calling the empire his own house.” Although this family-based military system held out for over one hundred and fifty years, if The Byzantine Empire had a feudal system they would have had a much bigger military and lasted even longer than they did. Western Europe lasted much longer than The Byzantine Empire with their feudal system because they had a much larger military due to much land being given away in return for military protection. As well as having a similar military service to protect their lands, both halves of Europe adopted the same or similar laws. Several Byzantine emperors had called for new laws and edicts to be made for their empire. The most famous of these laws and edicts to be made was the Corpus Juris Civilis. In the eleventh century however, Western Euorpe began to adopt this collection, and use it instead of their canon and feudal law. If Western Europe had adopted these laws and edicts much sooner, this half of Europe might have fell just as The Byzantine Empire had in 1453. Thus, despite big differences between the two halves of Europe, they were also greatly similar in ways.

Both Western Europe and The Byzantine Empire were similar in ways relating to their government and military tactics, but different in ways relating to the way each half of Europe ruled its territory. Western Europe believed in using nuns and nunneries to teach their people, as well as having two rulers ruling different parts of the government. The Byzantine Empire felt that there was no need for nuns and nunneries and had only one emperor ruling its empire. Both halves of Europe had similar military tactics either relating to or using the feudal system for protection. Also some laws and edicts made by The Byzantine Empire were used in the later stages of Western Europe. Both halves of Europe during this time greatly influenced each other, as well as having differences between them which might have caused The Byzantine Empire to fall.