Comparison of Byzantium and Western Europe.

Byzantium was a single state from 395 to 1453, its territory was constantly decreasing, there were several states in Western Europe, and France by the second half of the 15th century became the leader.

Western Europe after the anathema of 1054 was Catholic, and Byzantium was Orthodox. The leader of the church in the former was the Pope, and in the others, the patriarch.

Byzantium in the early Middle Ages was in the lead compared to Western Europe in all areas:

craft, culture, architecture, military affairs, construction, legislation, icon painting, literature. In the era of the Crusades, on the contrary, leadership passed to Europe, where the Renaissance began. As a result, Byzantium was in decline by the 15th century.

Until 962, there was only one emperor in Europe – in Byzantium (except for the period from 800 to 843 in France).