What do Byzantium and the State of Western Europe have in common? And what distinguishes them?

Byzantium was the eastern part of the Roman Empire. When Rome collapsed, the Byzantine Empire became the sole heir to Rome. It was she who was able to preserve the ancient culture. At the same time, Byzantium was not a state of one people. It included numerous peoples and ethnic groups from Armenians to Greeks. European states were largely composed of one people. For example, England or France. Also, Byzantium was an empire and it included the lands of other states.