What would the Byzantine Empire have to do to survive?

[Steakslim]

What would the byzantines have to do to survive, flourish and reconquer, conquer, and mabye even expand overseas? )

[Theodosius the Great]

Simple : stop fighting civil wars :!:

And that's just to hold on to Justinian's conquests. The Byzantines could have repelled the Lombards, Avars, Slavs, Persians, and Visigoths in the 7th century.

For further expansion, I think Spain would have been the next obvious and worthwhile target for the Byzantines. They already held a strong foothold in the south (about 1/7th of the peninsula). Gothic Spain would have fallen as surely as Gothic Italy did.

From Spain the Byzantines could invade north into Septimania and begin conquering the Franks.

what would their government, army, science and technology look like if they made the nessessary adaptations? be realistic now

Well, if all went as I suggested above, the legions would not have evolved into the 'thematic' armies of Heracles' successors. The government would continue as it always did. Science and technology - well, so much knowledge would never have been lost in the first place. Though it's hard to say if the industrial revolution would have occured earlier than it did, IMO. There was little incentive for dramatic technological progress in Antiquity.

Culturally, Christendom would have been united under a single emperor and Orthodoxy would have flourished with the demise of Arianism in the West and, possibly, of the schismatic sects of the East. Islam would have been extingished or at least contained in the Arabian peninsula. Linguistically, Latin would have survived as the dominant language of the West and continue to be the language of law and the army.

~Theo

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Well, stop impeding their successful generals, maybe?

After taking back Italy and Africa, Justinian succumbed to jealousy and suspicion, and recalled and limited Belisaurius' resources.

Seems similar to the behaviour of the Parthian King after the victory at Carrhae, minus the execution!

[Jona Lendering]

What would the byzantines have to do to survive

The obvious starting point seems the balance between military obligations and the economy. Justinian's conquests were an example of imperial overstretch; he ought to have kept rich Africa and Sicily, and ought to have concentrated his energy on its eastern frontier. The Persians could overthrow the Empire (and came dangerously close to it in the early seventh century); the Ostrogoths couldn't. With the resources of Africa and Sicily, and without the burdens of Spain and the Italian mainland, Byzantium could have overcome the Sasanian attacks of the early seventh century more easily, and could have done so without overtaxing the eastern provinces, or relying upon Arabian warriors. That would have prevented the loss of Syria and Egypt. There would have been no Islam.

A second scenario for alternative history: the Byzantines ought to have paid Alp Aslan after Manzikert. The Seljuk leader was not interested in Anatolia but was moving against Syria. He ought to have received the money the Byzantines had promised to give him. By breaking their promise, the Byzantine provoked the Turks at the moment when they had no army, and Alp Aslan simply occupied Anatolia. Having lost its power base, Byzantium was bound to disappear. Had Byzantium paid Alp Aslan, the Seljuks would have created a terrible mess in Syria and Egypt, allowing the Crusaders and Byzantium to expand their realms to the southwest.

[Ioannes_Ahenobarbus]

I completely agree with Mr. Lendering on the point of paying Alp Arslan. Of course, it would have been a much simpler thing with a victorious Romanos. If the Turkish army was defeated in 1071, and as long as they did not return in great numbers soon after, the crusades might not have occurred. Unfortunately for him and East Rome, he was too unpopular (i.e., not aristocratic enough) with many of the 'powers that be' in Constantinople. But I think the fall was more or less inevitable. With so many people come too many variables.

[hoplite14gr]

Empires at one point or another disintegrate.
Another option would be if Georgios Mouzalon paid more attention to his spies report and not letting himself murdered.
The "nationalization" policy of the Nicean Emperors could have continiued and a more viable state based on his his subjects could ha evolved,
Kind regards

[PMBardunias]

Convert to Islam. This may seem distasteful to some, as it surely was to a vast majority of Byzantines (which makes it unlikely), but by this one act they would have assured their expansion. The history of the Ottomans shows this to be true. An Islamic Byzantium would have been a focus for world Islam and greatly influenced the culture. Instead of fighting against the turk-islamic tide, they could have absorbed them and used them.

[Steakslim]

Conquer the muslims and convert them then you don't have worry thus no crusades no 1204 and no 1453 then you get the middle east and india thus leaving you free to expand into Asia and eastern Africa then New Guinea and oceania then australia then california, then central and south america. Once you get all the expanding done form a solid relationship with china. Adopt chinse gunpowder weapons and improve them, perfect Archimedes mirror then adopt western gunpowder weapons then once you have byzantine flame throwers, lasers, and guns. Make a navy with all of the above weaponry with metal hulls and mine laying capability make sure to 'byzantineize' all the conquered people then get control of the catholic papacy make sure the high muckety mucks are all byzantine puppets thus gaining control of the west and the western powers colonies. learn from their mistakes and thus you keep the colonies which have been so 'byzantineized' at that point it doesn't matter. Make new laws that promote equality and stability make sure the colonies are ruled by a prince or a princess when the American revolution happens become good friends with america and help them adopt american ideas for the government and american technology and any other technology you get your hands on including that of the aztecs the maya and the inca, improve said technology become friends with the protestants make their bosses are under byzantine power, make an alliance with the Russain empire. Figure out a way to keep the colonies also deal with any rebels in a silent and deadly fashion that doesn't make them martyrs. Go into space with America put men on the moon along with a longterm base and put colonistists on the base and a laser platform in orbit on a space station, shoot down a defunct weather satellite, colonize mars and a planet beyond the solar system put satellites in orbit around said planets

[sonic]

For further expansion, I think Spain would have been the next obvious and worthwhile target for the Byzantines. They already held a strong foothold in the south (about 1/7th of the peninsula). Gothic Spain would have fallen as surely as Gothic Italy did.
~Theo

Actually, I disagree about this. Ostrogothic Italy suffered from internal divisions and fell. Visigothic Spain began to suffer from these divisions but quickly reunited when it became clear that the Empire was gaining ground. From the time of their reunification there was no point at which Justinian could have completed a reconquest.

[Theodosius the Great]

Yes, the Goths began to close ranks against their common foe. OTOH, Justinian was masterful at dividing his enemies. And he may have enjoyed popular support from the Hispano-Romans. A Byzantine victory would promise them a Catholic restoration and an end to the ravages of Gothic civil wars.

The Byzantines were already familiar with Gothic tactics from the Italian war(s). And, even if united, the Goths don't seem to have been very numerous as evidenced by their quick demise under the Arab invasion. So, I think the Goths would not have survived one or two large defeats.

IIRC, current theory suggests that the Goths numbered no more than 10,000 fighting men when they took over the Iberian peninsula. A good recent work on the subject is "Visigothic Spain, 409-711", by Roger Collins.

From the time of their reunification there was no point at which Justinian could have completed a reconquest.

Yes, I agree completely. The opportunity for expansion did not exist until perhaps Justinian's final years. It would have been a project for his immediate successors, IMO. But at least Justinian laid down the ground work for them.

~Theo

[Jona Lendering]

Visigothic Spain began to suffer from these divisions but quickly reunited when it became clear that the Empire was gaining ground. From the time of their reunification there was no point at which Justinian could have completed a reconquest.

Unless, of course, Justinian did it as it happened in 711: one decisive battle in which the Visigothic leader died, after which the kingdom, lacking central authority, could not continue its fight and was forced to surrender.

[Gluteus Maximus]

Convert to Islam. This may seem distasteful to some, as it surely was to a vast majority of Byzantines (which makes it unlikely), but by this one act they would have assured their expansion. The history of the Ottomans shows this to be true. An Islamic Byzantium would have been a focus for world Islam and greatly influenced the culture. Instead of fighting against the turk-islamic tide, they could have absorbed them and used them.

One wonders how close this may have come. Iconoclasm seems to have been influenced by Islamic leanings.

[Ioannes_Ahenobarbus]

The evidence for and against Islam's influence on iconoclasm is still being debated. But it seems likely that it was very possible, if not probable, that the practices of Muslims did have an instigating effect on some Christians

Yet, I must disagree with the bit on conversion to Islam. If East Rome converted, it is more likely that it would have been swept up under the tide of expansionism. Perhaps it could have become a sort of vassal or tributary state to the Caliphate. There is obviously no way to completely prove one way or the other.

Nevertheless, Byzantium could have been saved if the following issues could have been avoided or corrected: 1) decline of monetary system and successive debasements; 2) animosity of potential allied or friendly nations (primarily Southern/Central Europeans); 3) slow population increase; 4) loss of military institutions.

There could be other topics added to this list, but I tried to make them fairly inclusive in order to cover smaller problems.

[Eleatic Guest]

Convert to Islam.

Perhaps not so wise considering that the lethal thrust against the empire came from west, not east.

[Robert Vermaat]

From the time of their reunification there was no point at which Justinian could have completed a reconquest.

Yes, I agree completely. The opportunity for expansion did not exist until perhaps Justinian's final years. It would have been a project for his immediate successors, IMO. But at least Justinian laid down the ground work for them.

That would have been the best way to survive - get access again to the western soldiers!
The western legions were always of better quality than the Syrian troops. Time and again we hear of the supposed higher quality of the gallic infantryman when compared to the Syrian troops. The posssibility of the Roman empire to move legions around was one of its big strengths.

Imagine the Justinian or his successor retaking Gaul! That would have been something...