Romaion or Byzantine?

While reading, there seems to be some debate over which term to use. So, which do you prefer, and why? Romaion, or Byzantine?

 

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Byzantine. It's the term that's been used for years, and anyone who has researched any Byzantine history knows they are the Roman Empire. (Then again, I'm the guy who also gets offended by 'the dark ages' so I guess I'm a hypocrite...)

 

i always use the term byzantine, but just because it's more common used....ad FN said. when i made a coin display, labeled a coin as byzantine, but in my test i explained that they were a continuation of the roman empire.

 

"The people who lived in the "Byzantine Empire" never knew nor used the word "Byzantine." They know themselves to be Romans, nothing more and absolutely nothing less."

http://www.romanity.org/htm/fox.01.en.what_if_anything_is_a_byzantine.01.htm

 

I used the term, "Roman Empire" from Augustus to Constantine I/ Western Roman Empire/ Eastern Roman Empire, after Constantine divided the old Roman Empire, when he became sole Emperor. I start calling the Eastern Roman Empire the so called Byzantine Empire....when Anastasius I became Emperor in 491AD.

 

Byzantine

 

The Romans may have never used the term Byzantine, but it is a convenient term for us modern people to clearly distinguish the differences of the Greek cultured Roman Empire that evolved after the capital was moved to Byzantium/Constantinople from the Latin Empire of Rome (heck, even the crusader takeover of the Byzantines we call the "Latin Empire" since the Romans had become so Greek - Medieval Europeans would refer to them as the Greeks, since Rome was where the Pope lived). I find nothing wrong with using the term "Byzantine."

I believe Dr. Fox's article (20 years old now, and out of date in terms of what the 'educated public' understands) gives away the problem of his own argument in his concluding paragraph. Periodization is something we historians place on the past and have been doing for centuries. It is artificial, and always will be. To change names to make things 'fit' adds another layer of unnecessary (and dare I say, Byzantine) complexity to history which will only muddle past scholarship.

Sorry if I sound like I'm getting worked up over this: I'll blame the sauce. And frankly I shouldn't be saying anything, since I've already labeled myself a hypocrite...

 

Yup, what @FitzNigel said... Byzantine.

 

The term "Byzantine" is not historical it is historiographical. I will continue to use Romaion.

 

To be honest, it really doesn't matter to me very much as I don't generally collect Byzantine era coins. But I will mention that most people, myself included, know of it as the Byzantine era and using Romaion could get confusing.

 

I use the term Eastern Roman, but sometimes "Byzantine" does slip in.

 

I'll admit, that never having seen the term "Romaion", I had to look the word up via a Google search yesterday. The Byzantine Empire was finished off in 1453. That is about the same time they lost the ability to tell anybody what to do or call them. If they wanted it different, they shouldn't have thrown the towel in and instead stuck around!
History has labelled them "Byzantine" and that is the way it shall remain.

 

I say Byzantine

Why stop there LM?
Look at the U.S Indian head cent (IHC) It's no more an indian than it is a mercury.

 

Nice => Lord, apparently you're from my same era, where The Fonz was all that



=> those were good and far easier times, eh? (sit on it Potsie)



Yah, not surprisingly => I'm a total fan of Byzantine rather then Romaninonian

 

Orfew provided the link to an argument against the word Byzantine that has the opposite effect convincing me that Byzantine is a good word. The term originated from 18th century French desires to separate their beloved hardly civilized civilization they termed Byzantine. The average Byzantine Emperor does tend to make you appreciate all but the Caligula/Elagabalus grade Romans. I might not have felt the need to go back to the pre-Constantinian term but I do like separating the Rome centered universe from the Constantinople crowd. Romaion is too close for a made up word for the convenience of history teachers. I'll stick with Byzantine.