In this episode, we dive into the disturbing and often overlooked reason why the Eastern Roman Empire didn’t fall in 476, when the Western Roman Empire crumbled. While historians often mark 476 as the end of the Roman Empire, the Eastern half—centered in Constantinople—continued to stand for nearly another thousand years. But why did the Eastern Roman Empire survive so much longer, despite similar pressures? We explore the political, military, and social factors that allowed the Eastern Empire to persist, and how its survival was intertwined with some uncomfortable truths about its survival tactics. Join us as we unravel the complex and often dark reasons behind the Eastern Roman Empire’s endurance—and the high cost of its longevity.