For hundreds of years the Roman Empire flourished continuously, conquest by conquest. Through militaristic prowess, Rome was proficient in expanding borders and acquiring power allowing the empire to exceed neighbouring territories politically, economically and socially (Ferguson, 1998). However, Rome’s ongoing success came to a standstill where political instability posed a threat to the survival of the empire. Thus, Rome was split into two states with historians referring to the east and west as the Byzantine Empire and the Roman Empire, respectively (Beard, 2011). The Byzantine empire continued to thrive vigorously, prospering for another thousand years whereas the Roman Empire became vulnerable and began to break down from the inside, collapsing
