WHAT DO WE GET WRONG ABOUT THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE? Four historians evaluate perceptions of Rome's eastern successor beyond the piety, icons, bureaucracy and gold.

This article presents four historians’ perspectives on common misconceptions about the Eastern Roman Empire, often called Byzantium. They emphasize that the empire’s inhabitants identified as Roman, not “Byzantine,” and challenge stereotypes of the state as despotic or overly religious. The empire is highlighted as a resilient, accountable polity with diverse ethnic and linguistic communities, where secular culture and scientific achievements coexisted alongside Orthodox Christianity. The historians advocate for reframing the empire’s image to acknowledge its complexity beyond religious and bureaucratic caricatures, recognizing its integral role in late antiquity and medieval history.