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==Culture==

==Culture==

The empire was multi-ethnic and officially Orthodox Christian; after c 750 AD, predominantly Greek-speaking.  The empire's heritage consisted of the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], ancient Greek culture, Byzantine art and architecture and [[Roman law]].  Of the 55,000 ancient Greek texts in existence today, some 40,000 were transmitted by Byzantine scribes. And it was the Byzantine Empire that shielded Western Europe from invasion until it was ready to take its own place at the center of the world stage.  

The empire was multi-ethnic and officially Orthodox Christian; after c 750 AD, predominantly Greek-speaking.  The empire's heritage consisted of the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], ancient Greek culture, Byzantine art and architecture and [[Roman law]].  Of the 55,000 ancient Greek texts in existence today, some 40,000 were transmitted by Byzantine [[Scribes (Bible)|scribes]]. And it was the Byzantine Empire that shielded Western Europe from invasion until it was ready to take its own place at the center of the world stage.  

[[File:Byz-600.jpg|thumb|600px|left]]

[[File:Byz-600.jpg|thumb|600px|left]]

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