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# byzantine

adjective (Byzantine, byzantine); noun (a Byzantine, Byzantines — history)

«byzantine» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (history) Byzantine describes the Byzantine Empire, the eastern part of the Roman Empire, which lasted for about a thousand years after Rome fell, with its capital at Constantinople (now Istanbul). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/byzantine/#m1)
2. (history, art, church) Byzantine art and churches have gold mosaics, domes and holy pictures called icons. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/byzantine/#m2)
3. (formal) byzantine (small b) means far too complicated and hard to understand: byzantine rules. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/byzantine/#m3)

### In the lessons

In history lessons, the Byzantine Empire links ancient Rome to the Middle Ages: Emperor Justinian, the great church of Hagia Sophia, Greek language and Orthodox Christianity. In church and art lessons, Byzantine icons and mosaics are shown. In the formal or exam voice, «byzantine» describes a confusing system, like a maze of rules. Phrases: «the Byzantine Empire», «Byzantine art», «a byzantine system».

### Examples

- The Byzantine Empire's capital was Constantinople. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/byzantine/#x1)
- Hagia Sophia is a famous Byzantine church with a huge dome. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/byzantine/#x2)
- Byzantine mosaics shine with tiny pieces of gold glass. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/byzantine/#x3)
- Orthodox Christians still pray with icons in the Byzantine style. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/byzantine/#x4)
- (formal) The club's rules were so byzantine that nobody understood them. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/byzantine/#x5)
- The Byzantines spoke Greek but called themselves Romans. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/byzantine/#x6)

### Note

Capital B for the empire and its art; small b is common for the "too complicated" sense. Say it "bi-ZAN-teen" or "BIZ-an-tine". People of the time did not call it "Byzantine"; they called themselves Romans — the name was given later by historians.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «byzantine» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/byzantine/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«byzantine» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/byzantine.html) on Mova free.