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[–] WORF_MOTORBOATS_TROI 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago  (edited ago)

Incorrect, the byzantine empire fought some of the first wars against the muslims in the 7th century as it was starting to expand out of the arabian peninsula. That was why I mentioned it. Europeans could have continued to dominate the entire meditteranean even up to the modern day if the arabs had been contained at that point

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[–] Joe_McCarthy [S] 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

I think his point is that Byzantium is better dubbed Orient than Occident. Certainly Byzantine Syria being Western is a stretch. But your point is well taken nonetheless. A state that had continuity with Rome and was indeed known as the Roman Empire falls into the 'close enough' category - particularly given how Islam has impacted Western history proper.

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[–] WORF_MOTORBOATS_TROI 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

If you're interested, I elaborated a bit in reply to oswy's comment below.

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[–] Oswy 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

Exactly. Romano-Germanic and Graeco-Slavonic are probably better terms than West and East, or simply Latin versus Greek Christendom. You have to realise, Worf, that there wasn't really a pan-European feeling. The Crusaders' behaviour demonstrated this very clearly. We are only the heirs of Greece in various intellectual ways, it's not a direct succession at all.