“Byzantium” has become for many a synonym for sophisticated deceit and intrigue. But what is the true face of the disappeared empire? In the book you are holding in your hands, for the first time the history of this power is considered not just as a series of successive dynasties, coups, conspiracies and wars, but as a thousand-year spiritual and political struggle. It was often based not only on the desire for power and dominance, but on alternative theological and ideological concepts. A prominent place in the study is occupied by the understanding of the Crusades in the context of Byzantine history. In particular, a detailed “non-standard” analysis of the events preceding the capture of Constantinople by the “Latins” is given. The civil wars of the mid-14th century are examined in an innovative way. Traditionally, they are presented as a sign of the decline and collapse of the Byzantine civilization. Meanwhile, the outcome of this “theological” war predetermined the further development of the entire Orthodox world, including Russia. The study also pays close attention to the relationships, similarities and differences between the Second and Third Rome. This makes it possible to identify both moments of continuity and deep dissimilarity between the two great empires. The issue related to the origins of Rus', poorly covered in historical literature, is considered separately - the formation and death of the Gothic “empire” of Ermanaric. The role of the Goths in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the formation of the foundations of European civilization, their interaction and confrontation with Byzantium. The publishing design is preserved in PDF A4 format.