Did Constantinople Ever Try To Retake Rome After Its Fall?

A forgotten piece of Roman history

(Public domain)

Where was Constantinople when Rome fell? It is an interesting question. Clearly, Rome’s Eastern counterpart did not do enough to prevent the old capital from capitulating to what was seen at the time as Barbarian elements. There were no Byzantine legions marching to protect the fragile legacy of Rome. There was no immediate counterattack. Constantinople’s last message to Rome was a feeble plea to the barbarians within to reinstate the puppet emperor who was residing in exile. Instead, the new masters of Rome sent the imperial regalia back to Constantinople with a clear message — Rome was finished.

Despite being a shadow of its former self, Rome still held the legacy of Western Civilization. Rome held the allure of the old Republic, people like Julius Caesar, and the philosophy and traditions of Ancient Greece. Holding Rome, while strategically unimportant at the time, would be a great boon for any empire’s cultural legacy. (This is why, despite having nothing to do with Rome, the Holy Roman Empire tapped into that very same legacy to chase these cultural touchstones.)

So, were there any serious efforts by Constantinople to recapture Rome after its fall in 476? Wasn’t the Eastern Roman Empire still formidable enough to beat back the…