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Yet Constantinople advantages were not only military.
但是它的优势不仅仅体现在军事上 。
Because Constantinople controlled the shipping lanes connecting the Black Sea with the Mediterranean,
由于君士坦丁堡控制了连接黑海和地中海的航线，
it controlled the trade routes between Europe and Asia making Byzantine merchants rich, rich, rich and raking in revenue for the State.
它也就控制了欧亚之间的贸易，这样拜占庭的商人也因此发家致富，也为国家提供了大量的税收。
Constantinople's central location also made it a culture center bringing in artists, poets, painters and teachers.
君士坦丁堡的中心位置也使其成为了文化中心，吸引了艺术家、诗人、画家和教师。
By contrast the Western Empire got stuck with the brunt of the Barbarian invasions.
相反 西罗马帝国却深陷野蛮侵略的攻击无法自拔。
The West's agricultural economy was dying, the West had no access to the treating riches of the Far East.
西方的农耕经济正在枯竭，同时他们又没有掌握和远东进行贸易的通道。
And suffered from hopelessly weak leadership.
更绝望的是统治阶级也十分无能。
The Eastern Empire on the other hand had its fair share of strong leaders.
东罗马帝国另一方面有着强有力的领导。
Under the reign of Justinian the I in 527 AD to 565 AD
在查士丁尼一世统治的527到565年间，
the Byzantine Empire reached its greatest size conquering back Italy and North Africa.
拜占庭帝国领土扩张到了顶峰，收复了意大利和北非。
The last Byzantine Emperor who considered himself more a Roman than a Greek.
最后一任拜占庭皇帝认为自己更像是个罗马人而不是希腊人。
Justinian also codified Roman law and built the beautiful Cathedral of Hagia Sophia.
查士丁尼还编纂了罗马法建造了魅力圣菲亚大教堂。
Holy wisdom which would so impress the Russian ambassadors nearly 5 centuries later.
他神圣的智慧在近五个世纪后仍旧打动了俄国大使的心。
